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Category Archives: Elections
‘Six fat sheep’ and the ‘depraved’ borough of Great Marlow
Previous blogs have highlighted our research on the electoral dynamics of many different types of constituency, from agricultural county seats such as Northamptonshire South to newly created boroughs such as Whitby, where the shipping and railway interests dominated. In our … Continue reading
Posted in Constituencies, Corruption, Elections, Images of MPs, women
Tagged bribery, corruption, Elections, Female participation, Great Marlow, Marlow, pocket boroughs, rotten boroughs, women
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Happy New Year from the Victorian Commons!
Here’s wishing all our readers a very happy 2024. In case you missed any of our blogs in what was a busy year, here’s a quick look back at our 2023 posts. These included many guest contributions alongside blogs drawing … Continue reading
Posted in Biographies, Conferences and seminars, Elections, women
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Marrying for the vote: the freedom-by-marriage franchise before 1832
Of all the bizarre voting qualifications in operation before 1832 – from potwallopers to burgage holders – one of the most striking was the freedom-by-marriage franchise. Drawing on his paper from this summer’s Durham University conference on the organisation of … Continue reading
Posted in Elections, Uncategorized, women
Tagged Electioneering, Elections, freemen, marriage, women
1 Comment
The most violent MP ever elected to the House of Commons? John Patrick Somers (1800-1862)
John Patrick Somers (1800-1862), or ‘Pat Somers’ as he was generally known, is a strong contender for the most violent MP to have ever sat in the House of Commons. In this week’s blog our senior research fellow, Dr Martin … Continue reading
Posted in Biographies, Corruption, Elections, Ireland
Tagged duels, election corruption, Ireland, Parliamentary life, violence
5 Comments
‘A sheer genius in electioneering’: John Frail (1804-79), Conservative party agent
In the mid-nineteenth century, subterfuge, bribery and corruption were often employed to great effect by party agents during closely contested elections in the most venal boroughs. A prime exponent of these arts was John Frail of Shrewsbury, who was credited … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, Elections
Tagged Conservative party, corruption, Electioneering, John Frail, Shrewsbury
3 Comments
Politics beyond party: the survival of non-partisan traditions, 1832-68
Continuing our summaries of the papers given at our recent ‘Politics before Democracy’ conference organised with UEA, Dr Philip Salmon focusses on the survival of non-party traditions in the post-1832 electoral system. The growth of the party system in the 19th century … Continue reading
Reappraising England’s reformed electoral map, 1832-1868: the impact of the 1832 Reform Act
As part of our series reflecting on the recent ‘Politics before Democracy’ conference, Dr Martin Spychal, a Senior Research Fellow on the 1832-1868 Commons project, discusses the impact of the 1832 reform legislation on English electoral politics. At the 2023 Politics … Continue reading
Conference registration now open: ‘Organise! Organise! Organise! Collective Action, Associational Culture and the Politics of Organisation in the British Isles, c.1790-1914’
Posted in Conferences and seminars, Elections, Forthcoming events
Tagged conferences, Forthcoming events
Comments Off on Conference registration now open: ‘Organise! Organise! Organise! Collective Action, Associational Culture and the Politics of Organisation in the British Isles, c.1790-1914’
“To wring the widow from her customed right”: the debate about the ‘widow franchise’ in nineteenth-century Britain
Our recent History of Parliament / University of East Anglia conference on ‘Politics before Democracy’ featured over 30 papers on topics ranging across the 18th and 19th centuries. Over the next few weeks we’ll be posting some summaries as part … Continue reading
Posted in Conferences and seminars, Elections, Guest blog, women
Tagged female votes, Franchise, Guest blog, local elections, women, women's suffrage
3 Comments
Nineteenth-century election rituals: the chairing of Members
Although their formats may have changed, several key elements of nineteenth-century elections – the canvassing of voters, the nomination of candidates and the polling – remain part of the electoral process today. However, one of the most colourful aspects of … Continue reading
Posted in Elections
