19th-Century Political Cartoons: Explorations in the Collection of the Leeds Library and Information Service

1. 19th-Century Political Cartoons: Explorations in the Collection of the Leeds Library and Information Service Antony Ramm Assistant Librarian-Manager Local and Family History Library

2. Parliamentary Election 1880 – “Blue Pill No.1” “A Would Be M.P.” (Text reads) “Dear good people of Halifax…” 1880 Manchester Election – “Great Was the Victory!”

3. PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN LEEDS: 1868 - 1880 1868 1874 1880

4. 1867 Reform Act • Roughly doubled the electorate from 1-million to 2-million men in England and Wales • Increased number of Leeds’ Parliamentary seats from 2 to 3 1885 Redistribution of Seats Act • Introduced concept of equally populated constituencies • Split Leeds into five constituencies

5. LEEDS ELECTION RESULTS: 1832 - 1865

6. 1868 Leeds Election – “Going to the Poll!” (From left to right) ‘The free and independent Knight taking the lead’ ‘The Neddy: Shamefully burdened’ ‘The Alderman: Sat on his own statistics’ ‘The Barrister: Waiting for a shove’ ‘The Admiral: Trying against wind and tide’

7. 1868 Leeds Election ‘Sir Andrew: “Who! Ho! Mercury, Come you down there Bob. You got up before you were asked.”’

8. 1868 LEEDS ELECTION – “THE POLITICAL SWAY-POLE” (From left to right) Sir Andrew Fairbairn: ‘You’ve no business here Carter!You don’t belong to our set.’ Edward Baines: ‘Oh yes! He has lately been admitted.’

9. 1868 LEEDS ELECTION – “THE LIBERAL BOAT SETTING OUT FOR THE GRAND PARLIAMENTARY REGATTA OF 1868” E.Baines, M.P.-”I should be glad to have you with us, Sir Andrew, but friend Carter was selected first and our boat won’t carry three without swamping.” Sir Andrew Fairbairn, Knt.-”I think there is plenty of room for three; but I don’t care, I’ve entered for the race and shall paddle my own canoe.”

10. 1868 LEEDS ELECTION – “FEARFUL DISASTER AT SEA” Fairbairn: “I wish I had not resigned my former berth.” Duncombe: “All is lost.” (From left to right) Carter: “We are safe.” Baines: “I would take him by the hand, but we both might drown.” Wheelhouse: “I have landed.”

11. 1868 LEEDS ELECTION RESULTS PARTY VOTES WON YEAR ELECTORATE CANDIDATES

12. 1874 LEEDS ELECTION • (From left to right) • F.R. Lees (Liberal) • Edward Baines Jr. (Liberal) • Robert Meek Carter (Liberal) • William St. James Wheelhouse (Conservative) • Robert Tennant (Conservative) Baines. “Pull on Bob, that fellow Lees will have hold of us.” Carter. “Hit him. If he lays hold, let the D---- drown.” Wheelhouse. “If Lees gets hold, we shall win.” Tennant. “Pull on old 6/8 for Westminster and Glory.”

13. 1874 LEEDS ELECTION Jovial Cabby:“Ha! Ha! Guess I whipp’d that ere dog and spile their game, Yah!” Carter: “’Neddy’ down and the Doctor capsized, there is a chance for me yet.” Doctor: “Where am I! – that cursed dog, confound it! I have his tail yet.”

14. 1874 LEEDS ELECTION – “THE PUBLICANS CANDIDATE” & “THE LAST REFUGE OF THE DESTITUTE” ‘RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO MR. WHEELHOUSE WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION’ (From left to right) ‘LEES FOR LEEDS: SELLING OFF - THE STOCK-IN-TRADE OF A STUMP ORATOR’ ‘CARTER FOR LEEDS: LEEDS EXPRESS - ½0’ ‘WHEELHOUSE FOR LEEDS: BLUE PILLS AND CHEAP BEER - ADVICE GRATIS’ ‘TENNANT FOR LEEDS: COALS 5/- PER TON - DEARER AND MORE TOMMOROW’ ‘BAINES FOR LEEDS: CLEARING SALE – GOING IN FOR PROGRESS’

15. 1874 LEEDS ELECTION RESULTS PARTY VOTES WON YEAR ELECTORATE CANDIDATES

16. 1880 LEEDS ELECTION – “THE POLITICAL SWAY POLE” Barran: “I don’t sit at all easy. I have not promised them enough.” Gladstone: “Midlothian, Midlothian, “Sweet Edinbro’, I smell ye noo”Too many cooks have spoilt my broth! I sigh when I think of my own native vales Hawarden.” (From left to right) Wheelhouse: “I’m almost too near the end, Jackson. If we don’t weigh up soon, I’m off.” Tennant: “Steady does it now, we are gaining nearer me – the balance comes this way: De Morgan’s blued them.” De Morgan: “Which way shall it be? Shall I jump off and leave them to it?”

