Charles Frederick White

As well as working as a political agent for the Liberal Party, White also went into local government politics. From 1898 to at least 1903 he was a member of Bonsall Urban District Council,[4][5] while by 1913 he was chairman of the Matlock Bath Urban District Council.[6] He was for four years an elected member of Derbyshire County Council[7] and held the position of magistrate by virtue of being Chairman of a Local Authority.[1]

White contested the West Derbyshire constituency at the general election of December 1910. The West Derbyshire seat and surrounding area had been a family heirloom of the local aristocrats the Cavendish family since the 16th century. Since the modern seat was created in 1885 it had been held solely by members of the Cavendish family.[8] The sitting MP in 1910 was the Earl of Kerry. He had inherited the seat at a by-election in 1908 when he was returned unopposed as a Unionist. He held the seat against Liberal opposition in January 1910 and then defeated White in December 1910 with a majority of 1,060 votes.[9]

Charles White

In 1918 however, the world turned upside down. Despite the Earl of Kerry's receiving the Coalition coupon which surely ought to have ensured his victory in such a safe Tory seat, he lost to White by a majority of 2,160 votes.[2]

At the 1922 general election, White faced a new Unionist opponent but another member of the Cavendish family, the Marquess of Hartington. In a tight contest White just managed to retain his seat, albeit by the narrow margin of 87 votes – just 0.4% of the total votes cast.[10] White was intending to defend his seat again at the 1923 general election and he was duly nominated as a candidate but he died just before the election took place.