It was one of the most important political contests in the struggle over Irish Home Rule[1] and a pointer to the outcome of the 1892 general election which took place in July.
The by-election was caused by the succession to the peerage of the sitting Liberal Unionist Party MP, the Marquess of Hartington on the death of his father the Duke of Devonshire.
[2] The health of the Duke of Devonshire must have been giving some cause for concern because in December 1891 the Rossendale Liberal Unionists asked their President [3] and former chairman,[4] Sir Thomas Brooks, to stand ready to be their Parliamentary candidate should the need occur.
Brooks said he favoured the extension of local government arrangements to Ireland but Maden was an advocate of an Irish Parliament with legislative and statutory powers.
[10] and believed that the tide of opinion opposing Home Rule which had swept Hartington back in as a Unionist in 1886 had now swung round in favour of the reform.
Maden proposed disestablishment of the Anglican Church in Scotland as well as in Wales[12] being determined to make the most of being a Methodist in a strongly nonconformist constituency.
[13] Towards the end of the campaign the Irish question was revisited strongly when Gladstone sent a letter of support to Maden in which he made some personal attacks on Hartington for his role in the downfall of his government in 1886.
[24] With Rawtenstall and Crawshawbooth thought to be predominantly Unionist and Bacup solidly Liberal, the electors of Haslingden were proving to be the key constituency.
[25] In reply however Brooks secured the support of the former Mayor of Bacup, Alderman George Shepherd, who was always previously identified as a staunch Gladstonian.
A heavy mist hung over the constituency all day, only to give way in the evening to drizzling rain but for both sides there was so much at stake that there was no let up in electioneering and efforts to get supporters to the polls.