17. 1880 LEEDS ELECTION De Morgan: “If the Liberals will give me a written promise to run me at the next Election, I will promise not to split the Party.” ????: “I am convinced that if he went to the Poll he would have no chance of success & I shall therefore act on the old Proverb of “Kick a man when he is down” and resign my position as Treasurer.” (From left to right) Jackson: “We emphatically declare De Morgan will not have any assistance from our side.” Wheelhouse: “’Poor De Morgan’, very Weakly; perhaps a pill will do him no harm & do us some good.”

18. 1880 LEEDS ELECTION – “DE MORGAN-DEFUNCT” ‘He h-d for some little time been “Weakly”, but eventually died by his own hand.’

19. 1880 LEEDS ELECTION RESULTS PARTY VOTES WON YEAR ELECTORATE CANDIDATES

20. 1868 LEEDS ELECTION – “THE AWFUL ACCIDENT AT CHURCH-EM CROSSING” Mr Beecroft: “Ah! This is what comes of employing new men. If they had not thrown me over, I might have assisted them.” Mr Baines: “Really, this is dreadful.” Mr Carter: “They mean to smash you and I, Mr Baines.-” (From left to right) Driver (Duncombe): “I rather like half-pay, but hang suspension.” Stoker Wheelhouse: “Lend a hand, old friend.” Sir Andrew: “In a moment, William – let me recover my breath. But, oh! William, I did not expect this.”

21. 1868 LEEDS ELECTION – “AWFUL ACCIDENT ON THE LONDON CHEATEM HAND OVER: 2 MEN KILLED” (From left to right) Sir Andrew: “Pull on steam, pitch into ‘em; all the better for me.” Carter: “Oh dear, I’m sorry I attempted it. I wish I’d waited with Andrew and crossed with him.” Baines: “By Jove, I’m in for it. I did think they would have pulled up andlet us pass.” Duncombe: “More coal, more coal, hold fast.” Wheelhouse: “Smash into ‘em. They wouldn’t keep out of the way. They knew we were coming and should have kept off the line.”

22. WHY AM I TELLING YOU ABOUT THIS COLLECTION? • “PORTALS ARE FOR VISITING, PLATFORMS ARE FOR BUILDING ON” - Tim Sherratt (www.nla.gov.au/our-publications/staff-papers/from-portal-to-platform)

23. SOME DEPICTIONS OF THE LEEDS IRISH COMMUNITY: 1868 & 1874 “…[I]’ve a mighty deal on my mind that I can’t express except wid my fist.” (From left to right) “The result of the complete liberty of the masses” “Will ye give us Home Rule?” “Will ye give us 4-hours work & 8-hours pay?” Lees: “I’ll promise you anything you like, only run me in!!!!!”

24. SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY QUESTION TIME • Rob Allen. ‘Foundation Footnote: John De Morgan,’ from: www.victorianfootnotes.net/2011/05/08/foundation-footnote-john-de-morgan (2011) • Steven Burt and Kevin Grady. The Illustrated History of Leeds (2002) • Malcolm Chase. Chartism: A New History (2007) • F.W.S. Craig. British Parliamentary Election Results: 1832-1885 (1977) • Karen Downham. Leeds Political Cartoons: Folder of Biographical Material to Support the Library Collection (2012) • Derek Fraser ed. A History of Modern Leeds(1980) • Matthew Roberts. ‘Out of Chartism, Into Liberalism? Popular Radicals and the Liberal Party in Mid-Victorian Britain,’ from www.liberalhistory.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/67_Roberts_Out_of_Chartism_into_Liberalism.pdf • David Thornton. Leeds: A Historical Dictionary of People, Places and Events(2013)