ColinJ
Labour
Living in the Past
Posts: 2,126
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Post by ColinJ on May 13, 2020 22:35:48 GMT
The Elections and Registration Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on 22 July 1915 by the President of the Local Government Board, Walter Long, and completed all its stages rapidly, receiving the Royal Assent on 29 July 1915. The legislation, with annual renewals, postponed municipal elections for the rest of the Great War.
The legislation was too late to avoid elections taking place in the spring of 1915. However, most of these resulted in unopposed returns, which isn't surprising considering the grave news from the Western Front and the Dardanelles. Unfortunately some elections did take place despite the turmoil; the idea behind this thread is to list any of these exceptions that we know of.
While working on my interest in Harrow elections I came across the following from (unwarded) WEMBLEY UDC. With 5 vacancies on the Council, no less than 12 candidates came forward and a poll was held on Monday 29 March.
Nominations withdrawn within the allowable period:
Sidney E. Smith (painter and decorator)
Reginald Tomsett (printer)
Result (first five elected):
2,995 electors, 1,127 voted, 37.6% turnout, no spoilt ballot papers
William J. Busby 581 (stationer)
Edwin Butler 574 (grocer)
Wallace J. Wheatland 518 (surveyor)
John F. Douglas 435 (clerk in Holy Orders)
James Wiggins 399 (house decorator)
George Harris 368 (shop fitter)
Edward A. Andrews 358 (pharmaceutical chemist)
Henry W. White 274 (trimming merchant)
Claude A. Brook 148 (printer)
James Angel 41 (decorator)
The nearby UDCs of Harrow-on-the-Hill and Ruislip-Northwood were not contested. Wealdstone UDC did not have elections in 1915.
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Post by hullenedge on May 13, 2020 23:12:45 GMT
There were many contested (UDC) elections in Yorkshire during March 1915. Surprising given that the November 1914 elections (boroughs) generated few contests.
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ColinJ
Labour
Living in the Past
Posts: 2,126
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Post by ColinJ on May 14, 2020 7:19:13 GMT
There were many contested (UDC) elections in Yorkshire during March 1915. Surprising given that the November 1914 elections (boroughs) generated few contests. Interesting. Perhaps the boroughs were more organised along party lines, and therefore it was more feasible to enforce an electoral truce? And maybe the UDCs were more likely to be dominated by independents who continued to do their own thing? |
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Post by hullenedge on May 14, 2020 8:22:31 GMT
There were many contested (UDC) elections in Yorkshire during March 1915. Surprising given that the November 1914 elections (boroughs) generated few contests. Interesting. Perhaps the boroughs were more organised along party lines, and therefore it was more feasible to enforce an electoral truce? And maybe the UDCs were more likely to be dominated by independents who continued to do their own thing? If you've got BNA access...page 12 Yorkshire Post Monday 29th March. You'll be staggered. Some party labels. The 'truce' varied from district to district, if it existed at all! |
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Post by hullenedge on May 14, 2020 9:48:43 GMT
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Post by AdminSTB on May 14, 2020 16:39:20 GMT
Ah, the days candidates were described under their occupations rather than party affiliations.
Everyone interested in pre-1973 local elections ought to at least consider subscribing to the British Newspaper Archive, especially in times like these. Access to it is included with a FindMyPast subscription as well.
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ColinJ
Labour
Living in the Past
Posts: 2,126
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Post by ColinJ on May 16, 2020 6:50:06 GMT
At this rate I will have to revise my opinion on 1915 elections, they're turning out to be more frequent than I expected. HENDON UDC saw one ward out of three contested: Mill Hill ward, 1 seat. Walter E. Candy (publisher's manager) Unopp. Child's Hill ward, 3 seats. Thomas F. Fenn (railway servant) Unopp. Hubert F. Madders (solicitor) Unopp. Walter Taylor (pharmacist) Unopp. Central and West Hendon ward, 3 seats. 4,150 electors, 622 voted, 15.0% turnout. Arthur B. Soar (manufacurer) 328 Joseph M. McGrath (engineer) 321 William A. Smyrk (builder) 235 Thomas Stillman (retired tradesman) 204 Reginald Cracknell (surveyor) 196 Bernard Jones (manufacturer's agent and merchant) withdrew FINCHLEY UDC saw two wards out of three contested. The local paper very helpfully provided an analysis of plumpers and split votes. I've laid these out in the attached Excel sheet in the style of Craig. Attachments:Finchley 1915.xlsx (9.43 KB)
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ColinJ
Labour
Living in the Past
Posts: 2,126
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Post by ColinJ on May 16, 2020 11:32:00 GMT
And now an excursion into west Middlesex. I continue to be astonished at the number of contested elections. The Middlesex and Buckinghamshire Advertiser reports extensive activity in 1915:
UXBRIDGE UDC
6 seats
Arthur Bailey (Grocer and sub-postmaster) Unopp.
Edward J. Garner (Solicitor) Unopp.
Frederick E. Walker (Medical practitioner) Unopp.
John W. Toovey (Jobmaster) Unopp.
Frederick Taylor (Builder's manager) Unopp.
Robert W. Hudson (Commercial clerk - Labour candidate) Unopp.
A contest was avoided by the withdrawl of Edwin Morgan.
