The 1875 Kilkenny City by-election was fought on 28 April 1875. This arose due to the death of the incumbent Home Rule MP, John Gray.
It was contested by three candidates: Gray's son Edmund Dwyer Gray, Edward Marum, and Benjamin Whitworth, former MP for Drogheda. Gray told the electors that his programme did not differ substantially from that of Whitworth: he was in favour of "Home Rule, denominational education, fixity of tenure at fair rents, and reform of the Grand Jury Laws."[1]
Whitworth was elected, with 307 votes; Gray received 125 and Marum 112. The Times saw this as a blow to the Home Rule League - who had condemned Whitworth's programme as vague and inadequate - and anticipated that he would act independently of the Home Ruler movement, although "he will probably be often found acting in harmony with the Home Rule Members".[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Benjamin Whitworth | 307 | 56.4 | New | |
| Home Rule | Edmund Dwyer Gray | 125 | 23.0 | N/A | |
| Independent | Edward Marum | 112 | 20.6 | New | |
| Majority | 182 | 33.4 | N/A | ||
| Turnout | 544 | 75.7 | N/A | ||
| Independent gain from Home Rule | Swing | ||||
The reason for the success of Whitworth, who was seen as having the support of the Protestant voters although he was also proposed by the Roman Catholic vicar-general of the diocese, was considered to be the "promises of material aid which he made to Kilkenny".[2] His nomination was seconded by the prominent brewer John Francis Smithwick who would later succeed him as MP for the city.[3]
Marum went on to be elected MP for County Kilkenny and Gray for County Tipperary.
