ELECTIONEERING

A supporter of William Pitt, and later of the Liverpool ministry, Blackburne was regarded as an assiduous - if lacklustre and increasingly eccentric - country member. The present collection provides a valuable insight into the network of mercantile figures (e.g. cotton magnate Henry Sudell) and members of the local gentry (Sir Nicholas Ashton, Sir Henry Philip Hoghton) required to return Blackburn to parliament at a particularly difficult election, with reports and advice coming from various quarters.

The poster, in the mixture of typeface and font size characteristic of the period, is 31 x 25 cm, and headed: 'TO THE | Gentlemen, | CLERGY, | AND | FREEHOLDERS | OF THE | County Palatine of Lancaster.' Signed and dated in type at foot: 'JOHN BLACKBURNE. | HALE, | November 12th, 1829. Printed on one side of a piece of wove paper, and with one central horizontal fold.

1p., 4to. Worn and aged. The item has been laid down and cropped to 23 x 19.5cm, with only the top part of Langston's surname is present at the bottom of the leaf. In heavily-inked type. The item reads: 'FREEMEN | OF THE | City of Oxford. | Gentlemen, | I want words to express my acknowledgements to you for your generous conduct towards me this day; and I am proud to find, that the longer the Contest continues the better I stand on the Poll.

Both items printed on one side of a piece of cheap wove paper. Both items aged and lightly creased, but with text clear and entire. Item One (23 x 12.5 cm): Headed 'Sudbury Election.