Why did Reformers want to reform parliament before 1832? The widest right to vote existed in the 6 freeholder boroughs
where the vote was given to anyone who held property freehold
Though Britain in 1783 was a parliamentary state as it is now, the powers
(in their own right). But these were mainly small towns with small
of parliament were not defined like the US has a written constitution. This
electorates.
meant that there had been no set moment when all the rules for voting had
been set down. Parliament had evolved in two houses HoC which was Before 1832 there were about 200,000 people who could vote in the 203
elected and the HoL which was not. There had been little change since the boroughs and 239,000 who could vote in the counties; less than 13% of the
Glorious Revolution of 1688. population. The numbers were lower in Scotland and Ireland.
Those who chose for MPs were either in boroughs or counties. Boroughs As there had been no Act defining voting rights there was no way really to
were towns that had a royal charter allowing them to manage their own remove boroughs if they still sent MPs but had low populations. Dunwich
affairs through a governing body called a corporation. Each borough could in Suffolk had fallen into the sea but still returned two MPs. Westminster
select two MPs to represent its interests but as each borough was self- had more voters but sent the same number of MPs as rotten boroughs.
regulating, rules for who could vote in them were not set down but had to Because there were few voters and no secret ballot rich men could
come about through tradition. The voting qualifications varied from influence the vote in Pocket Boroughs.
borough to borough:
How did elections work?
In 27 places the corporation selected the 2 MPs. This governing
Few elections in 18th century went against the wishes of the King’s
body was not elected but the members simply co-opted other
government and importantly many went uncontested. In 1784, in 243
people to replace those who died or stood down.
English constituencies there were only 72 where more than one candidate
In 29 places certain houses or plots of land carried the right to vote
stood for election. This fell to 60 in 1796 and to only 57 in 1812. Not only
while others did not by ancient custom. They were called ‘burgage
did a small number of men have the right to vote, but an even smaller
boroughs’. They were usually small boroughs with tiny numbers
number had any opportunity/choice to use it.
of voters and owned by patrons. Such boroughs were often openly
bought and sold. The county elections had a larger electorate and the voting qualification
In 37 boroughs those who paid local taxes were eligible to vote. was ownership of land worth 40 shillings a year by a form of land holding
Westminster had a large number of these voters but some called freehold (outright ownership). Some people had several votes if
boroughs only had a handful. they had property in different boroughs. MPs weren’t paid s they had to be
In some cases voting was restricted to the ‘potwallopers’. These wealthy. In theory women who were freeholders could vote but few did
were the male heads of household had a hearth wide enough to because it was an open ballot and it would have been unseemly. The south
boil a cauldron. This resulted in quite a wide franchise but in the was better represented than the north where urban growth led to high
1780s there were only 16 of these boroughs out of 203. populations but few MPs.
In 92 boroughs the vote was open to the ‘freemen’ of the borough
Early Reform Movements
and could result in quite a large electorate.
, Until the 1780s there was little demand for reform of parliament. A which represented King, nobles and people. This was an
development took place in 1780 when the Yorkshire Association was unhistorical notion but one that gained support.
founded because Yorkshire had a large number of voters who were Radicals who advocated universal male suffrage like Henry Hunt.
particularly resentful about the corruption of elections and disliked the Political radicals with a more modest agenda, some of which
return of MPs who were particularly resentful about the corruption of wanted to restrict voting rights to owners of property. Others like
elections and disliked the return of MPs who were in the pocket of either Sir Francis Burdett tried to make links with Whig politicians by
the government of patrons. Not only did this threaten the independence of criticising the repression of Liverpool’s government. Some
MPs and their representation of the interests of Yorkshire, it seemed stressed the need for parliamentary reform so that working class
immoral. The greater interest in religion in the later 18 th century did lead to individuals got the opportunity to agitate for social and economic
a desire to reform different aspects of public life and promote good causes improvement.
like prison reform and the abolition of slavery. This particularly stemmed
from the growth of Methodism but also the Evangelical movement in the
CoE. Yorkshire landowners complained of high tax and wanted general Influential ideas from overseas- Many reformers drew inspiration from
elections so they could have more control but also it would reduce France and the USA.
corruption because bribing people annually would become too expensive.
The aim was to increase the influence of the county 40 shilling freeholders The US
and to elect more independent MPs. Pitt’s election in 1784 owed
They raised the issue that id people paid taxes imposed by parliament then
something to the County Associations because they welcomed Pitt’s
they should vote for representatives to attend that parliament. A large and
honesty and determination to reform finance.
wealthy city like Sheffield had no MPs but its manufacturers paid more in
There were calls for parliamentary reform from different radical tax than the small numbers of voters in poor less important towns that had
individuals and groups but there was limited organised demand for change two MPs.
Highly educated moralists like Joseph Priestley objected to the The French
corruption associated with the political processes and wanted to The French revolution was a major influence on radical ideas. There, the
supplant it with a more rational, uniform system. monarchy had been forced to allow voting on a wide scale for
Philosophical radicals who followed the principles of Jeremy representatives to a States General in 1789. It had been forced to accept
Bentham argued the need for rational principles to be applied to all that the representatives of the mass of the country should have a greater
British institutions in order to obtain ‘the greatest happiness for the say in discussions than the nobles and clergy. It also was required to accept
greatest number’. a new constitution and by 1792 France was a republic. Although universal
Major John Cartwright argued that there had been a golden age in suffrage was never introduced, the French established a principle that
Britain before the Normans arrived and conquered in 1066. Anglo ‘active citizens’ those who paid taxes should have the right to vote. This
Saxon England had a less corrupt and more balanced constitution inspired reformers and radical ideas were spread by newspapers like
where the vote was given to anyone who held property freehold
Though Britain in 1783 was a parliamentary state as it is now, the powers
(in their own right). But these were mainly small towns with small
of parliament were not defined like the US has a written constitution. This
electorates.
meant that there had been no set moment when all the rules for voting had
been set down. Parliament had evolved in two houses HoC which was Before 1832 there were about 200,000 people who could vote in the 203
elected and the HoL which was not. There had been little change since the boroughs and 239,000 who could vote in the counties; less than 13% of the
Glorious Revolution of 1688. population. The numbers were lower in Scotland and Ireland.
