British general election, 1747
Encyclopedia
The British general election, 1747 returned members to serve in the House of Commons
of the 10th Parliament of Great Britain
to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England
and the Parliament of Scotland
in 1707. The election saw Henry Pelham
's Whig government increase its majority and the Tories continue their decline. By 1747, thirty years of Whig oligarchy and systematic corruption had weakened party ties substantially; despite the fact that Walpole, the main reason for the split that led to the creation of the Patriot Whig faction, had resigned, there will still almost as many Whigs in opposition to the ministry as there were Tories, and the real struggle for power was between various feuding factions of Whig aristocrats rather than the old parties. The Tories had become an irrelevant group of country gentlemen who had resigned themselves to permanent opposition.
for details. The constituencies used were the same throughout the existence of the Parliament of Great Britain.
At this period elections did not take place at the same time in every constituency. The returning officer in each county or parliamentary borough
fixed the precise date (see hustings for details of the conduct of the elections).
House of Commons of Great Britain
The House of Commons of Great Britain was the lower house of the Parliament of Great Britain between 1707 and 1801. In 1707, as a result of the Acts of Union of that year, it replaced the House of Commons of England and the third estate of the Parliament of Scotland, as one of the most significant...
of the 10th Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
and the Parliament of Scotland
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
in 1707. The election saw Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham was a British Whig statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 27 August 1743 until his death in 1754...
's Whig government increase its majority and the Tories continue their decline. By 1747, thirty years of Whig oligarchy and systematic corruption had weakened party ties substantially; despite the fact that Walpole, the main reason for the split that led to the creation of the Patriot Whig faction, had resigned, there will still almost as many Whigs in opposition to the ministry as there were Tories, and the real struggle for power was between various feuding factions of Whig aristocrats rather than the old parties. The Tories had become an irrelevant group of country gentlemen who had resigned themselves to permanent opposition.
Summary of the Constituencies
See British general election, 1796British general election, 1796
The British general election, 1796 returned members to serve in the 18th and last House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain to be held before the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 January 1801...
for details. The constituencies used were the same throughout the existence of the Parliament of Great Britain.
Dates of Election
The general election was held between 26 June 1747 and 4 August 1747.At this period elections did not take place at the same time in every constituency. The returning officer in each county or parliamentary borough
Parliamentary borough
Parliamentary boroughs are a type of administrative division, usually covering urban areas, that are entitled to representation in a Parliament...
fixed the precise date (see hustings for details of the conduct of the elections).
See also
- List of Parliaments of Great Britain
- MPs elected in the British general election, 1747