1903 Ludlow by-election

The 1903 Ludlow by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 22 December 1903. 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.

Ludlow by-election, 1903

22 December 1903

Candidate Rowland Hunt Frederic Horne Party Liberal Unionist Liberal Popular vote 4,393 3,423 Percentage 56.2% 43.8%

MP before election Robert Jasper More Liberal Unionist Subsequent MP Rowland Hunt Liberal Unionist

Vacancy

Robert Jasper More had been Liberal Unionist MP for the seat of Ludlow since the 1892 General Election. He died on 25 November 1903 at the age of 67.

Electoral history

The seat had been Liberal Unionist since they gained it in 1886. They held the seat at the last election, unopposed. The last occasion a Liberal had stood was in 1892 when the Unionists won easily;

More

General election 1892: Ludlow

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	Robert Jasper More	5,965	73.5	N/A
	Liberal	F Sydney Morris	2,146	26.5	New
Majority			3,819	47.0	N/A
Turnout			8.111	71.9	N/A
	Liberal Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

Candidates

• The local Conservative Association selected 45 year-old Rowland Hunt as their candidate to defend the seat. Hunt was the son of Rowland Hunt, of Boreatton Hall, Baschurch, Shropshire and his wife Florence Marianne, daughter of Richard B. Humfrey, of Kibworth Hall, Leicestershire, and Stoke Albany House, Northamptonshire. The Hunts were one of the principal families of north Shropshire. His uncle George Ward Hunt was Chancellor of the Exchequer under Disraeli. Hunt was educated at Eton and Magdalene College, Cambridge. He served with the Lovat Scouts during the Second Boer War, and later became a Major in the City of London Yeomanry. In 1889, Hunt married Georgina Veronica Davidson, daughter of Colonel Duncan Davidson of Tulloch Castle in Dingwall. They had two sons and one daughter.
• The local Liberal Association selected 40 year-old Frederic Horne as their candidate to gain the seat. He had not stood for parliament before. After leaving Adams Grammar School, in Newport, Shropshire he studied farming in Shropshire. He farmed at Shifnal

Campaign

Polling Day was fixed for the 22 December, just 27 days after the previous MP died.

Result

The Liberal Unionist Party held the seat.

Ludlow by-election, 1903

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	Rowland Hunt	4,393	56.2	N/A
	Liberal	Frederic Horne	3,423	43.8	New
Majority			970	12.4	N/A
Turnout			7,816	75.3	N/A
	Liberal Unionist hold		Swing	N/A

Aftermath

At the following General Election the result was;

General election 1906: Ludlow

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	Rowland Hunt	4,978	54.1	−2.1
	Liberal	Frederic Horne	4,218	45.9	+2.1
Majority			760	8.2	−4.2
Turnout			9,196	85.4	+10.1
	Liberal Unionist hold		Swing	-2.1