Oxfordshire Election 1754
Encyclopedia
The Oxfordshire Election of 1754, part of the British general election
of that year and involving the selection of two Members of Parliament
(MPs) to represent the Oxfordshire
constituency, was probably the most notorious English county election of the 18th century. It was depicted in Hogarth's
famous series of paintings and engravings, The Humours of an Election
.
Oxfordshire was a county constituency electing two MPs. The right to vote was held by all the Forty Shilling Freeholders
of the county, amounting to about 4,000 in 1754, but because of the expense of a contested election the competing interests tried to reach a compromise without resorting to a poll if at all possible, and in 1754 Oxfordshire had not seen a contested election for 44 years. The expenses entailed not only the cost of campaigning across the county, but the need for the candidates to meet the expenses of their voters in travelling to Oxford
(where the poll was held in the grounds of Exeter College
) and in lavishly entertaining them while they were there; but outright bribery was also rife.
The candidates in 1754 were two Tories, Sir James Dashwood (who was standing for re-election) and The Viscount Wenman
; and two Whigs
, Viscount Parker
(heir to the Earl of Macclesfield
) and Sir Edward Turner
. The other major local grandees, the Duke of Marlborough
and Earl Harcourt
, joined Macclesfield in backing the two Whigs, while the Earl of Abingdon
and Earl of Lichfield
supported the two Tories.
Both sides spent extravagantly: Prime Minister Henry Pelham
promised £7,000 of government funds towards the Whigs' expenses, while the Tories spent £20,000 (of which £8,000 was raised by public subscription).
Many commemorative objects were produced. A pot inscribed "Wenman & Dashwood Forever. 1755" is in the Victoria and Albert Museum
, and one inscribed "I say Wenman & Dashwood, friend. What say you?" is in the Ashmolean Museum
. A glass inscribed "Hark Wenman & Dashwood Sr Watn & the old Interest forever." is in the Museum of London
.
Edward Gibbon
referred to the election in his "Memoirs Of My Life And Writings", saying:
"A general election was now approaching: the great Oxfordshire contest already blazed with all the malevolence of party-zeal. Magdalen College was devoutly attached to the old interest! and the names of Wenman and Dashwood were more frequently pronounced, than those of Cicero and Chrysostom."
The Calendar (New Style) Act 1750
was one of the Tory issues in the election. Thomas Parker was the son of George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield
, the astronomer who had chaired the committee stage of the bill in the House of Commons of Great Britain
. Amongst the lampoons resulting was:
"His [Parker's] fine moving Speeches are nothing but Froth;
Our Time he has alter'd and turn'd it about,
So he like Old Christmas shall too be turned out.
Tho' Lords and great Placemen do with him combine,
'Twill signify nothing when honest Men join;
Drink Wenman and Dashwood, and stand to the Tack,
We want no old Turner nor new Almanack."
The result was declared on 17 April 1754. Wenman and Dashwood were ahead in the count of votes, but the returning officer
made a "double return" (declaring both pairs of candidates to be elected, leaving the House of Commons
to make the decision), and both sides petitioned against the election of their opponents.
The Commons took months to reach its decision, examining the legitimacy of many of the individual votes; but since MPs almost invariably voted in such cases on partisan lines rather than on the merits of the case, the result was a foregone conclusion - the Commons had a Whig majority, and therefore the two Whig candidates were declared elected on 23 April 1755. As one of the Tories on the Committee, Sir William Meredith
noted,
Both parties in Oxfordshire were united in their determination to avoid a repetition of such a contest, and managed to reach an amicable compromise before the next general election, the Duke of Marlborough in future to nominate one member and the local Tories the other. Oxfordshire did not see a contested election again until 1826.
