One half of ‘all England’? Yorkshire elections in the 18th century

The elections of May 2026 in England, Scotland and Wales provide another opportunity to consider some of the features of parliamentary elections in the unreformed 18th century. Here Dr Charles Littleton looks at one of the period’s more notable constituencies and one particularly turbulent contest there. Between 1715 and 1832 there were 22 general elections. Attention to these is usually most focussed on some of … Continue reading One half of ‘all England’? Yorkshire elections in the 18th century

‘Elections and how to fight them’: electioneering a century ago

We continue our series on election campaigning through the centuries today. Dr Kathryn Rix, Assistant Editor of the Victorian Commons, gives us an insight into the campaign trail at the turn of the 20th century… The title of this post, ‘Elections and how to fight them’, comes from a handbook written in 1905 by John Seymour Lloyd. This was just one of several guides published … Continue reading ‘Elections and how to fight them’: electioneering a century ago