1832
General Election, Southern Division
of Staffordshire, 1st December, 1832
Edward John Littleton
Sir John Wrottesley
returned unopposed.
1833
On being appointed Chief Secretary to Ireland, a paid government post, Edward
Littleton was obliged to submit himself to re-election. By-elections of this sort being
necessarily rapid events, Viscount Ingestre, his Tory opponent came late into the field. The Tory camp mistakenly thought
that the Whigs had carelessly failed to register their supporters. When the first agents’ reports came in they realised
their mistake and Ingestre withdrew, but not before the poll booths had opened. A few voters trickled in and their votes were
counted.
Election Day 5th
June, 1833.
Edward Littleton (L)
439
Viscount Ingestre (C)
6
I have felt for a long time that this division of the county has been made a Whig nominated
borough. [Viscount Ingestre]
This election begins, I believe next Tuesday; and if the electors
there do not do their duty, the next time I go north, I will contrive to miss Staffordshire for I shall detest not only the
men but the soil they inhabit. [William Cobbett, Political Register, 1st June, 1833]
1835
In
1834 Littleton secretly promised the leader of the Irish Nationalists, Daniel O’Connell, that the government would drop
a ban on public meetings in Ireland. When the government renewed the ban, O’Connell revealed the promise. Lord Althorp,
leader of the government in the Commons, had supported Littleton’s promise and had to resign, followed shortly by Lord
Grey and the rest of the government.
Lord
Melbourne formed a new Whig / Liberal government, re-appointing Littleton as Chief Secretary in August, 1834. But in November
1834 King William IV unexpectedly dismissed the government and asked Robert Peel to form a new Conservative government.
General Election, January, 1835
Nomination Day, 17th January, 1835
Men of all parties call themselves reformers now (laughter
and cheers). But there are in fact two great divisions; there are real reformers and, I am sorry to say, there are also false
ones (hear, hear). There are men who are reformers on principle and others who are willing to become reformers for the sake
of power. [Edward Littleton’s proposer]
I hold those to be the real “Destructives”
who ridiculously take the title of “Conservatives”. I believe no party to be more truly Conservative of all that
is valuable in our institutions than to which Mr Littleton belongs. [Captain Chetwynd}
Edward Littleton
Sir John Wrottesley
returned unopposed.
The
election was won by the Whigs, with a reduced majority. Lord Melbourne, forming a new government offered Edward Littleton
a peerage in April 1835, causing a by-election in the Southern Division.
By-election, 27th May, 1835
A ferociously fought by-election. Staffordshire Advertiser noted an “extraordinary
degree of zeal on both sides”. Six London journalists present through the campaign, 13 on nomination day. Scurrilous
attacks on Goodricke’s character and background. Five thousand attended nomination. Disturbances at West Bromwich where
Anson’s mob asserted their “non-electors privileges” and stoned Goodricke’s procession. A large mob
at Lichfield, outside Anson’s headquarters at George Hotel brutally attacked Goodricke supporters. Attacks on Goodricke’s
supporters at Wolverhampton could not be contained by special constables and a troop of Dragoon Guards called from Stourbridge.
The mob would not disperse and the soldiers fired. One youth killed.
Sir Francis Lyttleton Holyoake Goodricke (C) 1776 votes beat
Colonel
Anson (W) 1553 votes
Penkridge:
Goodricke 370, Anson 325
Sir Francis Lyttleton Goodricke , born 1787, was the son of Francis Holyoak, a banker from
Tettenhall, by Miss Lyttleton of Studeley. He was a sporting friend of Sir H.J. Goodrick who bequeathed him his whole fortune
and name in 1833. He squandered his fortune and died a poor man in 1865.
