Pre Reform Act 1832 Electoral System Flashcards
What is patronage?
The buying or acquisition of MPs seats in parliament by wealthy landowners.
What % of MPs were financed by Lords in 1801?
50%
How many different types of electoral systems were there in the boroughs?
6.
What was a potwolloper borough?
A hearth big enough to boil a pot on to be able to vote.
What was a pocket 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 the sea and therefore minimal voters.
What was a Scot and Lot borough?
Vote to all male householders who paid local rates.
Eg. Westminster over 5000 voters but Gatton only had 6.
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 act?
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 % of the population of Britain could vote in 1800?
11%
Who could sit in the House of Lords?
Hereditary peers often wealthy landowners.
How many county constituencies were there?
40 counties.
How many borough constituencies were there?
203.
What fraction of MPs represented constituencies in the south of England?
2/3 .
