Tom Lefroy Quote Week 39

The House of the Commons during Regency Era

It’s almost presidential election day in my country, and many people are in the election-frenzy (or busy ignoring it altogether). I opened the Memoir of Chief Justice Lefroy randomly just now, trying to find a quote (we have been abandoning the site for a while). And the one that I found made me smirk because election is always a frenzy to report, even back then in 1841...

Page 135

To his wife

Longford, 16^th July 1841

We pulled up to-day considerably, but still are beaten by a large majority, owing to the Roman Catholics, who promised to vote for us or stay away, being brought up by the priests in spite of their wishes and polled against A___, as well as from the number of Protestants who were deterred from leaving their houses, by the violence and intimidation of the Priests’ mobs. Thank God, we have had a comparatively quite time with this town, owing to the providential circumstance of having a good High Sheriff, and an effective military force, as well as police.

.... The election is virtually over, but the Members can’t be declared until to-morrow evening. Henry White has left this, and comparatively few have been in the town to-day. The poll as just announced is: for Henry White, 613; for Luke White, 614; plumpers for Lefroy, 480. On the whole, we have made a very noble fight, and we expect a few more plumpers to-morrrow.

Interesting....