TOPIC:

James

The Boer War gave Winston Churchill the boost he needed to get his parliamentary career started, for which Britain and some other countries in the world should be grateful. This war also helped the political careers of Botha and Smuts(South Africa), and Gandhi (India). Were there other, perhaps less notable examples of successful politicians who took part in this war?

Regards
Brett

an excellent book on the boer war is 'An imperial war and the British working class'. Richard Price does a deep analysis on working class reaction to the war and there is a chapter on the 1900 election with once again a deep analysis on voting, candidates and results. It seems the pro-boer candidates did not fare badly and indeed the governments majority was eighteen seats down compared to the result of the 1895 election. social reform and working conditions it seemed were more important to the working class than a rich man's war in a distant land. Proboer

I recently purchased this silk, believing it to be a scarce example of a privately printed display of the patriotism of a single family.

Only when I started researching Frederick Cawley did it become apparent that, as a Liberal M.P., he fought to retain his parliamentary seat of Prestwich during the October 1900 “Khaki” Election. This led me to wonder whether the silk square might have been a piece of electioneering propaganda. This was quickly confirmed by an article on the election in the Preston Herald, dated 17 October 1900, which reads: “Mr Cawley issued a large, coloured poster, having in the centre a portrait of himself, and in each corner portraits of his four sons in the uniforms of the 20th Hussars, 77th Imperial Yeomanry Company, Oxford University Volunteers, and Rugby School Volunteers respectively”.

I also discovered that Cawley’s Unionist opponent was an officer serving in South Africa, one Captain Henry Hamilton Houldsworth, 4th Bn. Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. By coincidence (there are many in this collecting game!) I have one of Captain Houldsworth’s election posters in my collection. Extraordinarily, therefore, two of the three “Khaki” Election items I have here relate to the same Prestwich constituency.

One pro-Conservative correspondent noted that it was Houldsworth’s posters that had prompted Cawley to play a similar patriotic card, by broadcasting the fact that all four of his sons wore the Queen’s Uniform.

The same correspondent was confident that the Unionist candidate was on course for a decisive victory over his “Little Englander” opponent. This confidence was misplaced, as Cawley bucked the trend by increasing his 1895 majority seven fold.




"At great inconvenience to his business he has allowed his eldest son to go to the front in South Africa. He has another son in Her Majesty's Army in India, all his sons wear the Queen's uniform. He and his family have at least done something towards sharing 'the burden of Empire' ".

The above is a quote from a letter written by Sim Schofield, secretary of the Prestwich Liberal Association, to the editor of the Manchester Courier, published on 9 July 1900.














Manchester Courier, 12th October 1900

PRESTWICH DIVISION.

A SPIRITED CONTEST.

An interesting struggle was fought to a stubborn finish yesterday for the representation of the Prestwich Division. When the poll closed at eight o’clock last evening the ballot boxes were taken to the offices of the Urban District Council at Prestwich, where the work of counting will be commenced at ten o’clock this morning under the superintendence of Mr F. Molesworth, the Rochdale District Coroner, who is acting as the Returning Officer. The candidates were Captain H.H. Houldsworth (son of the popular member for North-West Manchester), the Unionist candidate, and Mr Frederick Cawley, the late Radical member for the constituency. Captain Houldsworth is, and has been since the beginning of the year, serving with the colours in South Africa, and has therefore had no opportunity of making the personal acquaintance of the electors. In his absence, however, the cause of true Imperialism, for which he fought at the polling booth, was warmly espoused on his behalf by Sir William H. Houldsworth, Bart., M.P., Mr Fred J. Astbury (chairman of the Prestwich Division Conservative Association), Mr Percy Glass (chairman of the Liberal Unionist Association), and a host of other well-known gentlemen, who placed the interests of their country before party. In all parts of the division, the feeling in favour of Captain Houldsworth was decidedly strong, and was confidently believed that the electors would follow the example set them by other Lancashire constituencies, and acknowledge the services to his country of the absent Unionist candidate by returning him to Parliament. In Mr Cawley the constituency had a Radical candidate of the Little Englander type, who in order to catch votes played the patriotic card for all it was worth. The electors, it was hoped, would not be misled by the Imperialist pictures that had emanated from the Radical fortresses, but would give their votes for one whose words and deeds bore the stamp of sincerity.

Election posters were freely placarded on the walls of the constituency by the friends of both candidates, and the contest was conducted with spirit and energy.

Prestwich, from which the division takes its name, is a centre of activity and party favours were generally worn. Blue was the prevailing colour, and election “literature” met the eye all round. An enlarged copy of a telegram from Captain Houldsworth, sent from Cape Town, appeared on the walls conveying the thanks of the Unionist candidate to those who had worked and voted for the cause for which he fought. The electors were reminded by huge posters of the pro-Boers – Stanhope, Stuart, and Lawson – who had been “chucked”, and asked to do their duty and “chuck” Cawley. Stimulated, no doubt, by the patriotic display which had been made by the Unionist party, the Union Jack was paraded by the friends of the Radical candidate, on whose behalf an appeal was issued urging the electors “to vote for the man you have seen, the man you have heard, and the man you have known”.

The result of the poll is expected to be declared about noon today.


Preston Herald, 17th October 1900

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

COMPLETE RETURN OF THE POLLINGS.

PRESTWICH.

F. Cawley (L) ………………. ……………… 7,127
Captain H.H. Houldsworth (C) ………........ 6,406
Majority ………………. …………...…........... 721

The Liberal majority in 1895 was 101

Captain Houldsworth is serving with the forces in South Africa, and a leading part in the campaign on his behalf has been taken by his father, Sir W.H. Houldsworth, who had an unopposed return in Manchester. Mr Cawley, a bleacher and calico printer, won the seat from the Unionists in 1895. As a counterblast to the patriotic bills of Captain Houldsworth’s supporters, Mr Cawley issued a large coloured poster, having in the centre a portrait of himself, and in each corner portraits of his four sons in the uniforms of the 20th Hussars, 77th Imperial Yeomanry Company, Oxford University Volunteers, and Rugby School Volunteers respectively.
















..