Dewsbury by-election, 1902

The Dewsbury by-election, 1902 was a by-election held in England on 28 January 1902 for the House of Commons constituency of Dewsbury in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

The by-election was caused by the resignation of the sitting Liberal Member of Parliament (MP), Mark Oldroyd. Oldroyd, a woollen manufacturer, had first been elected for Dewsbury at a by-election in 1888. In September 1901, Oldroyd announced his intention to stand down. In his letter of resignation, Oldroyd cited ill-health as the principal cause of his decision, stating that the coming session of Parliament, in what he called the ‘extraordinary and complex state of politics’ would require regular attendance and many late night sittings. Oldroyd had not been one of the most diligent of attenders in the House of Commons having many demands on his time as the head of a great manufacturing concern. Despite his cries of ill-health however, Oldroyd continued to run his giant business, (albeit scaling down his responsibilities as the years progressed), until he retired in as Chairman in 1920. He was knighted in 1909.

Dewsbury was a safe Liberal seat. It had been Liberal since its creation in 1868, reflecting the predominantly urban and industrial nature of the constituency. Oldroyd had held the seat with over 50% of the poll at each election since his by-election win in 1888 and his majority over the Conservatives at the previous general election in 1900 was 2,148, having taken 60.8% of the poll.

A candidate dedicated to the Labour interest had contested Dewsbury only once since the seat’s creation in 1868. In 1895, Edward Hartley stood for the Independent Labour Party, the ILP,coming third with just 10.5% of the poll.

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