Frome by-election, 1854

Frome by-election, 1854

← 1853 23 October 1854 1856 →
Frome seat in the House of Commons. Election by simple majority using first past the post. Triggered by death of incumbent
Candidate Viscount Dungarvan Donald Nicoll Party Liberal Liberal
Frome Map showing the town of Frome within the English county of Somerset, and Somerset within England
Incumbent MP Robert Edward Boyle Liberal

Robert Edward Boyle
Liberal

The Frome by-election of 1854 was a parliamentary by-election held in England on 24 October 1854 for the House of Commons constituency of Frome, a parliamentary borough in Somerset.

The vacancy had been caused by the death of the borough's 45-year-old Liberal MP Colonel Robert Edward Boyle, who had held the seat since the 1847 general election. Serving with the Coldstream Guards in the Crimean War, he died of fever in Varna, and was buried at sea.

Boyle had been returned opposed in 1847 and in 1852, and was also unopposed at the by-election in 1853 which followed the annulment on petition of the 1852 result.

Two candidates were nominated. Donald Nicoll was a tailor from London, and a former Sheriff of London.Richard Boyle, Viscount Dungarvan was a grandson of the 8th Earl of Cork, and a nephew of the late MP Robert Edward Boyle.

The Earls of Cork had long dominated the borough in alliance with the Conservative-supporting Marquess of Bath, but their support for Dungarvan was controversial. At the West Somerset by-election in 1851, Dungarvan had stood as a Conservative, opposed to the Liberal government of Lord John Russell. He had staunchly opposed the Liberal principle of free trade, and Liberal opinion in Frome was further alarmed by tractarian support for Dungarvan. Nicoll had issued a statement supporting Liberal principles, and was invited to stand. He rapidly became the leading candidate.