1837
General election called on the death of King William IV
“I
have no wish to disturb unnecessarily the peace of the County by entering into a useless contest; but having every reason
to believe that the result of the last election cannot in any way be taken as a test of the opinions of the present registered
electors, I shall without hesitation accede to the wishes of those friends who have expressed an anxious desire that I should
once more offer my services to the constituency”. [George Anson]
“A new
reign has begun and another Parliament is shortly to be assembled. Candidates for the honour of representing you are already
in the field and it is my duty to announce my intention and partially to assign my reasons. In coming to the resolution of
not offering myself as a candidate...I am swayed by private motives as well as public considerations. When I last came
forward.....it was a contest of principle. South Staffordshire was alone vacant. South Staffordshire had been Whig-enthralled
and South Staffordshire was set free. By the breach we made in 1835, other knights may enter”. [F.L.H. Goodricke]
“[The] flattering testimony of your good opinion renders more painful the regret with
which I am compelled to acknowledge my inability longer to perform the arduous duties which now devolve upon a member of the
House of Commons. I cannot endure the thought of performing them in a manner less diligent and zealous than I have hitherto
endeavoured to execute them”. [Sir John Wrottesley]
This election showed that
the Whigs had still not recovered from losing the dominating presence of Edward Littleton. His son, Edward Richard Littleton,
could not be persuaded to stand, Sir John retired ( a little sulky at not having been given a peerage like his former colleague)
and his son could not be contacted in time. Sir John was pressurised to stand again
at 10.30, on Friday night, before the Saturday morning nomination. Viscount Ingestre, despite being abroad, on holiday, for
much of the campaign maintained the Conservative toe-hold on South Staffs.
Col. The Hon.
G. Anson (Lib) 3173
Visc. Ingestre (C)
3127
Dyott (C)
3046
Sir John Wrottesley (Lib)
2993
“I have no doubt I should have been placed at the head of the poll if my intention had
been earlier known. I did not come forward until the day of nomination; the County had thus been diligently canvassed and
every vote promised”. [Sir John Wrottesley]
“It
is clear that Wrottesley, had he stirred from home, might have come in on a canter. But he wished to be beaten. It was on
Lord Melbourne’s urgent request that he stood”. [Lord Hatherton’s Journal, 2nd August, 1837]
1841
“This meeting views with feelings of regret and condemnation the degraded
position in which South Staffordshire appears before the political world, by reason of a compromise entered into by certain
unauthorized parties in London, whereby our rights as electors have been unduly tampered with and sacrificed to procure an
unopposed return for Lord Ingestre and Col. Anson.” Lichfield Conservative Association
Nomination Day, 5th June, 1841
Visc. Ingestre (C)
George Anson (L)
returned unopposed
1847
In an election campaign noted for its lack of excitement and interest in South
Staffs
Nomination Day 3rd July, 1847
Ingestre
Anson
returned unopposed
1849
By election caused by the death of Earl Talbot and Visc. Ingestre’s succession
to the title. Viscount Lewisham, son of Earl of Dartmouth puts himself forward as Conservative candidate. The aristocratic
monopoly of the representation of South Staffordshire was, however, beginning to be questioned.
The Staffordshire Advertiser, predicting there would be no contest, nevertheless,
reported,
In the present instance a new
element has arisen. The ironmasters have, to a large extent, entertained a wish that one of their body should represent the
division, to attend, irrespective of other politics, to the interests of the iron trade.
Viscount Lewisham, 25, was unopposed but had to attend a public meeting of the
ironmasters and assure them he was not there for the “idle vanity of writing MP after his name”.
Nomination Day, 19th February, 1849
Viscount Lewisham
returned unopposed
1852
Nomination Day, 13th
July, 1852
Hon. Maj. Gen. George Anson (L)
Visc. Lewisham (C)
returned unopposed
1853
By election caused by George Anson retiring, in order to take up post of Commander
in Chief of the Bengal presidency. Edward Richard Littleton, who had nominated Col. Anson three times previously, puts himself
forward.
Edward today startled me by saying he stood for South Staffordshire
to please me – who has no wish on the matter except that he should please himself.. He will be no exception to what
has been a kind of rule in the county to take a Littleton as its representative, when a fit person of the family offered himself.
[Lord Hatherton, 7th August 1853]
Nomination Day, 15th August, 1853, Lichfield Guild
Hall
Edward Richard Littleton (L)
returned unopposed
Edward Littleton was nominated by J.H.H. Foley and seconded by W.O. Foster.
His political career got off to a poor start when he missed nomination day through illness and had the ignominy of having
his medical certificate read out and printed in the Staffordshire Advertiser. Clearly elected on the reputation of his father,
Lord Hatherton.
1854
The death of the Earl of Dartmouth and the subsequent elevation of Viscount
Lewisham to the peerage led to one of the most hard fought and significant elections in the history of the County.
A meeting of the South Staffordshire Ironmasters decided that the representation
of the constituency ought to be “one and one”, ie. a Conservative and a Liberal. The Conservatives, therefore,
confidently nominated Viscount Ingestre, eldest son of Earl Talbot.
