1847 United Kingdom general election

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox election Template:UK general election navigation The 1847 United Kingdom general election was held from 29 July to 26 August 1847. It saw the Conservatives win the most seats but remain divided between Protectionists and Peelites. This allowed the Whigs, led by Prime Minister Lord John Russell, to retain power.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The general election was held amid the Great Irish famine.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Irish Repeal group won more seats than in the previous general election, while the Chartists gained the only seat they were ever to hold, Nottingham's second seat, held by Chartist leader Feargus O'Connor.

The election also witnessed the election of Britain's first Jewish MP, the Liberal Lionel de Rothschild in the City of London. Members being sworn in were however required to swear the Christian Oath of Allegiance, meaning Rothschild was unable actually to take his seat until the passage of the Jews Relief Act in 1858. The constituency of Sudbury, which elected two members, was disfranchised for this election. This accounts there being two fewer seats in the House of Commons as compared to the previous election, though no redistribution took place.

Results

File:1847 UK parliament.svg

Template:Election summary begin Template:Election summary party Template:Election summary party Template:Election summary party Template:Election summary party Template:Election summary party |}

{{#invoke:Hatnote|hatnote}}

Regional results

Great Britain

Party		Candidates	Unopposed	Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
Template:Party name with colour & Liberal Conservatives	373	180	285		194,223	43.1
Template:Party name with colour	360	125	267		253,376	56.2
Template:Party name with colour	9	0	1	+1	2,848	0.6
Total		742	305	553	Template:Same position	450,447	100

England

Party		Candidates	Unopposed	Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
Template:Party name with colour & Liberal Conservatives	319	149	239		170,407	42.1
Template:Party name with colour	297	92	222		230,656	57.2
Template:Party name with colour	9	0	1	+1	2,848	0.7
Total		625	241	462	Template:Same position	403,911	100

Scotland

Party		Candidates	Unopposed	Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
Template:Party name with colour	48	21	33	+2	20,092	81.7	+20.9
Template:Party name with colour & Liberal Conservatives	23	16	20	−2	3,509	18.3	−20.0
Total		71	37	53	Template:Same position	23,601	100

Wales

Party		Candidates	Unopposed	Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
Template:Party name with colour & Liberal Conservatives	22	15	20		11,114	89.5
Template:Party name with colour	13	12	12		1,394	10.5
Total		35	27	32	Template:Same position	12,508	100

Ireland

Party		Candidates	Unopposed	Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
Template:Party name with colour	38	24	29	−1	10,294	31.0	−6.1
Template:Party name with colour	11	9	11		964	3.0
Template:Party name with colour	51	18	36		14,128	43.6
Template:Party name with colour	33	11	25		5,935	20.2
Template:Party name with colour	3	0	2		629	2.0
Template:Party name with colour	1	0	0		32	0.2
Total		137	62	103		31,982	100

Universities

Party		Candidates	Unopposed	Seats	Seats change	Votes	%	% change
Template:Party name with colour & Liberal Conservatives	9	0	6	Template:Same position	9,193	88.2
Template:Party name with colour	2	0	0	Template:Same position	1,234	11.8
Total		11	0	6	Template:Same position	10,427	100

Further reading

• Template:Citation
• Template:Citation

External links

• Spartacus: Political Parties and Election Results