Walton upon Thames

The first elections were held on 17 December 1894. There were three wards: Hersham (6 seats), Oatlands (3 seats) and Walton (6 seats).

Topping the poll in Hersham was the County Councillor for Walton-on-Thames, Robert Somers-Smith, who became the first Chairman of the UDC. Edwin Martin remained on the Council without break until his retirement in 1929. One of the Walton winners, Thomas McCowan, was the local vicar from 1864 to 1901.

Hersham

Robert Somers-Smith 251(E)
William Harris 217 (E)
Benjamin Ingram 211 (E)
Frederick Lee 186 (E)
Edwin Martin 184 (E)
Benjamin Mills 162 (E)
William Alderson 151
Julius Gems 143
Mr Alexander 140
George Whitford 136
Mr Vigers 135
Mr Freeland 111
Alfred Woodrow 50

Oatlands

William James Brown 96 (E)
Edward Hume 86 (E)
John Lemon 85 (E)
John Evans Pridham 84

Walton

Samuel Cresswell 280 (E)
Thomas Miskin 262 (E)
Edward Power 206 (E)
Samuel Foote 200 (E)
The Rev. Thomas McCowan 191 (E)
Samuel Summerson, Jnr. 186 (E)
Joseph Hughes 166
William Negus 154
Thomas Meacock 138
Joseph Blake 130
William Clark 108
Albert Gough 105
William Smith 104
Mr Dale 99
Mr Walker 96
Mr Hill

Thanks! I’ve been working on the history of Elmbridge Borough Council and all its many predecessor authorities for quite a few years now. Mainly I’ve looked through the Council minutes at the local history centre, but now moving to the online newspaper archive to fill my many gaps. Thought I’d choice my home town to work through first!

The 3rd Walton UDC elections were on 5 April 1897. In addition to the regular five seats up for election, there was a casual vacancy in the Walton ward caused by the resignation on 9 March 1897 of Samuel Summerson, Jnr due to ill health.

Hersham (unopposed)

Benjamin Ingram (inc.) (E)
Frederick Lee (inc.) (E)

Oatlands (unopposed)

Alfred Bloxam (E)

Walton

Edward Power (inc.) 128 (E - 3yr term)
Thomas Meacock 110 (E - 3yr term)
Samuel Foote (inc.) (E - 2yr term)
Arthur Mason 43
James Gossling 40

A few months later the UDC's first by-election took place. Walton Councillor Thomas Miskin, a farmer, committed suicide on 4 September 1897. He was 65 and, according to the Inquest, had been "very much depressed". A by-election was held on 2 October 1897 and had a turnout of 18%.

Edward Higgs 82 (E)
William Annett 59

Hersham by-election, 1 October 1898. Caused by the death of builder Frederick Lee on 18 August 1898 aged 59. Result:

Joseph Smith 48 (E)
Arthur Pennington 47

Turnout 11.6%

Annoyingly my hope of having a full electoral record of Walton UDC has already come to a stumbling block. Thomas Meacock (Walton) was expelled for non-attendance on 18 April 1899. His successor, Alfred Crocker, was elected by 16 May but the Surrey Advertiser never mentions a by-election.

Anyway, 1900 elections - 2 April

Hersham

Benjamin Ingram (inc.) 141 (E)
Arthur Grove 138 (E)
William Alderson 108
Eli Cross 97

Oatlands

George Coleman 58 (E)
Arthur Butler 21

Walton (unopposed)

Alfred Crocker (inc.) (E)
Edward Power (inc.) (E)

1902 elections - 7 April

The third seat up for election in Walton was a casual vacancy caused by Alfred Crocker being expelled for non-attendence on 11 March 1902. He had left the district and there was a year left on the term. The big issue of the election was the Council's proposal for new municipal buildings in Walton with all bar one of the new councillors being opposed to the proposal.

Hersham (2)

Edwin Martin (inc.) 155 (E)
Stanley Monier-Williams (Association for the Protection of the Village Greens) 153 (E)
Dr. Samuel Moore (Association for the Protection of the Village Greens) 111
William Levey (inc.) 79

Oatlands (1) (unopposed)

Lt-Col Gordon Pritchard, CB

Walton (3)

Alfred Doulton (Ratepayers’ Opposition Committee) 287 (E)
Samuel Summerson, Jnr (Ratepayers’ Opposition Committee) 264 (E)
William Clark 199 (E)
Samuel Foote (inc.) 162
Ralph Dennis 80