The 1896 Frome By-election
The 1896 Frome by-election was a by-election held on 2 June 1896 for the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.
Background
The by-election was called when the incumbent Viscount Weymouth entered the House of Lords as the 5th Marquess of Bath in 1896 following the death of his father. Weymouth had previously served as the Member of Parliament for Frome from 1886 to 1892 and again from 1895 to 1896.
The Candidates
Weymouth’s brother, Alexander Thynne, stood as the Conservative Party candidate against the Liberal Party candidate John Barlow. The constituency had fluctuated between Conservative and Liberal representation several times, and Barlow had lost the seat at the 1895 General Election to Viscount Weymouth, who secured a majority of 383 votes.
Result
Barlow was elected the Member for Frome with a majority of 299 votes.
References
- Historical records of 1896 Frome by-election
- Election results archives