Catalog Record
64 N974 826
Acquired October 2022
A collection of material relating to the elections for the two Oxford borough and two Oxfordshire county seats in the early nineteenth century, largely focusing on the 1812 General Election, where John Atkyns-Wright, John Ingram Lockhart, Francis Almeric Spencer and John Fane were, respectively, duly elected as Members of Parliament. In addition to the relatively official and perfunctory handbills and posters, addressed to ‘Freemen of the City of Oxford’ that necessarily accompanied Georgian elections, this volume also highlights the cut and thrust of campaigning. Numerous mock wanted or lost notices (for example ‘Wanted, An Upper Servant, a steady Man, to serve in an honourable House’, mocking Francis Almeric Spencer as a Marlborough man), squibs, songsters (often to the tune of the then popular ‘Derry-Down’) and verses.
Quarto 64 Ox3 800
Acquired July 2022
64 N849 818
Acquired November 2020
File 646 796 At861+
Acquired July 2020
64 L221 820
Acquired August 2019
A caricature on the prevalence of bribery during elections, most probably that of 1826. The successful liberal candidate stands on a platform before a cheering crowd and people waving from the windows of adjoining building. In the ‘Committee Room’ behind him, an official pays a man holding a sign inscribed ‘No bribery or corruption’ with the word ‘and’ between bribery and corruption scored through. On the right is an armchair and behind it stand two large flags; two flowers on the chair match the flower on the lapel of the candidate.
Drawings L265 no. 2 Box D205
Acquired March 2019
A caricature on the prevalence of bribery during elections, most probably that of 1826. The distraught rejected candidate, shown full-length and facing left is red in the face and pulling at his hair. His election placard lies on the floor and two notes are visible on the mantelpiece above a grill with fireplace tools: ‘Tavern expenses 500’ and ‘Bringing voters from London 800’. Through the window on the right, with flags flying, a cheering crowd carries the successful candidate in a chair above their heads.
Drawings L265 no. 1 Box D205
Acquired March 2019
An advertisement for Sir William Heathcote and William Chute in the Hampshire election of 1790.
File 63 790 L911+
Acquired October 2017
42 P771 784
Acquired September 2016
Print shows on the left, a statue of Justice in a niche beneath which a candidate, doffing his hat, offers a purse of money to a voter who replies, “Twill scarce pay, make it twenty more”, beside them a gentleman points to the statue saying “Regard Justice” to another carrying a bundle on his shoulder who replies, “We fell out, I lost money by her”. In the centre, in front of a large crowd are two candidates, both waving their hats, slip coins into two of the many pockets of a voter’s coat; one candidate says, “Sell not your Country” and the voter replies, “No Bribery but Pocketts are free”. Further to the right another candidate, saying “Accept this small acknowledgment”, offers a purse to a gentleman who grovels on the ground for coins that have been thrown down by the prevailing candidate, from his position on a chair supported by poles on the shoulders of four men. On the right, a statue of Folly in a niche empties bags of coins; before the statue is an altar on which a fire burns, a candidate kneels at its base imploring, “Help me Folly or my Cause is lost”; to the left of the altar, is a butcher crying “See here, see here” and to the right, a classical philosopher, saying “Let not thy right hand know what thy left does”, puts his hand behind him to received a bribe from a young man. Beyond is a tavern outside the landlord, wearing horns, calls out “He kist my Wife he has my Vote”; outside the tavern hangs the sign of a bottle with a large globe attached.
Catalog Record & Digital Collection
727.00.00.02
Acquired July 2013