Tag Archives: Elections

‘Six fat sheep’ and the ‘depraved’ borough of Great Marlow

Posted on April 29, 2024 by salmonphilip

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 , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Marrying for the vote: the freedom-by-marriage franchise before 1832

Posted on December 4, 2023 by salmonphilip

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 , , , , | 1 Comment

Politics beyond party: the survival of non-partisan traditions, 1832-68

Posted on July 18, 2023 by salmonphilip

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 →

Posted in 1832-68 preview site, Conferences and seminars, Constituencies, Elections, Historians, party labels, Voting and Divisions | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Nineteenth-century election rituals: the chairing of Members

Posted on March 14, 2023 by Kathryn Rix

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 , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The 1872 Secret Ballot and Multiple Member Seats

Posted on November 22, 2022 by salmonphilip

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 →

Posted in Constituencies, Elections | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The shipping and the railway interests: Whitby’s electoral politics, 1832-1868

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Kathryn Rix

This post first appeared on the History of Parliament’s blog as part of its local history series on port constituencies. In July 1832 the ‘blues’ (Liberals) and ‘pinks’ (Conservatives) in the port of Whitby each held lavish celebrations to mark … Continue reading →

Posted in Constituencies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Small borough politics in County Cork, 1832-1868: Bandon, Kinsale, Mallow and Youghal

Posted on February 12, 2021 by sball1832

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 →

Posted in Elections, Ireland | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Highland canvass in a ‘pocket county’: Ronald Gower (1845-1916) and the 1867 Sutherland by-election

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Martin Spychal

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 →

Posted in Constituencies, Elections, Parliamentary life, Queer Parliamentary Life, Ronald Gower Series, Scotland, women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A ‘pocket’ borough or a borough needing deep pockets? Abingdon’s elections in the nineteenth century

Posted on November 6, 2020 by salmonphilip

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 →

Posted in Constituencies, Elections | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Representing Glamorgan, 1832-85: Mr. Talbot and his colleagues

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Kathryn Rix

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 →

Posted in Biographies, Elections, Wales | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

From duelling to sharing the representation: Northumberland’s electoral politics in the nineteenth century

Posted on August 21, 2020 by Kathryn Rix

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 →

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Elections and electioneering, 1832-1868

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Kathryn Rix

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 , , , , , , | 4 Comments

New book: Parties, agents and electoral culture in England, 1880-1910

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Kathryn Rix

Our assistant editor, Dr. Kathryn Rix, has just published her first book, with Boydell and Brewer, in the Royal Historical Society’s Studies in History series, entitled Parties, agents and electoral culture in England, 1880-1910. She shares some of the key … Continue reading →

Posted in Publications | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

From ‘true blue’ Tory to Reformer: Samuel Adlam Bayntun (1804-1833)

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Kathryn Rix

While our MP of the Month sat only briefly in the Commons after 1832, his parliamentary career provides valuable insights into two important aspects of nineteenth-century politics: the fluidity of party labels and the influence which money had in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Biographies, MP of the Month | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

The Victorian female franchise

Posted on March 18, 2013 by salmonphilip

Welcome to the first of our guest blogs. On BBC Radio 4 tonight Dr Sarah Richardson presents a programme about the discovery of an early Victorian poll book listing women voters (click here to listen). Female participation in non-parliamentary elections … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Guest blog, Local government, women | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments