1889 North Riding County Council election

North Riding (red) within Yorkshire (green) and England
Inaugural chairman, J. C. Dundas

The inaugural elections to the North Riding County Council were held on 24 January 1889. The North Riding was one of three divisions of the historic county of Yorkshire in England; it consisted of the ancient wapentakes (or hundreds) of Gilling West, Hang West, Gilling East, Hang East, Allertonshire, Halikeld, Langbaurgh West, Birdforth, Bulmer, Ryedale, Langbaurgh East, Whitby Strand and Pickering Lythe. The new council consisted of 60 members (one for each of 60 divisions), with 20 more voting aldermen to be elected by the new council. 30 of the seats were contested while 30 were uncontested. The election saw control of the council being taken by Conservative candidates, although these candidates were largely Independent conservatives as opposed to being party activists.

Following the election, the first Chairman of the Council was John Dundas, who remained in office until 1892.

A new authority

The Local Government Act 1888 created county councils throughout England and Wales, to take over various administrative functions until then carried out by the unelected Quarter Sessions. They gained some of their powers under the Act on 1 April 1889, and their full powers on 22 September 1889. These included repairing county roads and bridges; maintaining court houses, police stations, and county halls; providing an asylum for pauper lunatics and reformatory and industrial schools; and being responsible for weights and measures and the control of contagious diseases in animals.[1] The areas they covered were called administrative counties and were not in all cases identical to the traditional counties, but in the North Riding the whole county came under the authority of the new county council, as there were no towns or cities large enough to be treated as county boroughs (although there were in the West and East Ridings).

Results

North Riding County Council election, 1889
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 14 Steady Steady Steady 23.3 23.0 3,906 Steady
  Liberal 8 Steady Steady Steady 13.3 20.8 3,528 Steady
  Independent 2 Steady Steady Steady 3.4 9.4 1,597 Steady
  Liberal Unionist 0 Steady Steady Steady 0 1.0 168 Steady
  Unknown party 36 Steady Steady Steady 60.0 45.9 7,802 Steady

Composition

The traditions of county government by Quarter Sessions were so long, often being passed on from one generation to another in the same families, that it is not surprising to find that the nature of the membership of the new authority was keenly debated: many, particularly Conservatives, saw the Local Government Act as the end of the role of the magistrate in county government; while on the other hand, many Liberals were worried that little or no change in membership would result.[2]

When the North Riding election returns were in, it was clear that the Liberal prediction was the more accurate. Although a considerable portion of the Council was new blood (21 out of 60 members), the justices had a clear majority. 16 of the members returned unopposed were justices: in many cases they were the established local gentry, men like Sir Henry Beresford-Peirse at Bedale, the Earl of Feversham at Helmsley, Sir William Worsley at Hovingham and the Earl of Zetland at Marske. It was rare for a justice to be defeated, although this happened where more than one contested the same seat.[2]

Although Conservatives repeatedly asserted prior to the elections that they should be conducted on a non-political basis, the composition of the council suggests that party affiliation remained influential. In its final form, the county council included a substantial Conservative majority, with significantly fewer Liberal members.[3]

At the time, the provisional chairman expressed the view that the selection of aldermen ought not to be shaped by political considerations. However, the voting pattern indicated a high degree of consistency among Conservative councillors, who largely supported the same group of candidates. As a result, most of the aldermen appointed were not existing members of the council, which limited the direct influence of the electorate in their selection. The majority of aldermen appointed were Conservatives, many of whom were drawn from landed backgrounds.[3]

Results by division

Aysgarth

Aysgarth[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
James Winn Uncontested

Bedale

Bedale[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Henry Monson De La Poer Beresford-Peirse Uncontested

Brompton

Brompton[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Benjamin Wilford 374 58.8
W W Romanby 262 41.2
Majority 251 39.4
Turnout 636

Brotton

Brotton[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Hugh Bell 422 56.3
Mr Stevens 327 43.7
Majority 95 12.7
Turnout 749

Catterick

Catterick[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
William Charge Booth Uncontested

Clifton

Clifton[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
James Melrose Uncontested

Croft

Croft[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Wilson-Todd Uncontested

Easingwold

Easingwold[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Henry Hawking Uncontested

Eskdaleside

Eskdaleside[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Thomas Bagnall Uncontested

Eston North

Eston North[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
William Seymour Uncontested

Eston South

Eston South[4][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Elisha Beacham 243 50.5
Liberal Unionist Carl Bolckow 168 34.9
Conservative Nicholas Robert Fleming 70 14.6
Majority 75 15.6
Turnout 481

Flaxton

Flaxton[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
William Abel Wood 267 51.1
William Benson Richardson 255 48.9
Majority 12 2.3
Turnout 522

Gilling

Gilling[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Samuel Rowlandson Uncontested

Great Ayton

Great Ayton[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
William Winn Uncontested

Guisborough

Guisborough[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alfred Edward Pease 421 61.5
J E Whittaker 263 38.5
Majority 158 23.1
Turnout 684

Helmsley

Helmsley[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Duncombe, 1st Earl of Feversham Uncontested

Hinderwell

Hinderwell[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Charles Palmer 333 53.5
Liberal John Valentine Laverick 290 56.5
Majority 43 6.9
Turnout 623

Hovingham

Hovingham[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Cayley Worsley Uncontested

Kirbymoorside

Kirbymoorside[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Cecil Duncombe 470 56.8
Richard Foxton 358 43.2
Majority 112 13.5
Turnout 828

