1913 – 7th April – Kenilworth Urban District Council – Election

Elected (12 seats)

*Arthur StreetLiberal Party549
*William GrowseConservative Party524
*Edward HodgesConservative Party517
Joseph CrouchLiberal Party492
*Charles RandallConservative Party466
*James JacksonLiberal Party440
John ClarkeLiberal Party425
*Henry GriffithsLiberal Party422
*Edwin GeeConservative Party418
Andrew HackingLiberal Party376
*Arthur PerkinsConservative Party353
*Charles CarterConservative Party352

Not Elected

Ernest NixonConservative Party344
Madeley BurmanConservative Party338
Charles HousiauxConservative Party115
Robert LynnConservative Party62

*denotes retiring member

Only One Person at Declaration

Only 16 candidates stood in this triennial election. The result being a gain of two seats for the Liberal Party, all six of their candidates being returned, including two new members, Hacking and Clarke. Indeed, this was Mr Clarke’s forth attempt at a KUDC election.

One noticable absentee from the election was George Bostock, who at been on the council since 1898. The reason giving was that he was leaving Kenilworth to live in Cubbington.

Votes recorded totalled 2,704 for the Liberals and 2,630 for the Conservatives.

For the very first time in a Kenilworth election, there were no public meetings held by either party in the town. There was very little use of any traps or carriages displaying any posters, and motor-cars were generally few and far between in bringing people to the polling stations. Voting did increase a little after 7pm, only one hour before polling closed but this is normal in local elections. Polling stations, as usual were at St Nicholas School in School Lane.

The count started at 9am on the following day (Tuesday 8th) at the council house at Upper Rosemary Hill, The declaration came at 11.30am and with the election being so underwhelming, only one member of the public was there to witness it.

Ernest Hadow, the temporary council clerk, carried out the duties of the returning officer due to the illness of Joseph Willington-Wilmshurst. Unfortunately, he died just over a month after the election, on 9th May, he was only 58.

KUDC Councillors

6 Conservatives (W. Growse, E. Hodges, C. Randall, E. Gee, A. Perkins and C. Carter)

6 Liberals (A. Street, J. Crouch, J. Jackson, J. Clarke, H. Griffiths, A. Hacking)

Chairman

Chairman 1913 to 1919

1913-14 Arthur Street

1914-15 Arthur Street

1915-16 Arthur Street

1916-17 Charles Randall

1917-18 Charles Randall

1918-19 Charles Randall

Council Clerk – Ernest Hadow

photo courtesy of Warwickshire County Records Office. (ref. PH (N) 600/147/3)

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