 When Wigan's Conservative MP Lord Lindsay succeeded to his father's peerage in 1880, and Eckersley was asked to stand at the by-election in January 1881, but refused.Following the death in December 1883 of Wigan's other Conservative MP Thomas Knowles, Eckersley was returned unopposed at the resulting by-election on 21 December 1883.He held the seat until when Wigan's parliamentary representation was reduced from two seats to one by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and did not contest the 1885 general election.