Charles Frederick Hutchinson

Hutchinson was on that wing of the Liberal Party which called itself the Liberal Imperialists.[9] They argued that the Liberals had lost the centre vote because the party had distanced itself from "the new Imperial spirit". Instead, they argued for a "clean slate" with the old, classical Liberalism giving way to the new ideas of "National Efficiency" and imperialism.[10]

Brookfield, who had been a professional soldier until his retirement in 1880, had been away in South Africa commanding a battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry in the Second Anglo-Boer War. He did not get back to England until 8 October 1900 by which time Hutchinson had been able to start campaigning.[11] Polling took place in Rye on 12 October and despite Brookfield's absence, the general mood of support for the government at time of war (especially given Colonel Brookfield's own participation in the conflict) proved too great a hurdle for Hutchinson. At the last election which had been contested, that of 1892, Brookfield had a majority of 711 votes. This time he turned that into a majority of 2,489, taking 65.1% of the poll to Hutchinson's 34.9%.[12]

Three years later however the political situation was transformed. The war was over, the government was unpopular and the 1902 Education Act was proving a disaster for the Tories and a rallying cause to Liberals, especially those in the nonconformist tradition.[13] Brookfield resigned from the House of Commons to take up an appointment as HM Consul at Montevideo thus causing a by-election and Hutchinson was again called on by the local Liberal Association to be their candidate. In the changed political climate Hutchinson won a narrow victory at the election held on 17 March 1903, defeating the new Conservative candidate Edward Boyle, a barrister, by 534 votes.[14]

The 1906 general election was a Liberal landslide, exceeding the most optimistic Liberal hopes. Hutchinson however did not share in this political good fortune. The Unionist parties won few seats against the general trend but Rye was one of them, along with some other seats they had lost in by-elections since 1900.[15] Hutchinson faced a new Conservative candidate, George Courthope another barrister but a Sussex man. Despite the pro-Liberal feeling in the country, Hutchinson saw his slim majority overtaken by Courthope who eventually won with a majority of 1,158 votes.[16]

After his death, his son St John Hutchinson contested Rye for the Liberal party at both the 1910 General elections, but without success.[17]