222:. The Rural Labourers' League brought up the failure of former Liberal governments to legislate for the provision of allotments, despite alleged promises to do so and also challenged Pease on his position on Home Rule, underscoring its Liberal Unionist heritage, even though this seemed to have little resonance as an issue among other electors. In return, Pease made play of the government's proposals for a sugar tax and the addition to labourers' household expenses this was likely to bring.
463:
concerns about the impact of the sugar tax on those with low wages in the countryside. It is possible that, as is usual in politics, the electorate may have been beginning to turn against the government, which had by this time been in office for six years. However other by-election results around this time in agricultural seats were not as propitious for the
Liberals and saw an increase in the Unionist vote.
319:
231:
for government action to help make the land more productive. He accused the government of indifference to agriculture, which he claimed was more intensely felt in Essex than any other county. In his election address Pease alleged that rate relief was not applied fairly, with rich accommodation land elsewhere benefitting at the expense of
230:
candidate, which many clearly had no intention of doing. They pledged their support to Mr Gray and had probably determined to walk out or demonstrate for the
Conservative at some point no matter what. Pease continued to campaign against the importation of foreign agricultural products and the need
462:
Pease looking for a safe
Parliamentary billet having been ousted by the voters of Tyneside and with no local credentials. It seems the impact of the Boer War was wearing off as an electoral asset for the Tories and the agricultural issues seemed to work in favour of the Liberals, particularly the
225:
Sir Walter Gilbey made good his promise to speak for Pease but the start of the meeting did not go well. It had been advertised as a meeting for farmers but there were many present who were townspeople and probably some from outside the area. This led to protests and a walk-out by the farmers
188:
with the town itself the only real centre of population, the rest of the division being made up of 86 scattered villages. Unsurprisingly then, agricultural questions loomed large with the electorate. The dominant message from the
Unionists was the need for the election of an Essex man with a
189:
practical understanding of the needs of agriculture and farming. They also painted Pease as someone who had done damage to agriculture by voting in previous
Parliaments against resolutions introduced in the agricultural interest. They quoted in particular Pease's support for an increase in
310:
Pease held the seat for the
Liberals with an increased majority. In 1900, Armine Wodehouse's majority over Gray had been 110. Pease increased this to 792 at the by-election. While a Liberal victory in a seat which had been Liberal since its creation for the
1498:
226:
attending, leaving large sections of the hall empty. Holding their own meeting in
Saffron Walden market place, the farmers objected that the meeting had been organised to give the impression that farmers were supporting the
193:
which had led estate owners to reduce outgoings, discharging servants and agricultural labourers. They also attacked Pease for his opposition in 1896 to the
Agricultural Rating Act, designed to reduce the burden of
656:
679:
294:
at that general election. By May 1901 however the shine was starting to come off the military brass. A Liberal supporting election leaflet, "A Soldier’s
Indictment of the Present Government" signed by “
247:
was a divisive issue in
British politics at the turn of the 20th century. The war had resulted in the victory of the Conservative Party in the 1900 general election, which was dubbed the
56:
1452:
198:
on agricultural land. Pease found himself under attack from the local branch of the Rural Labourers' League which openly declared itself for Gray. The League had been founded by
649:
1447:
1442:
1437:
1432:
1427:
1422:
1417:
1412:
1407:
1402:
1397:
1392:
1387:
675:
686:
668:
642:
155:
he had brought it down to just 110. He had continued working locally to try and eliminate it altogether and must have had high hopes of victory at the by-election.
1493:
454:
Once the result was declared, the Conservatives pleaded a lack of voter registration and organisation in the run-up to the poll but Gray had fought the seat in
108:
1169:
290:
It seems likely that some traditional Liberal voters may have felt unwilling to vote against a popular, patriotic war in 1900 and consequently supported the
29:
634:
279:
in support. Graham described the war as a clash between civilization and progress (on the British side) and slavery, bribery and corruption on the
1218:
1063:
933:
807:
719:
960:
88:
59:
52:
48:
938:
906:
455:
312:
272:
152:
148:
67:
287:
declared that the struggle to decide who should 'boss' South Africa, British or Dutch, would be fought to the finish regardless of cost.
1235:
1462:
1278:
1037:
976:
789:
768:
1148:
256:
971:
729:
100:
96:
1229:
1138:
1025:
862:
856:
739:
104:
1348:
1321:
1316:
1273:
1175:
1048:
1019:
911:
361:
84:
1457:
1354:
1343:
1327:
1267:
1068:
1058:
966:
841:
263:
by the British Army against the Dutch civilian population. This policy was eventually characterised by Liberal leader Sir
1257:
1164:
1078:
1053:
1031:
890:
235:
such as predominated in Essex. He also complained of the unequal burden of increased taxation on workers and labourers.
