The1880 Caernarvonshire by-election was a parliamentaryby-election held for the UKHouse of Commons constituency ofCaernarvonshire inWales on 2 December 1880.
The by-election was caused by the resignation of the sittingLiberalMP,Watkin Williams, who was appointed as a judge of the Queen's Bench Division of theHigh Court of Justice.[1]
Two candidates were nominated by the two main parties of the time.
TheLiberal Party nominated businessmanWilliam Rathbone.[2]
TheConservative Party nominatedWelsh landowner and magistrateHugh Ellis-Nanney.[3][4]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | William Rathbone | 3,180 | 59.7 | −0.3 | |
| Conservative | Hugh Ellis-Nanney | 2,151 | 40.3 | +0.3 | |
| Majority | 1,029 | 19.4 | −0.6 | ||
| Turnout | 5,331 | 80.1 | −2.7 | ||
| Registered electors | 6,652 | ||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | -0.3 | |||
