1914 Londonderry City by-election

The Londonderry City by-election was a Parliamentary by-election. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

Liberal Sir James Brown Dougherty was elected unopposed. Dougherty was the last Liberal MP elected in Ireland.[1]

Vacancy

James Hamilton, Marquis of Hamilton had been elected as a Unionist in the 1910 general election, facing Nationalist opposition. He then succeeded to the Dukedom of Abercorn, resulting in the 1913 Londonderry City by-election, where the Roman Catholic hierarchy supported the Liberal David Hogg, a 73-year-old local shirt manufacturer and a Protestant.[2] Hogg died in August 1914 and the by-election was called for 30 November.

Previous result
By-Election 30 January 1913: Londonderry City Electorate
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal David Cleghorn Hogg 2,699 50.5
Unionist Hercules Pakenham 2,642 49.5
Majority 57 1.0 N/A
Turnout 5,341
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing

Candidates

Dougherty was a Presbyterian minister, professor of Logic and English, and civil servant.

Result
By-Election 30 November 1914: Londonderry City Electorate
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Brown Dougherty Unopposed[3] N/A N/A
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing

Aftermath

Dougherty did not stand in the 1918 United Kingdom general election, when the seat was won by Eoin MacNeill of Sinn Féin in a contested election against Unionist and Nationalist candidates.

References
  1. Journal of Liberal History 58 Spring 2008 page 10 Archived 2013-10-17 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Siege city: the story of Derry and Londonderry by Brian Lacy
  3. Debrett's House of Commons 1918 p 249
  • Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885-1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.
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