Mar

1820

Newcastle upon Tyne

Contested

GENERAL ELECTION

In the general election of Mar 1820, 729 people voted. There were 3 candidates, with Cuthbert Ellison & Matthew White Ridley elected.

Poll book data from:
Citation: The poll at the election… (Newcastle: George Angus for Emerson Charnlet, 1820)
Source: John Sims (ed.), A Handlist of British Parliamentary Poll Books (Leicester, 1984); Jeremy Gibson and Colin Rogers (eds.), Poll Books, 1696–1872: A Directory of Holdings in Great Britain (4th edn., Bury, 2008).

Timeline & Key Statistics

Contexts & Remarks

Dates: Wednesday 10 Mar.-Thursday 11 Mar. 1820.

Poll book reference: The poll at the election... (Newcastle: George Angus for Emerson Charnlet, 1820).

The poll book is prefaced by a narrative of the contest.

The election was triggered by the death of George III in 1820.

Candidates: Sir Matthew White Ridley (Whig); Cuthbert Ellison (Independent Tory); and Hon. William Scott (Tory).

Sir Matthew White Ridley (3rd Baronet), was the son of the 2nd Baronet of the same name who served as MP for Newcastle for 38 years, from 1774 to 1812. The 3rd Baronet, a wealthy landowner who owned 30,000 acres, had been elected to replace his father in 1812. Ridley canvassed in person during the campaign, spending £1,501, and running on a platform of parliamentary reform, religious freedom, and repealing the duties on coal.

Cuthbert Ellison had been elected to represent Newcastle in 1812 alongside Ridley. He was a patron of Sir Humphry Davy and John Budde, and actively involved in Newcastle's coal mining industry. Opposition to his candidacy arose due to his absences from office due to ill health and the failure of the Newcastle-Carlisle canal scheme. He ran in absentia in 1820, with his brother, Robert Ellison, standing in his place. He represented the interests of shipping and incorporated companies in Newcastle.

William Scott was the nephew of the Lord Chancellor, John Scott, Baron Eldon. Scott also ran in absentia.

Ridley and Ellison were returned for the borough. According to William Peters, 'There is no question but that if the contest between [... Ridley and Scott] had continued a day or two longer, certain of the freeholders or free suitors (not being free burgesses) would have tendered themselves to have voted for some or other of the candidates, and it would then have been seen what would have been done, and what would have followed on the occasion' (BL Add. Ms 40386, ff.215-18). Following the election, Ridley and Ellison's supporters dined together at the Turk's Head public house, and the freemen were given the usual 10s. compliment.