1908 Southern Rhodesian Legislative Council election explained

The Southern Rhodesia Legislative Council election of April 24, 1908 was the fourth election to the Legislative Council of Southern Rhodesia. The Legislative Council had, since 1903, comprised seven members elected by registered voters from four electoral districts; in 1907 the number of members nominated by the British South Africa Company was reduced from seven to five. The Administrator of Southern Rhodesia sat on the Legislative Council ex officio. The Resident Commissioner of Southern Rhodesia, James George Fair, also sat on the Legislative Council ex officio but without the right to vote.

Results

Constituency
Electorate and turnout
CandidateVotes
EASTERN
491
Francis Rudolph Myburghunopposed
align=left rowspan=2MIDLANDHerbert Thomas Longden198
Herman Melville Heyman196
align=left rowspan=3NORTHERN
Two members
1,676 (47.8%)
Raleigh Grey449
William Harvey Brown412
John Arnold Edmonds351
align=left rowspan=4WESTERN
Three members
1,180 (50.9%)
Robert Alexander Fletcher714
Gordon Stewart Drummond Forbes696
Charles Patrick John Coghlan671
George Mitchell597

* Incumbents

Note: William Harvey Brown was absent for the third and fourth (extraordinary) sessions of the Legislative Council in 1910 and 1911.

Nominated members

The members nominated by the British South Africa Company were:

During the absence of Clarkson Henry Tredgold from July 3, 1908, Robert McIlwaine (Secretary of the Law Department) stood in for him. Edward Ross Townsend stood down and was replaced by Dr Eric Arthur Nobbs (Director of Agriculture) on April 23, 1909.

References