1371:
1306:
1186:
1181:
1159:
1132:
997:
851:
724:
112:
458:
and 1900 and had made inroads into the Liberal majority. In addition, Gray was the local candidate compared with the
1365:
1359:
1332:
1311:
1289:
1223:
1191:
1154:
1143:
1127:
1117:
1042:
955:
928:
922:
916:
896:
873:
830:
795:
762:
756:
734:
714:
1337:
1295:
1262:
1207:
1202:
1095:
1008:
901:
878:
835:
778:
773:
867:
846:
1508:
1483:
1284:
1240:
1213:
1197:
1122:
1090:
1084:
1073:
1014:
1002:
987:
801:
709:
268:
264:
25:
982:
813:
1503:
1488:
1301:
1100:
385:
227:
136:
704:
207:
884:
219:
215:
163:
influences and a prominent member of the Society of Friends, E B Gibson, was one of Gray's nominators.
124:
992:
284:
583:
A Scottish Liberal Perspective: 1836-2008, A Centenary Celebration for Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
298:” was circulating in the last days of the contest. The Liberal candidate, Jack Pease, was from the
260:
267:
as 'methods of barbarism'. Gray was determined to play the khaki card again and held a meeting at
434:
354:
45:
390:
276:
140:
442:
176:
Saffron Walden constituency at this time was a large rural entity, stretching across north
244:
203:
190:
44:
The by-election was caused by the death on 1 May 1901, at the age of 40, of the sitting
248:
199:
156:
116:
92:
63:
1477:
418:
181:
120:
459:
295:
299:
252:
232:
211:
195:
21:
318:
1499:
By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Essex constituencies
565:
315:
could have been anticipated, the size of the win was larger than forecast.
344:
144:
302:
part of the party which was happy to support the Boer War in principle.
185:
160:
115:. In the by-election, Pease had the support of the wine-merchant and
177:
33:
291:
280:
255:
engagement turned slowly into a protracted and bloody conflict.
127:
who promised to address a meeting of farmers on Pease's behalf.
638:
492:
in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online, OUP 2004-10
151:
he had reduced the Liberal majority from 1,881 to 425 and in
210:. Collings had always supported agricultural causes and
95:
from 1892 to 1900 when he lost his seat at that year's
603:
A Liberal Chronicle, Journals and Papers of Jack Pease
159:
had at this time a reputation as a town with strong
83:
Saffron Walden Liberals selected as their candidate
1249:
1109:
947:
822:
748:
696:
147:. Gray had twice contested the seat before. At the
626:The age of upheaval: Edwardian politics 1899-1914
570:Cassell’s Companion to Twentieth Century Britain
251:. But what had at first been seen as a brief
218:and the campaigns characterised by the slogan
650:
611:
609:
8:
552:
550:
657:
643:
635:
504:
502:
500:
498:
325:
490:Joseph Albert Pease first Baron Gainford
317:
628:; Manchester University Press, 1995 p38
472:
680:27th Parliament of the United Kingdom
417:
331:
60:John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley
7:
1494:1901 elections in the United Kingdom
143:, an Essex farmer whose home was at
87:. Pease had been Liberal MP for the
55:. Wodehouse was the son of sometime
572:, Cassell & Co, 2007 pp. 665–66
202:, a former Liberal MP who opposed
14:
327:Saffron Walden by-election, 1901
381:
349:
259:was strengthened by the use of
18:1901 Saffron Walden by-election
1:
517:The Times, 11 October 1900 p8
24:held on 31 May 1901 for the
214:including the provision of
113:Chief Secretary for Ireland
1525:
508:The Times, 24 May 1901 p11
479:The Times, 10 May 1901 p10
1380:
1170:Dublin St Stephen's Green
615:The Times, 3 June 1901 p7
594:The Times, 1 June 1901 p8
556:The Times, 30 May 1901 p5
544:The Times, 29 May 1901 p9
535:The Times, 27 May 1901 p9
526:The Times, 31 May 1901 p4
433:
404:
343:
340:
337:
334:
1384:Lists of UK by-elections
271:on 29 May 1901 with the
269:Saffron Walden Town Hall
265:Henry Campbell-Bannerman
68:general election of 1900
26:British House of Commons
239:The war in South Africa
1219:North East Lanarkshire
1064:Warwick and Leamington
934:Liverpool East Toxteth
808:North East Lanarkshire
323:
321:
313:1885 general election
257:Opposition to the War
220:Three acres and a cow
99:. During his time in
51:for the constituency
961:Liverpool West Derby
585:; Banchory, 2008 p19
488:Cameron Hazlehurst,
939:Orkney and Shetland
907:East Worcestershire
842:Sheffield Ecclesall
328:
261:concentration camps
1236:West Monmouthshire
326:
324:
125:Bishop's Stortford
1471:
1470:
1279:Liverpool Everton
1038:St Andrews Burghs
977:Dublin University
790:Stratford-on-Avon
769:Monmouth Boroughs
