In Plymouth, at the beginning of the 19th century, there were little more than two or three hundred ‘freemen’ who were empowered to vote.
The passing of the 1832 Act meant that virtually any man occupying a house worth £10 a year rent, whether freehold or leasehold, had the vote. There were great celebrations, however it still only meant that Plymouth had less than 1,500 voters out of a population of some 30,000 (one in 20). Furthermore, it was to be another 34 years before voters could vote privately, by secret ballot, and in the meantime voting went on as it had long done, at public meetings like these, conducted outside the Theatre Royal.
Plymouth had been sending representatives to Parliament since at least 1298, but for over 500 years here, as elsewhere in the country, the right of election was in the hands of a very few men. Sometimes the matter was determined by the mayor and corporation on their own, sometimes by the freemen, either with or without the corporate body. There were four kinds of freemen; honorary, hereditary, apprenticed and purchased.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Van Gogh oil protest pair are jailed
TWO Just Stop Oil activists have been jailed for pouring soup over Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, after they came close to “destroying” the masterpiece.
Whittaker is wanted but happy to remain a Pilgrim
ARGYLE FORWARD HAS ASPIRATIONS TO PLAY HIGHER, BUT NOT JUST YET
How Argyle played a role in Merson taking Walsall job
EX-FOOTBALLER turned Strictly Come Dancing star Paul Merson made his name winning trophies with Arsenal and starring for England in the 1990s - but his ill-fated career as a manager proved less successful.
Coming home to an Albion win cured my holiday blues!
THANK goodness for that, we are finally back to enjoying the sweet taste of a home win, after sneaking a victory over Leicester Lions last weekend at the Brickfields Fortress.
Dame Maggie dies, aged 89
OSCAR-WINNING actress Dame Maggie Smith has died, aged 89.
Guitarist denies fatal crash charge
GUITARIST Josh Klinghoffer, a former Red Hot Chili Peppers member who has also played with Pearl Jam, has pleaded not guilty through his lawyer to a misdemeanour manslaughter charge over the death of a pedestrian.
Mary's magic will sweep you away!
THE cast has been announced for Disney’s Mary Poppins ahead of its arrival in Plymouth early next year.
Pension claims are up
PENSION credit claims have hit almost 75,000 amid Government efforts to boost benefits take-up.
Danger of Lebanon crisis 'escalating much wider'
THE continuing tensions between Israel and the militant Lebanese Hezbollah group present a risk of spiralling out of control, the UK Defence Secretary has said.
Diamond days after struggle
AFRICAN ADVENTURE ‘THE PERFECT TONIC'