Winslow History | General election, 1892

General election, 1892

The Liberal candidate Herbert Leon of Bletchley Park won the 1891 Buckingham by-election. The next general election took place in July 1892.

Leon addressed a meeting in the Centenary Hall on 16 June. The Working Men's Conservative Association held a meeting on 31 May at The Bell which was addressed by their candidate, W.W. Carlile of Gayhurst. Once the election campaign began in earnest, Carlile addressed a Unionist (as they preferred to be called) meeting in the Bell Assembly Rooms on 4 July (Buckingham Express, 9 July). Leon held a Liberal meeting in the Centenary Hall on 8 July chaired by Rev. John Pither (Bicester Herald, 15 July). Both meetings were packed according to their newspaper supporters. In general Winslow saw much less activity than in previous elections.

Bucks Herald, 16 July
The polling at Winslow passed off very quietly indeed, both sides maintaining good temper. The poll was a very heavy one, 576 votes being recorded out of 640 on the register, including duplicates, deaths, and removals. The voting in the morning poll was brisk, 320 having voted by 1.30. Mr. Carlile visited the polling station about nine o’clock in the morning, and Mr. Leon arrived about seven o’clock in the evening in company with Mrs. Leon, and addressed a few words of encouragement and commendation to his supporters before he drove off to Great Horwood. Capt. Kennedy (Mr. Carlile’s agent) came by the 4.40 train. An unfortunate accident occurred to a brake lent by Lord Addington, the horse bolting down Avenue-road, and colliding with the corner of a house. The shafts were broken and the driver, Thomas Viccars, thrown out.
BUCKINGHAM. THE DECLARATION OF THE POLL.
The votes were counted at Buckingham on Wednesday, and the result was declared soon after mid-day, as follows:-
                        LEON (Gladstonian Liberal)                 5,153
                        CARLILE (Conservative)                      4,704
                                                            Majority          449
1891: Leon (G), 5,013; Hubbard (C), 4,632. Majority, 381.

Bicester Herald, 22 July
A Winslow correspondent sends the following interesting memo:- Winslow had a magnificent poll, 576 out of 640 on the register, much heavier than in 1891, and this always indicates an increase in the Liberal strength. At Swanbourne every living voter polled. At Great Horwood there were only five who did not vote.- A Winslow publican said he would treat everybody who came in with a pint of beer, if Carlile got in - a perfectly safe offer. Who would have thought that poor old Billy R--- after being turned out of his lodge, would have been fetched out of the Workhouse and drawn to the poll in a carriage; and query, did he vote “blue” when he got there.- Mr. Ranger, who was agent at Winslow in 1891, and fought so energetically, came over on the polling day to see if he could assist the good cause, and was warmly welcomed by his friends.- Mrs. Myerstein and Miss Leon were stationed at Great Horwood, where they were popular. The Tories went round one night and plastered most of the Liberal houses with Tory bills, and then were greatly hurt in their feelings because the Liberals defaced them.- The boys of a certain school [the High School] blocked the footpath and hooted every Liberal who came to vote [polling was at the Boys' School, almost next door]- query if this is considered “good form,”- The committee were very fortunate in conveyances, better than has ever been the case before. To this may fairly be attributed somewhat of the largeness of the poll.- The news of the victory arrived at Winslow about 1.45 on Wednesday, and was received with rejoicing by Liberals.