British general election, 1754
The British general election, 1754 returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 11th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707....
of that year and involving the selection of two Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MPs) to represent the Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Oxfordshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two Members of Parliament. In 1832 this was increased to three...
constituency, was probably the most notorious English county election of the 18th century. It was depicted in Hogarth's
William Hogarth
William Hogarth was an English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist who has been credited with pioneering western sequential art. His work ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called "modern moral subjects"...
famous series of paintings and engravings, The Humours of an Election
Humours of an Election
The Humours of an Election is a series of four oil paintings and later engravings by William Hogarth that illustrate the election of a member of parliament in Oxfordshire in 1754. The oil paintings were created in 1755...
.
Forty Shilling Freeholders
Forty shilling freeholders were a group of landowners who had the Parliamentary franchise to vote in county constituencies in various parts of the British Isles. In England it was the only such qualification from 1430 until 1832...
of the county, amounting to about 4,000 in 1754, but because of the expense of a contested election the competing interests tried to reach a compromise without resorting to a poll if at all possible, and in 1754 Oxfordshire had not seen a contested election for 44 years. The expenses entailed not only the cost of campaigning across the county, but the need for the candidates to meet the expenses of their voters in travelling to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
(where the poll was held in the grounds of Exeter College
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
) and in lavishly entertaining them while they were there; but outright bribery was also rife.
The candidates in 1754 were two Tories, Sir James Dashwood (who was standing for re-election) and The Viscount Wenman
Philip Wenman, 6th Viscount Wenman
Philip Wenman, 6th Viscount Wenman , was a British landowner and politician.Wenman was the elder son of Richard Wenman, 5th Viscount Wenman, by Susanna, daughter of Seymour Wroughton, of Heskett. He succeeded his father in the viscountcy in 1729, aged eleven. This was an Irish peerage and did not...
; and two Whigs
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
, Viscount Parker
Thomas Parker, 3rd Earl of Macclesfield
Thomas Parker, 3rd Earl of Macclesfield FRS , styled Viscount Parker between 1732 and 1764, was a British peer and politician.-Background:...
(heir to the Earl of Macclesfield
Earl of Macclesfield
Earl of Macclesfield is a title that has been created twice. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1679 in favour of the soldier and politician Charles Gerard, 1st Baron Gerard...
) and Sir Edward Turner
Sir Edward Turner, 2nd Baronet
Sir Edward Turner, 2nd Baronet was one of the Turner Baronets of Ambrosden and a Member of Parliament.-Life:Turner was the son of Sir Edward Turner, 1st Baronet and his wife Mary. He received his early education at Bicester Grammar School. He went on to Balliol College, Oxford where he was noted...
. The other major local grandees, the Duke of Marlborough
Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough
Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough KG, PC , known as The Earl of Sunderland between 1729 and 1733, was a British soldier and politician. He briefly served as Lord Privy Seal in 1755...
and Earl Harcourt
Simon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt
Simon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt, of Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, PC, FRS, Viceroy of Ireland , known as 2nd Viscount Harcourt, of Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, between 1727 and 1749, was a British diplomat and general....
, joined Macclesfield in backing the two Whigs, while the Earl of Abingdon
Willoughby Bertie, 3rd Earl of Abingdon
Willoughby Bertie, 3rd Earl of Abingdon was an English peer.He was the son of James Bertie of Stanwell in Middlesex and Elizabeth Willoughby. He was elected to Parliament in 1715, but was unseated on petition. He married Anna Maria Collins in August 1727. They had ten children.- Children :# Lady...
and Earl of Lichfield
George Lee, 3rd Earl of Lichfield
George Henry Lee II, 3rd Earl of Lichfield PC was a British politician and peer. He was made a Privy Councillor and Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms in 1762, holding both honors until death...
supported the two Tories.
Both sides spent extravagantly: Prime Minister Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham was a British Whig statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 27 August 1743 until his death in 1754...
promised £7,000 of government funds towards the Whigs' expenses, while the Tories spent £20,000 (of which £8,000 was raised by public subscription).