Those who chose for MPs were either in boroughs or counties. Boroughs As there had been no Act defining voting rights there was no way really to
were towns that had a royal charter allowing them to manage their own remove boroughs if they still sent MPs but had low populations. Dunwich
affairs through a governing body called a corporation. Each borough could in Suffolk had fallen into the sea but still returned two MPs. Westminster
select two MPs to represent its interests but as each borough was self- had more voters but sent the same number of MPs as rotten boroughs.
regulating, rules for who could vote in them were not set down but had to Because there were few voters and no secret ballot rich men could
come about through tradition. The voting qualifications varied from influence the vote in Pocket Boroughs.
borough to borough:
How did elections work?
In 27 places the corporation selected the 2 MPs. This governing
Few elections in 18th century went against the wishes of the King’s
body was not elected but the members simply co-opted other
government and importantly many went uncontested. In 1784, in 243
people to replace those who died or stood down.
English constituencies there were only 72 where more than one candidate
In 29 places certain houses or plots of land carried the right to vote
stood for election. This fell to 60 in 1796 and to only 57 in 1812. Not only
while others did not by ancient custom. They were called ‘burgage
did a small number of men have the right to vote, but an even smaller
boroughs’. They were usually small boroughs with tiny numbers
number had any opportunity/choice to use it.
of voters and owned by patrons. Such boroughs were often openly
bought and sold. The county elections had a larger electorate and the voting qualification
In 37 boroughs those who paid local taxes were eligible to vote. was ownership of land worth 40 shillings a year by a form of land holding
Westminster had a large number of these voters but some called freehold (outright ownership). Some people had several votes if
boroughs only had a handful. they had property in different boroughs. MPs weren’t paid s they had to be
In some cases voting was restricted to the ‘potwallopers’. These wealthy. In theory women who were freeholders could vote but few did
were the male heads of household had a hearth wide enough to because it was an open ballot and it would have been unseemly. The south
boil a cauldron. This resulted in quite a wide franchise but in the was better represented than the north where urban growth led to high
1780s there were only 16 of these boroughs out of 203. populations but few MPs.
In 92 boroughs the vote was open to the ‘freemen’ of the borough
Early Reform Movements
and could result in quite a large electorate.
, Until the 1780s there was little demand for reform of parliament. A which represented King, nobles and people. This was an
development took place in 1780 when the Yorkshire Association was unhistorical notion but one that gained support.
founded because Yorkshire had a large number of voters who were Radicals who advocated universal male suffrage like Henry Hunt.
particularly resentful about the corruption of elections and disliked the Political radicals with a more modest agenda, some of which
return of MPs who were particularly resentful about the corruption of wanted to restrict voting rights to owners of property. Others like
elections and disliked the return of MPs who were in the pocket of either Sir Francis Burdett tried to make links with Whig politicians by
the government of patrons. Not only did this threaten the independence of criticising the repression of Liverpool’s government. Some
MPs and their representation of the interests of Yorkshire, it seemed stressed the need for parliamentary reform so that working class
immoral. The greater interest in religion in the later 18 th century did lead to individuals got the opportunity to agitate for social and economic
a desire to reform different aspects of public life and promote good causes improvement.
like prison reform and the abolition of slavery. This particularly stemmed
from the growth of Methodism but also the Evangelical movement in the
CoE. Yorkshire landowners complained of high tax and wanted general Influential ideas from overseas- Many reformers drew inspiration from
elections so they could have more control but also it would reduce France and the USA.
corruption because bribing people annually would become too expensive.
The aim was to increase the influence of the county 40 shilling freeholders The US
and to elect more independent MPs. Pitt’s election in 1784 owed
They raised the issue that id people paid taxes imposed by parliament then
something to the County Associations because they welcomed Pitt’s
they should vote for representatives to attend that parliament. A large and
honesty and determination to reform finance.
wealthy city like Sheffield had no MPs but its manufacturers paid more in
There were calls for parliamentary reform from different radical tax than the small numbers of voters in poor less important towns that had
individuals and groups but there was limited organised demand for change two MPs.
Highly educated moralists like Joseph Priestley objected to the The French
corruption associated with the political processes and wanted to The French revolution was a major influence on radical ideas. There, the
supplant it with a more rational, uniform system. monarchy had been forced to allow voting on a wide scale for
Philosophical radicals who followed the principles of Jeremy representatives to a States General in 1789. It had been forced to accept
Bentham argued the need for rational principles to be applied to all that the representatives of the mass of the country should have a greater
British institutions in order to obtain ‘the greatest happiness for the say in discussions than the nobles and clergy. It also was required to accept
greatest number’. a new constitution and by 1792 France was a republic. Although universal
Major John Cartwright argued that there had been a golden age in suffrage was never introduced, the French established a principle that
Britain before the Normans arrived and conquered in 1066. Anglo ‘active citizens’ those who paid taxes should have the right to vote. This
Saxon England had a less corrupt and more balanced constitution inspired reformers and radical ideas were spread by newspapers like
