1911 Hitchin by-election
← Dec. 1910 23 November 1911 1918 →
 
Candidate Cecil Greg
Party Conservative Liberal
Popular vote 5,542 3,909
Percentage 58.6% 41.4%
MP before election

Alfred Peter Hillier
Conservative

Subsequent MP

Lord Robert Cecil
Unionist

The Hitchin by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 23 November 1911.[1] The constituency returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

Vacancy

Dr Alfred Peter Hillier had been the Conservative MP for Hitchin since regaining the seat from the Liberals in January 1910. He committed suicide on 24 October 1911 in his home at 20 Eccleston Square, London, England.

Electoral history

General election December 1910: Hitchin[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alfred Peter Hillier 5,233 57.0 -2.8
Liberal Thomas Tylston Greg 3,942 43.0 +2.8
Majority 1,291 14.0 -5.6
Turnout 9,175 84.3 -4.2
Conservative hold Swing -2.8

Candidates

The new Conservative candidate was Robert Cecil who had been Conservative MP for Marylebone East until January 1910. In 1910 he unsuccessfully contested Blackburn in the January election and Wisbech in the December election. Thomas Tylston Greg, who had been the Liberal candidate last time was again chosen to contest the seat.

Result

The Conservative Party held the seat with an increased majority.

Hitchin by-election, 1911[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Robert Cecil 5,542 58.6 +1.6
Liberal Thomas Tylston Greg 3,909 41.4 -1.6
Majority 1,633 17.2 +3.2
Turnout 9,451 84.8 +0.5
Conservative hold Swing +1.6

Aftermath

A General Election was due to take place by the end of 1915. By the autumn of 1914, the following candidates had been adopted to contest that election. Due to the outbreak of war, the election never took place.

General election 14 December 1918: Hitchin [4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Unionist Robert Cecil 9,828 60.6 +2.0
Labour Robert Green 5,661 34.9 New
NFDDSS George Humm 722 4.5 New
Majority 4,167 25.7 +11.7
Turnout 16,211 54.4 −29.9
Registered electors 29,820
Unionist hold Swing N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

References

  1. ^ Craig, F.W.S. (1987). Chronology of British Parliamentary By-elections 1833–1987. Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 106.
  2. ^ Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  3. ^ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  4. ^ British parliamentary election results, 1918-1949 (Craig)
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