What is it about?
The 'Age of Reform' in Westmorland tightened the grip of the Tory Lowther family and crushed incipient democracy; for half a century the effect of a wider franchise and the elimination of rotten boroughs was the elimination of popular participation in politics. But the persistence of nonconformity and owner-occupier farming meant that there remained the potential for a realistic Liberal challenge; Westmorland saw a democratic renaissance in the last two Victorian decades. This paper charts the return of contested elections in the county and explains why they were won and lost.
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Why is it important?
It amplifies/qualifies the arguments of Jon Lawrence and James Vernon in a specific context, and illustrates how a political machine worked. It demonstrates pre-Cannadine aristocratic dominance, and shows the importance of personal factors in the putative process of family decline. It provides insights into the impact of the Victorian local press.
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This page is a summary of: The Domination of Lowtherism and Toryism in Westmorland Parliamentary Elections, 1818–1895, Northern History, September 2008, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1179/174587008x322571.
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