Print and Politics in the East Midlands Constituencies c.1790-1832 Hannah Nicholson Thesis submitted to the University of Nottingham for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy September 2018 Abstract This thesis is an examination of printed political ephemera, produced and distributed during election canvasses between 1790 and 1832. Previous studies have highlighted the popular, public nature of election rituals during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, although, to date, few have fully appreciated the level and range of printed literature produced during the course of canvassing. This thesis uses a broad range of printed and manuscript evidence including political ephemera, local newspapers, election receipts, and correspondences from borough and county elections, highlighting the level of work which went into orchestrating a canvass in the unreformed era, especially by candidates, their political agents, and printers. The focus of this study is the borough and county constituencies of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Nottinghamshire, with particular emphasis on borough elections. Between 1790 and 1832, this region, along with the rest of the country, underwent profound social and political change, and so this thesis not only acts as an important test case for the operation of local political culture nationally, but also represents the first comprehensive study of printed electoral culture for the region. The central premise of this thesis is fourfold. Firstly, it aims to reinstate the importance of printed canvasses to the study of political culture and electoral politics, which have often been seen as secondary to the local press. Secondly, it argues that, such was the fast paced nature of elections and electioneering that, in comparison to provincial newspapers, handbills, broadsides, songs and i ballads offered a much more versatile form of communication between candidates and voters. This thesis also re-examines the assumption that, for much of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, local elections were dominated by local concerns and personalities. Finally, this thesis considers the audience, reach, and reception of election canvasses, arguing that, although printed canvasses were not always designed with non-voters in mind, the public nature of print and other election rituals meant that they were much more inclusive than initially appears. ii Acknowledgements My first thanks go to my supervisors Professor John Beckett and Dr Richard Gaunt for the help and guidance they have given me throughout my PhD, as well as for reading and commenting on numerous draft chapters of my thesis. I am grateful to the Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire, Midland History, as well as the History Department and the School of Humanities at the University of Nottingham for various research and travel grants. I would also like to thank the staff of the archive offices and libraries I have visited during my research for their assistance. I am also grateful to Dr Philip Salmon for allowing me access to unpublished draft articles from the forthcoming The History of Parliament Online: The House of Commons, 1832-68. Thanks must also go to friends I have made at the University of Nottingham, in particular my fellow doctoral students Emma Vosper and Alex Henry, whose friendship, support, and encouragement have made the past four years much more enjoyable than they might otherwise have been. Finally, I would like to thank my parents, Ed and Viv, for their endless patience, love, and support. They have listened to more than their fair share about early nineteenth-century political culture, even when I am sure they would have preferred to hear about any other topic. I must also thank my late grandmother Jean Nicholson without whose initial encouragement, enthusiasm, and financial support this project would not have been possible. iii Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements....................................................................................................... iii List of abbreviations ..................................................................................................... vi List of tables ............................................................................................................... viii List of figures ................................................................................................................ ix Chapter One: Introduction ......................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 Context ....................................................................................................................... 3 East Midlands ............................................................................................................. 8 Print .......................................................................................................................... 12 Politics ...................................................................................................................... 20 Sources and Methodology ........................................................................................ 29 Newspapers .......................................................................................................... 29 Election Ephemera ............................................................................................... 32 Election Expenses and Correspondences ............................................................. 35 Thesis Outline .......................................................................................................... 36 Chapter Two: Print, Production, and Distribution ............................................... 39 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 39 Handbills, Broadsheets, and Broadsides .................................................................. 42 Songs and Ballads .................................................................................................... 54 Mock Playbills and Advertisements ......................................................................... 67 Production and Distribution of Print ........................................................................ 82 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 96 Chapter Three: Newspapers ................................................................................... 102 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 102 Production and Distribution of Newspapers .......................................................... 106 Development and Role of the Provincial Press ...................................................... 120 Politics of the Press ................................................................................................ 134 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 146 iv Chapter Four: Local and National Issues .............................................................. 148 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 148 Local Bills .............................................................................................................. 157 War and Economic Hardship ................................................................................. 164 Corn Laws .............................................................................................................. 181 Catholic Emancipation ........................................................................................... 191 Parliamentary Reform ............................................................................................ 211 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 222 Chapter Five: Audience of Print ........................................................................... 227 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 227 Intended Audience ................................................................................................. 231 Actual Audience ..................................................................................................... 263 Impact of Print ....................................................................................................... 282 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 292 Chapter Six: Conclusion ......................................................................................... 295 Appendix: Election Results from East Midlands Constituencies 1790-1832 ...... 308 Bibliography ............................................................................................................. 321 v List of abbreviations CJ Commons Journal DC Derbyshire Courier and Chesterfield Gazette DCR Derby and Chesterfield Reporter DH Derby Herald DLSL Derby Local Studies Library