1904 Devonport by-election

The 1904 Devonport by-election was a Parliamentary by-election held on 20 June 1904.^[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.

1904 Devonport by-election

← 1900 20 June 1904 1906 →

Candidate Benn Jackson Party Liberal Conservative Popular vote 6,219 5,179 Percentage 54.6% 45.4%

MP before election John Lockie Conservative Subsequent MP John Benn Liberal

Vacancy

John Lockie had been Conservative MP for one of the seats of Devonport since the 1902 Devonport by-election. He resigned at the age of 43 and died in January 1906.^[2]

Electoral history

The seat had been Conservative since he gained it in the 1902 Devonport by-election. Both Devonport seats had been Liberal from 1892-1902.

1902 Devonport by-election^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Lockie	3,785	50.2	+1.3
	Liberal	Thomas Brassey	3,757	49.8	−1.3
Majority			28	0.4	N/A
Turnout			7,542	84.3	−0.8
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing	+1.3

Candidates

Jackson

The local Conservative Association selected 53-year-old Sir John Jackson as their candidate to defend the seat. He was a contractor for Public Works. He completed the Admiralty Docks at Keyham, Devonport.^[4]

The local Liberal Association selected 54-year-old John Benn as their candidate to gain the seat. Benn was active in the London Dock Strike of 1889, and, as an increasingly prominent London politician, was elected in 1892 as the Liberal Party candidate for St George Division of Tower Hamlets. He was narrowly defeated at the general election in 1895. As a London County Councillor, he helped introduce electric trams to London's streets in 1903. He served as Chairman of the London County Council from 1903-04.^[5]

Campaign

Polling Day was fixed for 20 June 1904, just days after the previous MP resigned.

Result

The Liberals re-gained the seat from the Conservatives:

Benn

Devonport by-election, 1904^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Benn	6,219	54.6	+4.8
	Conservative	John Jackson	5,179	45.4	−4.8
Majority			1,040	9.2	N/A
Turnout			11,398	79.3	−5.0
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing	+4.8

Aftermath

At the following General Election the result was:

General election January 1906^[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Hudson Kearley	6,923	29.1	+3.2
	Liberal	John Benn	6,527	27.5	+2.3
	Conservative	John Jackson	5,239	22.0	−2.7
	Conservative	F Holme-Summer	5,080	21.4	−2.8
Majority			1,684	7.1
	Liberal hold		Swing	+3.0
Majority			1,447	6.1
Turnout			23,769	81.4
	Liberal hold		Swing	+2.5