Tagged chairing, Durham South, East Essex, election ritual, Elections, electoral culture, Pontefract, Portsmouth, Ripon, Swansea, Whitby
1 Comment
The horse and Victorian politics
Victorian politics was frequently conceived and constructed around horse and racecourse related allusions and analogies. Given the ubiquity of the horse to 19th century life this is hardly surprising. A tantalising insight into this genre appeared 30 years ago in … Continue reading
Posted in Constituencies, Elections, Leisure, Parliamentary life
Tagged electoral culture, Horse racing, horses
1 Comment
The 1872 Secret Ballot and Multiple Member Seats
Following on from our recent events and blogs marking the 150th anniversary of the introduction of the secret ballot, Dr Philip Salmon explores some of the Act’s lesser known and unintended consequences. The Ballot Act of 1872 sits alongside the … Continue reading
‘The ballot without jokes has no meaning for members’: Henry Berkeley and the parliamentary campaign for secret voting, 1848-66
Following the Voting reform 150 years on from the 1872 Ballot Act: A symposium at the IHR in honour of Valerie Cromwell event earlier this month, our research fellow, Dr Martin Spychal, discusses Francis Henry Berkeley and his stewardship of the … Continue reading
Posted in Chartism, Conferences and seminars, Corruption, Elections
Tagged 1872 BALLOT ACT, ballot, HENRY BERKELEY, secret voting
2 Comments
‘Damn the secret ballot’: the UK’s public voting system before 1872
This online event was recorded and can be viewed here. As we approach next week’s online event celebrating the 150th anniversary of the act which introduced the secret ballot for municipal and parliamentary elections, it’s perhaps worth looking again at … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, Elections, Forthcoming events
Tagged Electioneering, Female participation, secret ballot, secret voting
1 Comment
Online event marking the 150th anniversary of the Ballot Act
Join the History of Parliament Trust and the Parliamentary Archives on 18 July 2022 in an online event marking the passing of the 1872 Ballot Act, 150 years ago. UPDATE: This event was recorded and can now be viewed here. … Continue reading
Posted in Elections, Forthcoming events
Tagged Australia, ballot, Ballot Act, corruption, election violence, Electioneering, Forthcoming events, secret ballot
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190th Anniversary of the 1832 Reform Act
For a 20 minute talk about the Reform Act by Dr Philip Salmon please click here. This month marks the 190th anniversary of the passing of the 1832 Reform Act, one of the iconic milestones in modern British political history. … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, Elections
Tagged 1832 Reform Act, corruption, electoral reform, Franchise, parliamentary reform, redistribution of seats
7 Comments
Happy New Year from the Victorian Commons!
This new year (2022) marks our tenth anniversary of blogging about Victorian politics and society. Almost 300 blogs have now appeared on these pages, mainly written by researchers (past and present) working on the 1832-68 House of Commons project at … Continue reading
From colonial council to Parliament: the career of John Dunn MP
How Victorian Britain exported a Westminster system of politics to its colonies, both in terms of parliamentary structures and personnel, has been a recurrent theme of much recent historical work. Our own project has also helped shed new light on … Continue reading
Posted in Biographies, Constituencies, Elections
Tagged Biographies, colonies, Dartmouth, Electioneering, legislative council, Tasmania, Van Diemen's land
1 Comment
The power of the (silk) purse: electioneering in nineteenth-century Macclesfield
This blog originally appeared on the main History of Parliament blog as part of its Local History series. One of the most significant aspects of the 1832 Reform Act was its redrawing of the electoral map, taking seats away from … Continue reading
Posted in Constituencies, Corruption, Elections
Tagged corruption, general elections, John Brocklehurst, Macclesfield, silk industry
1 Comment
The radical hostess of Parliament Street: Harriet Grote (1792-1878), the 1832 election and establishing influence as a woman at Westminster
In the second of his blogs on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow, Dr Martin Spychal, explores Harriet’s introduction to electoral politics at the 1832 election and her preparations for the 1833 parliamentary session… The 1832 election introduced Harriet Grote … Continue reading
