Cumberland (North Riding) - By-election (Roll: 1,920)
Nominations: Monday, 13 October 1856, Polling: Thursday, 16 October 1856
Candidate
Votes
Votes %
Byrnes, James
264
32.04
Darvall, John Bayley (Re-elected)
560
67.96
Formal Votes
824
Informal Votes
0
0.00
Total Votes / Turnout
824
42.92
Cause Category: Ministerial by-election
Notes: By-election on the formation of the Parker ministry, 3 October 1856.
Source: Report of nominations, 14 October 1856, p.4-5, results from SMH 20 October, p.2 col.4
Corrections: The Parliamentary Record (vol 6, 1st ed, p. 87) indicates that James Byrnes was elected for Cumberland (South Riding) for the first time on 17 October 1856. His ADB entry repeats the same information. But this seems to be a phantom by-election. There is no mention of any such election in the LC Consolidated Index, or contemporary papers the Empire and SMH. Martin and Wardle�s Biographical Register records that Byrnes entered parliament in a by-election held in 1857 when William Manning resigned. This is confirmed by a subsequent Cumberland (South Riding) by-election on 12 June 1857.