The first (28 July) by-election was caused by the resignation of the incumbent MP Thomas Henderson on 24 April 1874.
William Lee Rees had been nominated but subsequently decided not to stand.
[1] This by-election was challenged by petition, as von der Heyde had not yet been naturalised.
[2][3][4] However the second (8 September) by-election confirmed von der Heyde as the MP.
[5] In both by-elections he was challenged by John Sangster Macfarlane, who subsequently won the seat in the 1876 general election.