Leatham won the seat by 1,111 votes to his Tory challenger’s 789, following the death of the sitting Liberal MP, Thomas Pearson Crosland. Edward Leatham (1828-1900), who was the brother-in-law of the great John Bright and was greatly influenced by Bright’s politics, had previously represented Huddersfield from 1859-1865 but had stood down. He continued to represent Huddersfield until 1886 when he retired.