A Liberal clique, centred on Wolverhampton, tiring of the “electioneering
diplomacy of South Staffordshire” reject another compromise with the Conservatives and decide to put forward a Liberal
candidate. They dismiss the old Whig / Tory fears of agitation in the constituency and high election costs and decide to press
home the Liberal advantage of greater number of voters and greater wealth.
The Liberals nominated Lord Paget, son of the Marquis of Angelsey. Armed with
a register of electors boosted by about a thousand extra Liberal voters, recruited previously by the Anti-Corn-Law League,
they mounted a widespread and energetic campaign. Lord Ingestre was absent, on holiday in America.
Both sides canvassed vigorously. The by election got as much coverage in the
Advertiser as a whole general election previously. There were paid political adverts and allegations of dirty tricks by party
agents. The High Sheriff was accused of setting election day on a Saturday so that Liberal traders would find it difficult
to vote.
Election Day, February 18th, 1854
Lord Paget (L) 4325
defeated
Lord Ingestre (C)
2757
The result was a big blow to the Conservatives. Lord Paget said it was due to
the “almost culpable neglect of the register by the Conservative party and the defection of powerful interests”.
The patronage of seats for the Southern Division is passing
into the hands of the traders of the chief towns. In my earlier days they neither thought of it or were thought of by others.
The chief county families settled the matter among themselves. [Lord Hatherton 22nd December 1853]
1857
General election called after Lord Palmerston’s Whig / Liberal government lost vote of censure over Arrow controversy and build up to Opium War with China.
E.R. Littleton declines to stand for re-election due to ill-health.
Lord Paget declines to stand for re-election due to family circumstances and lack of time.
The Conservatives, appearing to give up on the constituency, did not field any
candidates. The only semblance of a contest came from within the ranks of the Liberal party when four men put themselves forward
in a process that quickly became a shambles.
A small meeting of Liberal electors, held at the Swan Inn, nominated
William Matthews and Henry Wentworth Foley to represent the Liberal interest on 21st March. On the 26th
March a South Staffordshire Iron Trade meeting nominated William Orme Foster to represent them and the manufacturing interest.
As this decision seemed to set aside the first meeting, Arthur Wrottesley (who had come 3rd in the vote) decided
to re-submit his name and stand.
William Matthews withdrew as Foster had the greater wealth and industrial support.
Arthur Wrottesley withdrew, less gracefully, on the advice of his father, Lord Wrottesley, a sign that the age of the old
Whig aristocracy, relying on the support of its tenants was losing influence in the new Liberal party.
Nomination Day, Lichfield Guild Hall, Tuesday March 31st,
1857
William Orme Foster (L)
Henry Wentworth Foley (L)
returned unopposed
William Orme Foster owned John Bradley & Co . In 1832 the company owned:
Stourbridge Old Works; Stourbridge New Works; Stourbridge Foundry; Shutt End Colliery; Brierley Hill Iron Works; Scotts Green
Colliery; Baptist End Colliery; Eardington Works; and Hampton Lode Works. By 1869 John Bradley and Co. was one of the largest
iron manufacturers in the midlands, with a total of 95 puddling furnaces. W.O. Forster died in 1899.
1859
This election is considered to be
the first to be contested by the Liberal Party - a name unofficially adopted to cover the alliance of Whigs, Peelites, Radicals
and Irish.
Nomination Day, Lichfield Guild Hall, 2nd May 1859
William Foster (L)
Henry Foley (L)
returned unopposed
Political Analysis of South Staffordshire
Division
Agricultural parishes, in and around
Brewood, Forebridge, Gnosall, Kingswinford, Lichfield, Penkridge, Rugeley, Tamworth, Walsall, Wolverhampton:
730 Liberal voters
1501 Tory voters
Manufacturing parishes: Bilston,
Brierly Hill, Darlaston, Handsworth, Old Hill, Sedgley, Smethwick, Tipton, Walsall,
Wednesbury, Westbromwich, Willenhall, Wolverhampton:
5780 Liberal voters
3485 Tory voters
Giving a notional Liberal majority
of 2295.
Penkridge (189 Lib v. 187 Tory)
1865
The 1865 UK general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase
their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives. Palmerston died later in the same year and was succeeded by Lord
John Russell as Prime Minister.
Nomination Day, 14th July, 1865
Henry Foley (L)
William Foster (L)
returned unopposed
