Rotherham by-election, 1899

The Rotherham by-election, 1899 was a parliamentary by-election held on 23 February 1899 for the House of Commons constituency of Rotherham in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

The by-election was caused by the resignation of the sitting Liberal MP, the Rt. Hon. Sir Arthur Dyke Acland, fearful of a breakdown in his health and following the death of his father in 1898.

Acland’s possible resignation had been spoken of publicly since the summer of 1898 and the local Liberal Association had met in July of that year to discuss the implications. They were reluctant to lose Acland as their MP in view of his standing and record in politics and government but a formal request to him to reconsider his decision to stand down made by Rotherham Liberals fell on deaf ears. However, Acland was willing to delay his resignation to enable the local party to find a suitable replacement and the search began at the end of July. Their choice was William Henry Holland, a 49-year-old textile manufacturer, originally from Manchester where he had had a successful career in local government having been an Alderman on Manchester City Council. He was also formerly MP for Salford North.

Rotherham was considered a safe Liberal seat. It had been represented by Acland for the Liberals since its creation for the 1885 general election and Acland had always enjoyed comfortable majorities. In fact at the two elections preceding the by-election, a by-election in 1892 when he had to resign on appointment as Vice-President of the Committee of the Council on Education, and the 1895 general election, Acland had been returned unopposed. This time however, with the prospect of facing a new candidate, the Conservatives chose to fight. They selected a barrister from York, R H Vernon Wragge, to be their man.

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