1911 Barnstaple by-election

1911 Barnstaple by-election

6 May 1911

Candidate Baring Parker Party Liberal Liberal Unionist Popular vote 6,239 5,751 Percentage 52.0% 48.0%

MP before election Ernest Soares Liberal Subsequent MP Tudor Rees Liberal

The 1911 Barnstaple by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 6 May 1911. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

Previous result

Ernest Soares

General election December 1910

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Ernest Soares	6,047	54.0	+0.2
	Liberal Unionist	Charles Sandbach Parker	5,155	46.0	-0.2
Majority			892	8.0	+0.4
Turnout			11,202	85.3	-3.0
	Liberal hold		Swing	+0.2

Candidates

The Liberal candidate was Sir Godfrey Baring, a 40-year-old Eton educated former Liberal MP from the Isle of Wight. He had sat for the Isle of Wight from 1906 until his defeat in January 1910. At the December 1910 general election he had contested Devonport . He was the chairman of the Isle of Wight County Council.

The Unionist candidate was Charles Sandbach Parker, an Ayrshire-based 47-year-old Chairman and Managing Director of Demerara Co. who had been educated at Eton and Oxford. He had contested Barnstaple at the December 1910 general election.

Result

Godfrey Baring

1911 Barnstaple by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Godfrey Baring	6,239	52.0	-2.0
	Liberal Unionist	Charles Sandbach Parker	5,751	48.0	+2.0
Majority			488	4.0	-4.0
Turnout			11,990	88.2	+2.9
	Liberal hold		Swing	-2.0

Aftermath

Baring chose not to defend his seat and instead sought re-election for his old Isle of Wight seat.

General election 14 December 1918:

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Tudor Rees	11,281	51.4	-0.6
	Unionist	Charles Sandbach Parker	10,679	48.6	+0.6
Majority			602	2.8	-1.2
Turnout			21,960	69.1	-19.1
	Liberal hold		Swing	-0.6

References

• Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.
• Who's Who: www.ukwhoswho.com
• Debrett's House of Commons 1916