Many commemorative objects were produced. A pot inscribed "Wenman & Dashwood Forever. 1755" is in the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
, and one inscribed "I say Wenman & Dashwood, friend. What say you?" is in the Ashmolean Museum
Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum...
. A glass inscribed "Hark Wenman & Dashwood Sr Watn & the old Interest forever." is in the Museum of London
Museum of London
The Museum of London documents the history of London from the Prehistoric to the present day. The museum is located close to the Barbican Centre, as part of the striking Barbican complex of buildings created in the 1960s and 70s as an innovative approach to re-development within a bomb damaged...
.
Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon was an English historian and Member of Parliament...
referred to the election in his "Memoirs Of My Life And Writings", saying:
"A general election was now approaching: the great Oxfordshire contest already blazed with all the malevolence of party-zeal. Magdalen College was devoutly attached to the old interest! and the names of Wenman and Dashwood were more frequently pronounced, than those of Cicero and Chrysostom."
The Calendar (New Style) Act 1750
Calendar (New Style) Act 1750
The Calendar Act 1750 is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain...
was one of the Tory issues in the election. Thomas Parker was the son of George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield
George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield
George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield, FRS was an English peer and astronomer.Styled Viscount Parker from 1721 to 1732, he was Member of Parliament for Wallingford from 1722 to 1727, but his interests were not in politics...
, the astronomer who had chaired the committee stage of the bill in the House of Commons of Great Britain
House of Commons of Great Britain
The House of Commons of Great Britain was the lower house of the Parliament of Great Britain between 1707 and 1801. In 1707, as a result of the Acts of Union of that year, it replaced the House of Commons of England and the third estate of the Parliament of Scotland, as one of the most significant...
. Amongst the lampoons resulting was:
"His [Parker's] fine moving Speeches are nothing but Froth;
Our Time he has alter'd and turn'd it about,
So he like Old Christmas shall too be turned out.
Tho' Lords and great Placemen do with him combine,
'Twill signify nothing when honest Men join;
Drink Wenman and Dashwood, and stand to the Tack,
We want no old Turner nor new Almanack."
The result was declared on 17 April 1754. Wenman and Dashwood were ahead in the count of votes, but the returning officer
Returning Officer
In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...
made a "double return" (declaring both pairs of candidates to be elected, leaving the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
to make the decision), and both sides petitioned against the election of their opponents.
The Commons took months to reach its decision, examining the legitimacy of many of the individual votes; but since MPs almost invariably voted in such cases on partisan lines rather than on the merits of the case, the result was a foregone conclusion - the Commons had a Whig majority, and therefore the two Whig candidates were declared elected on 23 April 1755. As one of the Tories on the Committee, Sir William Meredith
Sir William Meredith, 3rd Baronet
Sir William Meredith, 3rd Baronet was a British politician of the late 18th Century, one of the Rockingham Whigs.Meredith represented Wigan in the House of Commons from 1754 to 1761, and then Liverpool until 1780. From 1765 to 1766, he briefly served as a Lord of the Admiralty...
noted,
Nor, to this hour, can either side tell which had the majority of legal votes, nor any Member of Parliament who voted in that question give any other reason for his vote but as he stood inclined for the old [Tory] or new [Whig] interest of Oxfordshire
- - Sir William Meredith, letter to the Duke of Portland, quoted by Namier & Brooke
Both parties in Oxfordshire were united in their determination to avoid a repetition of such a contest, and managed to reach an amicable compromise before the next general election, the Duke of Marlborough in future to nominate one member and the local Tories the other. Oxfordshire did not see a contested election again until 1826.
Further reading
- R J Robson, The Oxfordshire Election of 1754
- Lewis Namier & John Brooke, The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1754-1790 (London: HMSO, 1964)
- H G Nicholas (ed.), To The Hustings: Election Scenes in English Fiction (London: Cassell & Co., 1956)
- T H B Oldfield, The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland (London: Baldwin, Cradock & Joy, 1816)