Posted in Elections, Harriet Grote, women
Tagged 1832 election, City of London, Electioneering, Female participation, George Grote, Harriet Grote, Hustings, women
5 Comments
Pubs and drink in Victorian elections
Most of us probably think of pubs as informal spaces for leisure and socialising. In the period we research for the House of Commons 1832-1868 project, however, things were rather different. Public houses played a central role in many of … Continue reading
Posted in Constituencies, Corruption, Elections, women
Tagged alcohol, bribery, conveyance, drink, public house, pubs, railways, temperance, treating
8 Comments
Vaccination and the Vote: a Victorian dilemma
With mass vaccinations underway across the nation, spare a thought for the Victorian pioneers of the UK’s first major vaccination programme, against smallpox. As well as battling against all sorts of safety fears and logistical problems, they unwittingly found themselves … Continue reading
Posted in Elections, Local government, Uncategorized
Tagged Boards of Guardians, Poor Law, Registration, vaccination, Voting rights
2 Comments
Small borough politics in County Cork, 1832-1868: Bandon, Kinsale, Mallow and Youghal
This post from our research fellow Dr. Stephen Ball was originally published on the History of Parliament blog as part of a Local History series on electoral politics in Ireland. The county of Cork was widely referred to as ‘the … Continue reading
Elected without his consent: William Wilshere (1804-67) and the venal electors of Great Yarmouth
The huge financial cost of Victorian elections, especially in venal constituencies, has been a recurrent theme in some of our more recent blogs. It’s tempting to think of the MPs associated with bribery, treating and other forms of electoral corruption … Continue reading
Posted in Biographies, Constituencies, Corruption, Elections, Images of MPs, MP of the Month
Tagged bribery, corruption, election corruption
1 Comment
A Highland canvass in a ‘pocket county’: Ronald Gower (1845-1916) and the 1867 Sutherland by-election
In the fourth blog of his series on Lord Ronald Gower (1845-1916), Dr Martin Spychal, uses Gower’s diaries to provide some rare insights into mid-Victorian electioneering in the ‘pocket county’ of Sutherland. This blog was also posted as part of the … Continue reading
A ‘pocket’ borough or a borough needing deep pockets? Abingdon’s elections in the nineteenth century
In this blog, originally posted on the main History of Parliament site, Dr Philip Salmon examines the parliamentary representation of Abingdon in the 19th century. Abingdon was widely regarded as an easily managed ‘pocket’ or ‘nomination’ borough during the 19th … Continue reading
Representing Glamorgan, 1832-85: Mr. Talbot and his colleagues
This post originally appeared on the History of Parliament’s blog as part of a Local History series on Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. The earlier posts in the series looked at elections in the 1640s and the 18th century. In the 19th … Continue reading
From duelling to sharing the representation: Northumberland’s electoral politics in the nineteenth century
This post first appeared on the History of Parliament blog as part of a local history series on Northumberland’s politics. You can read the other posts in the series here and here. In 1826 Northumberland experienced its first contested election … Continue reading
‘The power of returning our members will henceforth be in our own hands’: parliamentary reform and its impact on Exeter, 1820-1868
This week Dr Martin Spychal, research fellow for the Commons 1832-68, uses polling and voter registration data to explore the 1832 Reform Act’s impact on elections in Exeter. This blog was originally published on the History of Parliament blog as … Continue reading
Posted in Constituencies, Elections, party labels, Voting and Divisions
Tagged 1832 Reform Act, 1867 Reform Act, boundaries, Devon, devon history, exeter, Exeter elections, Exeter Guildhall, Featured, General election, local and community history, local history, parliamentary reform, Polling
2 Comments
From parliamentary reporter to Member of Parliament: Robert Spankie (1774-1842)
January’s MP of the Month takes a look at the unusual pre-parliamentary career of Robert Spankie, who was returned for Finsbury in 1832. A ground-breaking parliamentary reporter during the 1790s, Spankie ascended to the editorship of the Morning Chronicle before re-training as a barrister and serving as a controversial advocate-general of Bengal. Continue reading
Happy New Year from the Victorian Commons!
