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Banners and bands

Last week's Looking Back gave the background to William Ewart Gladstone's selection as a parliamentary candidate for one of the Newark seats in the election of 1832.

This week's article looks at his campaign which was run from headquarters in rooms at the Clinton Arms hotel in the Market Place.

On the morning after his arrival in Newark Gladstone recalled in his A visit to Newark 1832 that: "I was introduced to Mr Godfrey and Mr Tallents (his agents).

bout nine the band played under the windows and Mr Godfrey introduced me to an assemblage of perhaps 400 or 500 persons to whom I addressed some sentences which just sufficed for the purpose."

After breakfast he continues: "I was immediately launched upon the canvass well supplied with directions to shake hands with everybody whether they wanted to or no and to kiss all the daughters.

This latter was for me a rather novel occupation." Indeed Gladstone found the women of Newark keenly interested in politics even though they could not vote.

While many were interested in what he had to say with others his reception was decidedly frosty.

"One saucy body " he recalled "shut the door and lowered at us from an upper window. Another tore my card and flung the pieces at my feet: a third on hearing 'Well ma'am shall we have a vote here?'

I wouldn't give you one to save your life if I'd a hundred." But there were also many high points in the campaign with all three candidates - Gladstone Handley and Wilde - rallying their supporters by means of frequent meetings much drinking of beer (paid for by the candidates) and elaborate processions with music and banners around the town.

One of Gladstone's election banners from 1832 is still preserved in Newark Museum.

His recollection of just one day's canvassing recalls much of the atmosphere of the time: "We started the canvass at eight in the morning and worked at it for about nine hours with a great crowd band and flags and innumerable glasses of beer and wine all jumbled together; then a dinner of 30 or 40 with speeches and songs until say 10 o'clock; then we always played a rubber of whist and about 12 or 1 got to bed but not to sleep."

On the official nomination day (December 11 1832 speeches from each of the three candidates in the Market Place (punctuated by much heckling) went on for seven hours.

Gladstone being the most junior candidate was obliged to speak last and indeed failed to get through his planned text because the crowd tired and bored after so many hours on their feet began "hissing and hooting" to drown his voice.

He was eventually obliged to retake his seat his speech unfinished. Polling took place over the following two days and at the close a great crowd of onlookers assembled in the Market Place as the bands and banners of all three candidates were lined up near the Town Hall.

Scuffles broke out among rival supporters and Mr Handley's banners were seized and torn to shreds. Boisterous incidents such as this continued to the very last with Gladstone himself noting: "After the close of the poll (on the first day) and in pitch dark I spoke to a friendly crowd out of the windows of my sitting room in the Clinton Arms.

"A man on the outer line of the crowd flung at me a stone nearly the size of an egg which entered the window within a foot of my head.

He was seen and laid hold on. I understood at the time that he arranged the matter (i.e. redeemed himself) by voting for me the next day."

The final result reflected the hard work (and money) that Gladstone (and the Duke of Newcastle) had put into the campaign.

Wilde 719 votes Handley 793 and Gladstone 882. Gladstone and Handley therefore - the two candidates supported by the town's largest property owners - duly took their seats in the House of Commons and in the case of Gladstone at least the rest (as they say) is history...

In compiling this article I am indebted to Mr Peter O'Malley of Southwell for his help and advice. Extracts from Gladstone's Visit to Newark 1832 are quoted by permission of the British Library.

ABOVE: William Ewart Gladstone (1809-98) as he appeared in later life. This picture showing Gladstone in the House of Commons was published 100 years ago on the occasion of his death.

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