Previous Talk

Northumberland Elections 1826

The entry below is a synopsis of our speakers talk on 12th January 2022.

Mr George Robson gave us a presentation today on "Elections Northumberland 1826" fury, bitter, argument and even a duel on the sands. Using money from the Voting For Change project funds we've just acquired some material about the extraordinary Northumberland election of 1826.

The History of Parliament Online is a hugely detailed resource for finding out more about the background to Parliamentary elections pre-1832, and it has a lot to tell us about the Northumberland constituency. The county had not previously seen an election – changes in its representation had since 1774 been determined by aristocratic compromise between the largest landowners. Traditionally they had returned one Tory and one Whig to the two parliamentary seats..

Thomas Wentworth Beaumont had been a Northumberland county Tory MP since 1818, but was increasingly viewed as a renegade - he voted with the Whig opposition against the repressive legislation introduced after the Peterloo massacre, and had declared support for parliamentary reform. After his unopposed return in the 1920 general election he had announced that he was joining the Whigs. When Charles John Brandling died on 1 February 1826 the Tory seat became unexpectedly vacant, and candidates started jostling for position prior to the general election. ‘Canvassing in London, at race meetings, the assizes, Newcastle, Shields, Morpeth, Hexham and Alnwick was vital; and, as in neighbouring county Durham, the Tyneside industrialists and ship owners formed an increasingly vociferous electoral lobby’, in the words of the History of Parliament Online. Only freeholders (landowners) , 'gentlemen' and clergy were entitled to vote at this time.

Voting took place over 15 days with the count results being announced each day. At this period there was not one ‘election day’. After receiving a writ (a royal command) for the election to be held, the local returning officer fixed an election timetable. Polling in seats with contested elections could continue for many days. The national election took place between 7 June and 12 July 1826. After all this excitement the next general election in 1830 must have seemed very tame, with Matthew Bell and the persistent Thomas Beaumont elected unopposed. ‘Both confirmed their opposition to colonial slavery, the subject of renewed petitioning that summer, encouraged by the Wesleyan Methodists and the Dissenters; and Beaumont declared for and Bell against parliamentary reform...

This presentation was well received by our members Questions followed on several points to conclude a very informative morning.

For further information Click on the link Elections 1826

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