For eight years now we have been marking the new year with some highlights from the previous 12 months. The events of 2019 certainly focused attention on parliamentary history and the UK’s constitutional practices as never before. Taking our cue … Continue reading
Posted in Elections, Uncategorized
Tagged election corruption, Electioneering, Jack Whitehall, MP of the Month, newport, peterloo, Prorogation, Registration, speaker
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Elections and electioneering, 1832-1868
As voters across the country head to the polls this month, we thought it was an ideal opportunity to look back at some of the research on 19th century elections we have featured in our blogs over the past few … Continue reading
Posted in Elections
Tagged election corruption, Electioneering, Elections, Hustings, non-electors, public voting, secret ballot
4 Comments
MP of the Month: Thomas Neville Abdy (1810-1877) and electoral misconduct
Thomas Abdy’s political career provides a useful reminder of the chicanery, lies and corruption sometimes associated with 19th century English electioneering – venal traditions that became increasingly unacceptable during the Victorian era. Born into a naval family – his father … Continue reading
MP of the Month: William Tooke and the royal charters of the University of London
Following our blogs on the creation of the University of London constituency in 1868 and its first MP, Robert Lowe, August’s MP of the Month is William Tooke. As MP for Truro from 1832, Tooke worked tirelessly to secure a royal charter for the London University (later University College London) in order that it could grant degrees to its students. Continue reading
‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ Thomas Jones Phillips (1790-1843): pioneering Tory election agent
If you think some of the recent electioneering tactics that have hit the headlines seem extraordinary, spare a thought for the voters of Monmouth in the 1830s. As a new episode of the BBC’s ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ … Continue reading
The representation of Devon and Cornwall after reform, 1832-68
Last week the History of Parliament and the Devon and Cornwall Record Society hosted a conference at Exeter on ‘The South West and Parliament’. Dr Martin Spychal of the Victorian Commons spoke at the event, and today provides an overview of … Continue reading
The Disruption, Parliament and Conservative division: Alexander Campbell (1811-1869)
In May 1843 a schism in the Church of Scotland, better known as the Disruption, led to the creation of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland. It was the culmination of a decade-long conflict over the ability of parishioners to appoint their minister, and wider concerns over state interference with the Scottish Church. April’s MP of the Month is the Conservative MP for Argyllshire, Alexander Campbell, who was one of the founding elders of the Free Church. His ruthless electioneering in Argyllshire from 1836, eventual election in 1841, and failed legislative attempts to prevent the breakup of the Church placed the looming controversy at the centre of parliamentary politics. It also revealed irreconcilable differences between the Conservative Prime Minister Robert Peel and one of his few Scottish backbenchers. Continue reading
The Anglican clergy and English elections, 1832-37
This week we hear from Nicholas Dixon, of Pembroke College, Cambridge, on clerical influence in the reformed electoral system. It is one of the themes addressed in his PhD, which examines the Church of England’s influence on English politics and society … Continue reading
Posted in Elections, Guest blog
Tagged Church of England, clergy, clerical influence, religion
1 Comment
Corruption at elections in Britain in the 19th century
Following on from Martin Spychal’s blog about the paper he gave at last month’s ‘From “Old Corruption” to the New Corruption?’ conference, organised jointly by Oxford Brookes and Newman Universities, we hear from our assistant editor Kathryn Rix. She gave … Continue reading
Victorian Election Violence Project
We’re delighted to host a guest blog from Dr. Gary Hutchison, Research Associate on the Victorian Election Violence Project at Durham University. Here he outlines the project’s methods and shares some of its preliminary findings. Electoral violence plagues many current … Continue reading
