Old Political System Flashcards
What is patronage?
The buying or acquisition of MPs seats in Parliament by wealthy landowners
What percentage of MPs were financed by Lords in 1801?
50%
How many different types of electoral systems were there in the borough?
6
What was a pot walloper borough?
A hearth big enough to boil a pot on to be able to vote
What was a pocket borough?
A borough where the MP was in the pocket of the landowner/lord (patronage) small borough easily manipulated by land owner
Why was Old Sarum a problem?
Only 7 voters but 2 MPs/pocket borough
Why was Dunwich a rotten borough?
East Anglia former borough fallen into sea and therefore minimal voters
What was a Scot and Lot borough?
Vote to all male householders who paid local rates e.g. Westminster over 5000 voters but Gatton only had 6
Name one example of a Scot and Lot borough
Westminster with 5000 voters
Which northern industrial town had a population of 250,000 people but no MP?
Manchester
Why were Catholics unhappy with the electoral system in Ireland?
Restrictions on Catholics voting rights, you couldn’t be an MP if you were Catholic
When was the Catholic Emancipation?
1829
How many MPs did a county return to Parliament?
2
What could a 40 shilling freeholder in a county do?
Have the right to vote in a county
What percentage of the population of Britain could vote in 1800?
11%