YIEWSLEY UDC
4 seats, RDL = Ratepayers' Defence League
James Sutton (Coal merchant - RDL) 223 - Elected
Charles Heron (Schoolmaster) 214 - Elected
Joseph A. Holland (-) 194 - Elected
Edward A. White (Farmer) 187 - Elected
Arthur Kennedy (Railway clerk - RDL/Lab joint candidate) 165
Wilfred Roberts (Railway clerk - RDL/Lab joint candidate) 157
Arthur Mayer (Engineer - RDL/Lab joint candidate) 148
Herbert Squire (Hotel contractor) 117
HAYES UDC
3 wards, straight fights in each
East
George Fulford (Clerk) 57 - Elected
Frederick G. Sellwood (Packing-case maker - Lab) 26
South
Robert W. Gunton (Civil servant - Lab) 153 - Elected
John Brown (Licensed victualler) 112
West
Juan C. Drenon (Bookseller - Lab) 76 - Elected
Morris B. Evans (Surveyor) 55
"The result gives Labour six seats on a council of nine. Such a two-thirds representation is said to be unknown in any other urban district in England." The Labour candidate in East ward has a very appropriate surname!
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nick10
Forum Regular
[k4r]
Posts: 296 
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Post by nick10 on May 16, 2020 21:05:26 GMT
I'm doing research in the various councils that preceded Elmbridge in Surrey. There were four main ones in 1915 - East & West Molesey, Esher & the Dittons, Walton-upon-Thames and Weybridge. Walton's three wards were unopposed which seems to have been relatively unusual as their elections seem often to have been the most contentious of the four UDCs.
East & West Molesey: The West Molesey was, as often, unopposed. The East Molesey ward (4 seats up each year) was contested:
C Winter 282 - Elected
FGO Stimson 276 - Elected
WK Cannon 179 - Elected
FB Trimm 142 - Elected
J Aldous (inc.) 117
JG Armes (inc) 42
Sadly the Surrey Advertiser gives no particular reason why the two incumbents were defeated.
Esher & the Dittons: Three wards (Claygate, Esher & Long Ditton) were unopposed with just Thames Ditton seeing a contest for its two seats.
William Tozer (inc.) 258 - Elected
William Lawrence 258 - Elected
Joseph Peel (inc.) 167
The newspaper reported that Peel, who had been a councillor for six years, said after the result "he was the proudest man in Surrey, and asserted that there had been working against him a very powerful committee”.
Weybridge: This consisted of just one ward with four seats up each year.
ET Neathercoat (inc.) 291 - Elected
JW Brooker 263 - Elected (former councillor)
J Kemp-Welch (inc.) 192 - Elected
WC Bowyer (inc.) 187 - Elected
HP Bassett (inc.) 147
Weybridge also had a contested election for its three Guardians with JE Fitzwalter (267 votes), Dorothy Egerton (inc.) (237 votes) and J Kemp-Welch (inc.) (231 votes) elected over Commander Paget (103 votes).
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on May 16, 2020 21:08:42 GMT
Joan Kemp-Welch was a Weybridge councillor? That's an interesting life journey.
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Post by AdminSTB on May 17, 2020 7:54:49 GMT
Does anyone use the term "municipal elections" in this country any more? It always comes up in old newspapers. "Borough elections" or "district elections" sometimes came up as well but it's usually "local elections" nowadays.
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Post by finsobruce on May 17, 2020 8:12:24 GMT
Does anyone use the term "municipal elections" in this country any more? It always comes up in old newspapers. "Borough elections" or "district elections" sometimes came up as well but it's usually "local elections" nowadays. I had a quick look in the BNA and it was still being used in some local papers in the 1990s, mainly in Liverpool and Sandwell. In Ireland though, it was still currency into this century and may be still. |
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Post by AdminSTB on May 17, 2020 9:49:32 GMT
Yes, it's interesting to observe how our language has evolved over the past 100 years.
It's so different to-day.
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The Bishop
Labour
Down With Factionalism!
Posts: 38,889
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Post by The Bishop on May 17, 2020 11:00:42 GMT
Joan Kemp-Welch was a Weybridge councillor? That's an interesting life journey. Just googled who you are referring to, and no its not the same person unless they stood for the council in primary school  |
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neilm
Non-Aligned
Posts: 25,023
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Post by neilm on May 19, 2020 11:30:07 GMT
I wonder when when the practice of writing Chas. and Wm. etc dropped out. Does anyone know what Hy. was a contraction of? |
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Post by Defenestrated Fipplebox on May 19, 2020 11:34:09 GMT
Hy = Henry
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Post by johnloony on May 19, 2020 12:29:49 GMT
I wonder when when the practice of writing Chas. and Wm. etc dropped out. Does anyone know what Hy. was a contraction of? It hasn't "dropped out". People still do write abbreviations like Wm. or Chas. or Thos. etc |
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Post by finsobruce on May 19, 2020 12:55:09 GMT
I wonder when when the practice of writing Chas. and Wm. etc dropped out. Does anyone know what Hy. was a contraction of? Henry. |
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on May 19, 2020 12:59:20 GMT
The one that always gets me is "Jno." meaning John.
Why?
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Post by Adam in Stroud on May 19, 2020 13:00:28 GMT
I wonder when when the practice of writing Chas. and Wm. etc dropped out. Does anyone know what Hy. was a contraction of? Henry. P G Wodehouse uses them a lot, his favourites including Jos. and Thos. I presume Joseph and Thomas? Wodehouse uses them in speech and I always wonder if one is expected to expand them out - as you would if he'd put "etc" into direct speech - or to speak the abbreviation, as people sometime do with Chas. EDIT: Also Geo. Presumably George. |
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