Electoral malpractice and uncivil political speech: the case of Alfred Seymour MP
Our ‘MP of the Month’ blog highlights some themes still fresh in our minds after attending a conference on corruption at Oxford Brookes University. Alfred Seymour (1824-1888) was the younger brother of the better known archaeologist and explorer Henry Danby … Continue reading
Innovation, corruption and bankruptcy: Charles John Mare (1814-1898)
Charles John Mare (1814-1898) was an innovative East End shipbuilder. Thought to be a millionaire when he was returned for Plymouth in 1852, his election proved the apex of his career. He was unseated for bribery in 1853, and declared bankrupt, for the first of four times, in 1855. Continue reading
Posted in Biographies, Corruption, Elections, Images of MPs, Uncategorized
Tagged bankruptcy, East End, London, Plymouth, shipbuilding, West Ham
4 Comments
‘So much for the behaviour of the first assemblage of gentlemen’: views from parliament by a Devonshire Tory
Our Victorian MP of the Month is the Conservative MP for Devonshire South, Montagu Parker. His correspondence with his mother between 1835 and 1841 provides a fascinating perspective on life at Westminster. Montagu Edmund Newcombe Parker (1807-1858) is best known … Continue reading
MP of the Month: John Barton Willis Fleming (1781-1844)
With modern electioneering tactics currently attracting so much scrutiny at home and abroad, our Victorian MP of the Month focuses on a notorious election fixer or ‘boroughmonger’, whose activities increasingly pushed the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. His refusal to answer … Continue reading
MP of the Month: Andrew Carew O’Dwyer (1801-1877)
Many of our recent posts have focused on the way barriers to the franchise were gradually removed in the 19th century, but it is worth noting that there were also many barriers to becoming a Victorian MP. One of these … Continue reading
Posted in Biographies, Elections, Ireland, MP of the Month
Tagged Daniel O'Connell, Drogheda, Ireland, MP of the Month, property qualification
1 Comment
MP of the Month: John Moyer Heathcote (1800-1892), the MP who never was
One of our first tasks when we began our 1832-1868 project was to compile a full list of the MPs elected during this period whose biographies we would research. With invaluable assistance from Stephen Lees, who co-edited the later Who’s … Continue reading
Posted in Elections, MP of the Month
Tagged double return, Election petitions, Huntingdonshire, Lord John Russell, MP of the Month
1 Comment
MP of the Month: George Donisthorpe Thompson (1804-1878)
December’s MP of the Month blog charts the path into Parliament of George Thompson, a self-educated book-seller’s son. As one of Britain’s foremost platform orators he was a major figure in the abolition of slavery in the West Indies and … Continue reading
Posted in Elections, MP of the Month, women, Working-class politics
Tagged Abolition of slavery, Abolitionists, American Civil war, Anti-Corn Law League, British India Society, Dwarkanauth Tagore, Female participation, Frederick Douglass, George Thompson, indian independence, Lord Brougham, March of Intellect, slavery, Southampton, Tower Hamlets
2 Comments
‘A woman actually voted!’: Lily Maxwell and the Manchester by-election of November 1867
Today marks the 150th anniversary of the casting of a parliamentary vote by Lily Maxwell, a Manchester shopkeeper, more than half a century before the partial enfranchisement of women in 1918. On 26 November 1867, at a by-election in Manchester, … Continue reading
Posted in Elections, women
Tagged 1867 Reform Act, Female participation, John Stuart Mill, Lily Maxwell, Lydia Becker, Manchester, Registration, women, Women voters, women's suffrage
6 Comments
Parliaments and Popular Sovereignty Conference: Manchester
Last week two members of the Victorian Commons project gave papers in Manchester, at a conference held at the People’s History Museum, home to what must surely be one of the UK’s finest collections of political memorabilia associated with mass … Continue reading
Some parallels: the 1832 and 2018 boundary reviews
To celebrate the recent open-access publication of his article ‘‘One of the best men of business we had ever met’: Thomas Drummond, the boundary commission and the 1832 Reform Act’, our Research Fellow on the 1832-1868 project, Dr Martin Spychal, … Continue reading
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