Kirkleatham

Kirkleatham[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
William Eden Walker 303 56.2
James Rutherford 236 43.8
Majority 67 12.4
Turnout 539

Leyburn

Leyburn[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Orde-Powlett, 5th Baron Bolton 398 60.5
James J Maclaren 260 39.5
Majority 138 21.0
Turnout 658

Loftus

Loftus[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
George Henry Anderson Uncontested

Lythe

Lythe[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
George Pyman Uncontested

Malton

Malton[4][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joshua Hartley 521 76.3
George Foster 157 23.0
Majority 364 53.3
Rejected ballots 5 0.7
Turnout 683 73.8
Registered electors 925

Marske

Marske[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland Unopposed

Masham

Masham[4][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Charles Dodsworth 372 55.9
Independent James Gothorp 293 44.1
Majority 79 11.9
Turnout 665 75.9
Registered electors 876

Middleham

Middleham[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Simon Thomas Scrope Uncontested

Normanby

Normanby[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
James Glen

Northallerton

Northallerton[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Hutton 314 53.6
Conservative C Palliser 272 46.4
Majority 42 7.2
Turnout 586

Norton

Norton[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Digby Cayley Uncontested

Ormesby

Ormesby[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Isaac Wilson Uncontested

Osmotherley

Osmotherley[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
John James Emerson 328 50.3
John Yeoman 324 49.7
Majority 4
Turnout 652 0.6

Pickering

Pickering[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Mitchelson Mitchelson 345 50.7
Liberal Robert Frank 336 49.3
Majority 9 1.3
Turnout 681

Redcar and Saltburn

Redcar and Saltburn[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Dundas 330 50.4
Joseph Walton 325 49.6
Majority 5 0.8
Turnout 655

Reeth

Reeth[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Edmund Alderson Knowles 401 71.5
Francis Garth 160 28.5
Majority 241 43.0
Turnout 561

Richmond

Richmond[4][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerald Walker 300 53.5
Conservative George Roper 261 46.5
Majority 39 7.0
Turnout 561

Ruswarp

Ruswarp[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
John Stevenson Uncontested

Scalby

Scalby[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Francis Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone Uncontested

Scarborough Central

Scarborough Central[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
John Woodall Woodall Uncontested

Scarborough East

Scarborough East[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Charles William Woodall Uncontested

Scarborough North

Scarborough North[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Robert Forster Uncontested

Scarborough North West

Scarborough North West[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
John Greaves Smirthwaite Uncontested

Scarborough South

Scarborough South[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
John Dale Uncontested

Scarborough West

Scarborough West[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Peel Clarkson 409 67.9
Conservative E Keighley 193 32.1
Majority 216 35.9
Turnout 602

Sheriff Hutton

Sheriff Hutton[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Thomas John Kinnear 205 36.7
John Coates 196 35.1
Arthur Everett 157 28.1
Majority 9 1.6
Turnout 558

Skelton

Skelton[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Henry Anthony Wharton 381 67.8
John M Gowland 181 32.2
Majority 200 35.6
Turnout 562

Snainton

Snainton[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Thomas Byron Uncontested

South Otterington

South Otterington[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
William Newsome Baxter 271 46.4
Conservative Edmund Turton 199 34.0
Mr Kirby 114 19.5
Majority 72 12.3
Turnout 584

Startforth

Startforth[4][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Robert Barker 442 52.3
Mr Dent 403 47.7
Majority 39 4.6
Turnout 845

Stillington

Stillington[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Newton 272 40.5
Liberal Robert Souter 215 32.0
Mr Graves 185 27.5
Majority 57 8.5
Turnout 672

Stokesley

Stokesley[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Edward Wynne-Finch Uncontested

Thirsk

Thirsk[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Reginald Bell Uncontested

Thornaby North

Thornaby North[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
William Whitwell

Thornaby South

Thornaby South[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Charles Arthur Head Uncontested

Thornton

Thornton[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Scoby Uncontested

Topcliffe

Topcliffe[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
John I'Anson 329 59.2
Mr Smith 227 40.8
Majority 102 18.3
Turnout 556

Wath

Wath[4][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Jacob Smith 517 55.5
Independent Thomas Highmoor 415 44.5
Majority 102 11.0
Turnout 932

Whitby East

Whitby East[4][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Menzies Clayhills 430 62.8
Conservative Harrison Weighill 255 37.2
Majority 175 25.5
Turnout 685

Whitby West

Whitby West[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Robert Elliott Pannett Uncontested

Yarm

Yarm[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Hedley 224 52.0
C Middleton 207 48.0
Majority 17 3.9
Turnout 431 57.5
Registered electors 750

References

  1. ↑ John Edwards, 'County' in Chambers's Encyclopaedia (London: George Newnes, 1955), pp. 189–191
  2. 1 2 Ashcroft, Michael Yeomans (1974). A History of the North Riding of Yorkshire County Council, 1889–1974. ISBN 9780950343006.
  3. 1 2 "Local and District Notes". Northern Weekly Gazette. 16 February 1889. p. 4. Retrieved 29 April 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 "North Riding County Council Elections". Scarborough Evening News. 26 January 1889. p. 3. Retrieved 29 April 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "The County Council Elections". Daily Gazette For Middlesbrough. 24 January 1889. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "North Riding County Council Elections: Yesterday's Polls". The Northern Echo. 25 January 1889. p. 3. Retrieved 29 April 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ "The County Council: Declarations of Polls". York Herald. 26 January 1889. p. 6. Retrieved 13 May 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.


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