452:
451:
391:Charles Wing Gray
273:Marquis of Graham
141:Charles Wing Gray
105:private secretary
103:, Pease had been
89:Tyneside Division
62:and had held the
57:Foreign Secretary
1516:
1463:Hereditary peers
1458:Northern Ireland
1149:Birmingham South
691:
682:
673:
659:
652:
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629:
622:
616:
613:
604:
601:
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592:
586:
579:
573:
563:
557:
554:
545:
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536:
533:
527:
524:
518:
515:
509:
506:
493:
486:
480:
477:
346:
329:
208:Liberal Unionist
97:general election
53:Armine Wodehouse
28:constituency of
1524:
1523:
1519:
1518:
1517:
1515:
1514:
1513:
1509:May 1901 events
1484:1901 in England
1474:
1473:
1472:
1467:
1376:
1245:
1105:
998:North Fermanagh
972:East Perthshire
943:
818:
744:
730:West Derbyshire
692:
687:28th Parliament
683:
674:
669:26th Parliament
665:
663:
633:
632:
623:
619:
614:
607:
602:
598:
593:
589:
580:
576:
564:
560:
555:
548:
543:
539:
534:
530:
525:
521:
516:
512:
507:
496:
487:
483:
478:
474:
469:
308:
241:
204:Irish Home Rule
174:
169:
133:
81:
76:
66:seat since the
42:
12:
11:
5:
1522:
1520:
1512:
1511:
1506:
1504:1900s in Essex
1501:
1496:
1491:
1489:Saffron Walden
1486:
1476:
1475:
1469:
1468:
1466:
1465:
1460:
1455:
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1420:
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1395:
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1362:
1357:
1351:
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1330:
1324:
1319:
1314:
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1276:
1270:
1265:
1260:
1253:
1251:
1247:
1246:
1244:
1243:
1238:
1232:
1230:Isle of Thanet
1226:
1221:
1216:
1210:
1205:
1200:
1194:
1189:
1184:
1178:
1172:
1167:
1162:
1157:
1151:
1146:
1141:
1139:City of London
1135:
1130:
1125:
1120:
1113:
1111:
1107:
1106:
1104:
1103:
1098:
1093:
1087:
1081:
1076:
1071:
1066:
1061:
1056:
1051:
1045:
1040:
1034:
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1026:Barnard Castle
1022:
1017:
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985:
979:
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919:
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909:
904:
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893:
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865:
863:South Monaghan
859:
857:North Kilkenny
854:
849:
844:
838:
833:
826:
824:
820:
819:
817:
816:
810:
804:
798:
792:
786:
784:Saffron Walden
781:
776:
771:
765:
759:
752:
750:
746:
745:
743:
742:
740:North Monaghan
737:
732:
727:
722:
717:
712:
707:
700:
698:
694:
693:
664:
662:
661:
654:
647:
639:
631:
630:
624:David Brooks,
617:
605:
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574:
558:
546:
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519:
510:
494:
481:
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365:
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307:
304:
285:jingoistically
249:Khaki election
240:
237:
200:Jesse Collings
173:
170:
168:
165:
157:Saffron Walden
132:
129:
117:philanthropist
93:Northumberland
80:
77:
75:
72:
64:Saffron Walden
41:
38:
30:Saffron Walden
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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1349:Belfast North
1347:
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1339:
1336:
1334:
1331:
1329:
1325:
1323:
1322:Finsbury East
1320:
1318:
1317:North Donegal
1315:
1313:
1310:
1308:
1305:
1303:
1299:
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1293:
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1288:
1286:
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1277:
1275:
1274:North Kildare
1271:
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1211:
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1206:
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1201:
1199:
1195:
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1190:
1188:
1185:
1183:
1179:
1177:
1176:Isle of Wight
1173:
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1168:
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1158:
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1077:
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1062:
1060:
1057:
1055:
1052:
1050:
1049:North Leitrim
1046:
1044:
1041:
1039:
1035:
1033:
1029:
1027:
1023:
1021:
1020:South Kildare
1018:
1016:
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1004:
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999:
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994:
991:
989:
986:
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950:
946:
940:
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935:
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926:
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920:
918:
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913:
912:Belfast South
910:
908:
905:
903:
900:
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894:
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871:
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320:
316:
314:
305:
303:
301:
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293:
288:
286:
282:
278:
277:D J Morgan MP
274:
270:
266:
262:
258:
254:
250:
246:
238:
236:
234:
229:
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221:
217:
213:
209:
206:and became a
205:
201:
197:
192:
187:
183:
182:Hertfordshire
179:
171:
166:
164:
162:
158:
154:
150:
149:1895 election
146:
142:
138:
131:Conservatives
130:
128:
126:
122:
121:Walter Gilbey
118:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
78:
73:
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69:
65:
61:
58:
54:
50:
47:
39:
37:
35:
31:
27:
23:
19:
1453:2010–present
1355:Barkston Ash
1344:Elgin Burghs
1328:Kingswinford
1268:North Dorset
1069:Westhoughton
1059:Belfast West
967:South Antrim
874:West Donegal
783:
685:
676:By-elections
667:
625:
620:
599:
590:
582:
577:
569:
561:
540:
531:
522:
513:
489:
484:
475:
460:carpetbagger
453:
437:
386:Conservative
377:
372:
367:
360:
353:
309:
296:Tommy Atkins
289:
242:
224:
191:death duties
175:
134:
123:from nearby
111:when he was
82:
43:
17:
15:
1342:September:
1258:Stalybridge
1165:East Dorset
1079:Londonderry
1054:South Meath
1036:September:
1032:Argyllshire
891:Leeds North
806:September:
581:A S Waugh,
300:Imperialist
233:arable land
212:land reform
172:Agriculture
109:John Morley
22:by-election
1478:Categories
1372:New Forest
1370:December:
1364:November:
1307:Chichester
1272:February:
1234:November:
1187:Harborough
1182:West Cavan
1160:Rossendale
1137:February:
1133:Ayr Burghs
1089:December:
1083:November:
965:February:
927:November:
852:South Down
840:February:
812:November:
755:February:
725:Woodbridge
720:Wellington
703:December:
467:References
362:Jack Pease
335:Candidate
322:Jack Pease
216:allotments
101:Parliament
85:Jack Pease
74:Candidates
1448:1979–2010
1443:1950–1979
1438:1931–1950
1433:1918–1931
1428:1900–1918
1423:1885–1900
1418:1868–1885
1413:1857–1868
1408:1847–1857
1403:1832–1847
1398:1818–1832
1393:1806–1818
1388:1801–1806
1366:Normanton
1360:Hampstead
1353:October:
1333:West Down
1290:Buteshire
1256:January:
1228:October:
1224:Cork City
1192:Devonport
1155:Normanton
1144:St Albans
1128:Gateshead
1118:Ashburton
1116:January:
1047:October:
1043:Rochester
956:Newmarket
954:January:
929:Cleveland
923:Devonport
921:October:
917:Sevenoaks
897:Clitheroe
868:Wakefield
847:East Down
831:Hampstead
829:January:
796:Wokingham
763:Maidstone
757:Stretford
735:Blackpool
715:Guildford
566:Pat Thane
405:Majority
283:side. He
137:Unionists
1338:Carlisle
1296:Brighton
1263:Mile End
1212:August:
1208:Oswestry
1203:Chertsey
1096:Lewisham
1030:August:
1009:Camborne
1003:Chertsey
988:Woolwich
902:Tiverton
895:August:
879:Woolwich
836:Dewsbury
800:August:
779:Oswestry
774:Mid Cork
253:Imperial
245:Boer War
145:Halstead
79:Liberals
1294:April:
1285:Appleby
1283:March:
1241:Horsham
1214:Reading
1198:Sowerby
1174:April:
1153:March:
1123:Norwich
1091:Dulwich
1085:Chorley
1074:Fareham
1015:Preston
1007:April:
981:March:
872:April:
861:March:
802:Andover
761:March:
710:Preston
684:»
678:to the
666:«
435:Liberal
419:Turnout
355:Liberal
228:Radical
186:Suffolk
46:Liberal
40:Vacancy
1326:July:
1302:Whitby
1300:June:
1196:July:
1180:June:
1101:Ludlow
1024:July:
983:Galway
889:July:
814:Galway
794:July:
788:June:
690:»
672:«
423:7,196
395:3,202
368:3,994
338:Votes
332:Party
306:Result
167:Issues
161:Quaker
139:chose
20:was a
1013:May:
883:May:
767:May:
705:Dover
443:Swing
411:10.0
398:45.5
373:55.5
196:rates
180:from
178:Essex
34:Essex
1312:Cork
1250:1905
1110:1904
948:1903
885:Bury
823:1902
749:1901
697:1900
456:1895
438:hold
408:792
292:Tory
281:Boer
275:and
243:The
153:1900
135:The
119:Sir
16:The
993:Rye
184:to
107:to
91:of
32:in
1480::
608:^
568:,
549:^
497:^
345:±%
341:%
70:.
49:MP
36:.
658:e
651:t
644:v
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