1812 election document from the Enoch Wood scrapbook - "An atrocious outrage..."
In 1812, two candidates - Walhouse and Wrottesley - were fighting for the votes of Stoke-on-Trent's electors.
"Sir John Wrottesley has withdrawn from the contest and left the party in the lurch."
Wrottesley ...
1812 election notice - document from the Enoch Wood scrapbook
In the 1812 election contest between John Wrottesley and Edward John Walhouse, one of the key issues was manufacturing.
"The Interests of my native County"
In this notice, Staffordshire gentleman ...
1812 election notice from the Enoch Wood scrapbook - "An honest Ned..."
In May 1812, a two-horse race was underway to see who would become Staffordshire's next Member of Parliament.
Walhouse vs. Wrottesley
This notice favours the Tory candidate, Mr. Walhouse, at the ...
1812 election notice from the Enoch Wood scrapbook - "Brother Freeholders..."
In the early 19th century, one factor alone decided whether or not men could vote - while women were denied completely:
You had to own or be a tenant of freehold property worth at least 40 shillings.
Although ...
1812 election notice from the Enoch Wood scrapbook - "The fate of the community..."
In the 1800s, an election would be among the biggest local attractions of the year.
The main event
Thousands would flock to hear the candidates' outdoor speeches, where they could find singing, ...
1812 election notice from the Enoch Wood scrapbook - "Violence and Outrage"
Election time
In 1812, election time was a very different spectacle compared to the media circus of today.
Mass rallies were the best way for candidates to make their voices heard. Thousands of ...
1831 election notice from the Enoch Wood scrapbook - "Coming to the Scratch!"
In 1831, former Member of Parliament for Coventry Richard Edensor Heathcote, was battling to become MP for Stoke-on-Trent.
Heathcote was a Longton-born Liberal politician who was keen to secure equal ...
1831 election notice from the Enoch Wood scrapbook - "Perfect neutrality!"
At the 1831 elections, few men's opinions seemed to count for as much as those of Josiah Wedgwood II.
Taking sides
During 1831, Wedgwood was rumoured to be siding with Richard Edensor Heathcote, ...
1832 Reform Act - A notice on "Pottery Representation" from the Enoch Wood scrapbook
The 1832 Reform Act allowed more of Stoke-on-Trent's citizens to exercise a vote at elections - and when this notice was issued, the new Act was about to come into force.
How many people could vote?
Looking ...
1836 election document from the Enoch Wood scrapbook - "Beware of the Destructives"
This notice calls upon the electors of Stoke-on-Trent not to promise their votes to any aspiring Member of Parliament just yet.
Who should they vote for?
The author urges them to wait until they ...
Arthur Scargill at a miner's strike demonstration, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent 1984.
Arthur Scargill was President of the National Union of Mineworkers during the 1984 - 1985 miner's strike and became a household name. He attended rallys and demonstrations throughout the country including ...
Article from the Public Enquirer, taken from the Enoch Wood scrapbook - "The Wellington Quick-Step to Anarchy"
Moderate readers of the Public Inquirer on Saturday April 23 1829 might have choked on this partisan account of the movement for Catholics' civil rights in Britain.
Thomas Mulock's rage
The author ...
Britannia's Address to her Fair Daughters - a radical call to women from the Enoch Wood scrapbook
Love of country is not sexual; in every age, in every country, it has warmed and animated the female breast...
In the early 19th century, women were among the most forward-thinking political activists ...
Call for a meeting on the Reform Bill - Document from the Enoch Wood scrapbook
In 1831, democracy was the new word on everybody's lips.
The proposed Reform Bill was one of the hottest topics of the day - and promised to be a milestone in giving a meaningful vote to a greater ...
Cheshiremen! - A pro-reform election notice from the Enoch Wood scrapbook
At election time, tiresome political 'spin' is nothing new. Even in 1831, election candidates accused each other of the same, urging attention to facts only:
Be on your guard - attend only to facts, ...
Coal Strike, March 1912. Coal Pickers at Florence Colliery, Longton, Stoke-On-Trent. Photographed by William Blake.
View of Florence Colliery, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
People scavenge for bits of coal during the coal strike of 1912.
Named after the Duke of Sutherland's daughter, the pit was opened ...
Document from the Enoch Wood scrapbook - "Englishmen! Answer These Plain Questions."
One of the most keenly contested issues of the early 1830s was the proposed Reform Act.
The Reform Act
The politician Earl Grey wanted to re-jig the parliamentary system to make sure that growing ...
Document from the Enoch Wood scrapbook - For bringing about a General Peace
Terminating a war fatal to the true interests of our country
In 1813 Great Britain was in the midst of war with France and the US.
The effects on trade were catastrophic. The workers and manufacturers ...