Oct
1812
Bath
Uncontested
GENERAL ELECTION
In the general election of Oct 1812, 22 people voted. There were 2 candidates, with Charles Palmer & John Thynne elected.
Poll book data from:
Holding: Bath RO
Citation: BC/2/1/1/13
Source: Bath Record Office Council Minute Books
Timeline & Key Statistics
Contexts & Remarks
- Date: Wednesday 7 Oct. 1812.
- Poll Book Reference: Bath RO, BC/2/1/1/13.
- In 1812, Lord John Thynne (a Tory) and Charles Palmer (a Whig, associated with the 'Independent' citizens of Bath) were returned without opposition. A wealthy freeman, John Allen, attempted to reignite the dispute about Bath's franchise by claiming the right to vote lay with the freemen, leading to riots. He and his running mate, Samuel Colleton Graves, unsuccessfully submitted a petition to the House of Commons on these grounds. The famous radical speaker Henry 'Orator' Hunt was highly sceptical about their motives, but did organise a petition of universal suffrage from the city in 1817.
Cultural Artefacts
Poll Book
Below is a digitised version of the poll book for this election:
