Voting rights in Leicester in 1768

[lininberks]

I'm trying to pin down the year of birth for an ancestor, at the moment I know it is some time in the 1740's.  I have found that he voted in elections in 1768 to elect 2 burgesses to represent Leicester in parliament.

Am I right in assuming that the age to be eligible to vote was 21, which would mean he was born in 1747 or earlier?

What other qualifications were needed to be able to vote.  As far as I can find out he joined the army in 1768/69 and upon leaving was said to be a FWK, so probably not of any wealthy family.

Thanks in advance

Linda

[Maiden Stone]

There were 2 types of M.P.s, county and borough.

There was a property qualification for electors in a county election. A person occupying freehold property worth 40 shillings per annum could vote ("40 shilling freeholders").

Qualifications for voting for a Member of Parliament to represent a borough varied. There was no uniform borough franchise. Some involved a property qualification, some didn't.
"Pot walloper" boroughs - e.g. Northampton - a male householder not claiming poor relief could vote. A study of Northampton Borough electors in Parliamentary election 1768 indicates that some male electors were representing female householders.
"Scot and lot" system.
"Burgage" system.
"Corporation" method.
"Freeman" of a town could vote in another system.
See also "Rotten boroughs" and "Pocket boroughs"
 
 All men over 21 who had been resident for a year in Preston, Lancashire and who weren't paupers or criminals could vote.

"The History of the Parliamentary Franchise" Research Paper 13/14, 1st March 2013, House of Commons Library
https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP13-14/RP13-14.pdf

A voter in England in 1768 was likely to have been an adult male Protestant British subject. It's estimated that approximately 10% of the adult male population had the franchise.
 
1832 Reform Act restricted franchise to men over 21. Sex of a voter wasn't mentioned in previous legislation.   

  As far as I can find out he joined the army in 1768/69 and upon leaving was said to be a FWK, so probably not of any wealthy family.

What is FWK an abbreviation for?

[Mvann]

Framework knitter

[hanes teulu]

William Blackstone in his "Commentaries on the Laws of England. Book the first. By William Blackstone, Esq., Vinerian Professor of Law, and Solicitor General to her Majesty" - published 1766

"... The other less important qualification of the electors for counties in England and Wales may be collected from the statutes cited in the margin (x); which direct 2. That no person under twenty one years of age shall be capable of voting for any member  These extend to all sorts of members, as well for boroughs as counties  ..."

[Maiden Stone]

Leicester was a "Scot and Lot" borough. All male ratepayers could vote.

Article about Leicester Parliamentary Borough at the time with list of elections, candidates & number of votes. Detail about elections in Leicester in 1760s.
"The History of Parliament - British Political, Social & Local History - Constituencies - Leicester"
 https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/constituencies/leicester
Published in "The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790" editors L. Namier, J. Brooke, 1964
Right of Election: in the freemen and householders paying scot and lot
Number of electors: about 2,500
The right of election was confined to the corporation at one point in the 17th century (Corporation borough) and was later extended to freemen and scot & lot payers.
About a third of electors for Leicester Borough lived outside the borough but within the county.

1768 was the last contested election in Leicester until 1784. 2 candidates were eventually returned without an election in 1784. There were no elections 1769-1789. Next contested election was 1790.
https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1790-1820/constituencies/leicester
Number of voters: over 2,500
Population 16,953 (1801 census)

"City of Leicester Parliamentary History 1660-1835" in Victoria County History series, digitised as "British History Online"
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/leics/vol4/pp110-152
Very long article.
The franchise was vested in freemen and scot and lot payers from the first decade of 18th century. The corporation had limited the franchise prior to then.
A source for information in the article is "Historic Rights of Elections" by T. Carew (1755).   


 

[lininberks]

Many thanks for all your answers.  This helps channel my thoughts  that he was born around 1746, and I also think that his father died before 1768 which would mean that he would have his own household and pay taxes.  If I have the correct father that is...

Linda

[Maiden Stone]

 All men over 21 who had been resident for a year in Preston, Lancashire and who weren't paupers or criminals could vote.
   

Preston was an "open" borough. Several of my ancestors moved to the town in 1820s + more later. It was the most radical town in England for a while.