1901 Saffron Walden by-election in 1900 he had brought it down to just 110. He had continued working locally to try and eliminate it altogether and must have had high hopes of victory at the by-election. Saffron Walden had at this time a reputation as a town with strong Quaker influences and a prominent member of the Society of Friends, E B Gibson, was one of Gray’s nominators. Saffron Walden constituency at this time was a large rural entity, stretching across north Essex from Hertfordshire to Suffolk with the town itself the only real centre of population, the rest of the division being made
Saffron Walden Birmingham New Street via and also stops at Audley End. Saffron Walden is accessed from junction 8 of the M11 travelling from London (a distance of about ) and from junction 10 travelling from the Cambridge direction (). Stansted Airport is some from the town, while Luton Airport is away. Regular bus services connect the town with Cambridge, Bishop's Stortford, Haverhill and Stansted Airport. Audley End Airfield, a private grass runway, is located about outside of the town. Audley End House – once one of the largest mansions in England – is now in the care of English Heritage and