List of ministerial by-elections to the Parliament of Great Britain
Date Constituency c/u Former incumbent Winner Position
8 January 1784 Edinburghshire u Henry Dundas Henry Dundas Treasurer of the Navy
6 January 1784 Newtown u Richard Pepper Arden Richard Pepper Arden Solicitor General for England and Wales
5 January 1784 Richmond u Marquess of Graham Marquess of Graham Junior Lord of the Treasury
5 January 1784 Buckingham u William Wyndham Grenville William Wyndham Grenville Paymaster of the Forces
5 January 1784 Bath u John Jeffreys Pratt John Jeffreys Pratt Lord of the Admiralty
3 January 1784 Westbury u Samuel Estwick Samuel Estwick Secretary and Registrar of Chelsea Hospital
3 January 1784 St Germans u Edward James Eliot Edward James Eliot Junior Lord of the Treasury
3 January 1784 Ludgershall u George Augustus Selwyn George Augustus Selwyn Surveyor General of the Land Revenues of the Crown
3 January 1784 East Looe u John Buller John Buller Junior Lord of the Treasury
3 January 1784 Launceston u Charles George Perceval Charles George Perceval Lord of the Admiralty
3 January 1784 Appleby u William Pitt the Younger William Pitt the Younger First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer
31 December 1783 Hindon c Lloyd Kenyon Lloyd Kenyon Attorney General for England and Wales
31 December 1783 Dartmouth u Charles Brett Charles Brett Lord of the Admiralty
31 December 1783 Cirencester u Lord Apsley Lord Apsley Lord of the Admiralty
30 December 1783 Wallingford u John Aubrey John Aubrey Junior Lord of the Treasury
30 December 1783 Honiton u Sir George Yonge Sir George Yonge Secretary at War
26 November 1783 Clitheroe u John Lee John Lee Attorney General for England and Wales
26 November 1783 Cambridge University u James Mansfield James Mansfield Solicitor General for England and Wales
7 August 1783 Dunbartonshire u George Keith Elphinstone George Keith Elphinstone Secretary , Chamberlain and Keeper of the Signet of the Principality of Scotland
30 May 1783 Newton u Thomas Peter Legh Thomas Peter Legh Accepted a Commission in the Army
Elections -- 15th Parliament ( 1780–1784 )
^ Dundas sought re-election at Newtown to ensure that he had a seat when Parliament convened . Afterwards he resigned that seat and was returned for Edinburghsire . ^ Neville sought re-election at Reading
Ministerial by-elections to the Parliament of Great Britain at Westminster were held from 1707 to 1801, when a member of parliament (MP) was appointed as a minister in the government. Unlike most Westminster by-elections, ministerial by-elections were often a formality, uncontested by opposition parties. Re-election was required under the Succession to the Crown Act 1707. This was in line with the principle established in 1624 that accepting an office of profit from the Crown would precipitate resignation from the House, with the option of standing for re-election. Typically a minister sought re-election in the same constituency he had just vacated, but occasionally contested another seat which was also vacant. In 1910 The Times newspaper noted that the relevant Act had been passed in the reign of Queen Anne to prevent the Court from swamping the House of Commons with and pensioners, and described the process as anomalous and indefensible in the 20th century. The Re-Election of Ministers Act 1919 ended the necessity to seek re-election within nine months of a general election, and the Re-Election of Ministers Act (1919) Amendment Act 1926 ended the practice in all other cases.