Charles Graffius (our Archivist) has been adding our ‘green boxes’ onto the Axiell catalogue. This particular box called ‘Whitby Town History’ features a photocopy of a Poll Book from the 1869 election. This got me thinking…if we have a photocopy, do we have the original document…and yes, we do!
So, what is interesting about this document? Here is the history bit…
Before the Ballot Act of 1870, which introduced the secret ballot we all know today – casting your vote by writing an ‘x’ next to the candidate’s name, all voting was done in public. In order to cast your vote (assuming you qualified for a vote under the laws of the day!) you had to sign your name in a book, under the name of the candidate you were voting for. The justification for this was that casting your vote was something you should be proud of, something you should want to show off, and that there was something ‘un-British’ (even nefarious) about wanting to vote in secret.
As you can imagine though, looking back from after the introduction of the secret ballot, there were all kinds of problems with using a system like this.
It’s very easy to think that political violence is something new, of course it isn’t. Imagine living in a system where who you voted for was a matter of public record and easily accessible by anybody else in your community, including the people who voted for the other side, including the people the other side isn’t particularly proud of who might decide that it was a good idea to turn up at your front door and let you know how unhappy they were in person. The secret ballot brought in by the act of 1870 helped to end that sort of violence, and was an important step forwards in British political history.
(History by Charles Graffius)
William Henry Gladstone, Liberal MP of Whitby was William Ewart Gladstone’s son, former Prime Minister from 1868 to 1894. In the 1869 election the Liberal’s won by a majority of 183, therefore Gladstone would be representing the Borough of Whitby in Parliament. The Whitby Gazette has an article that gives a running commentary on the day of the election, the result and the after party events:
“The declaration was received with immense cheering by the Liberals, and derisive cheers from the other side. The indentures, having been signed.” Whitby Gazette Nov 20th 1869 Page 4
Pictured (L) William Henry Gladstone and (R) William Ewart Gladstone.
Reading on in the article this is what he had to say about his victory…which makes interesting reading!
“Electors of Whitby, – You have heard the Returning Officer declare that I am your elected member by a majority of 183 votes. (Cheers and interruption) … a majority amply sufficient to show that the heart of Whitby is still true blue (great cheering) and that you will never again consent to elect a Conservative candidate. (Applause and interruption) This is the second time within one year that the Conservative candidate has met with humiliation and defeat. (Great interruption) …Let us in the future stand shoulder to shoulder and never again allow a Tory candidate to get ahead for one moment in this borough…”
Here are a few more images of the inside of the Poll Book.
Access to the Whitby Gazette digital records is available in the library Tuesday to Friday 10am-4pm.
By Claire Marris (Archive Development Officer) and Charles Graffius (Archivist)
#archivesforall
