A Great Electioneer and His Motives Reconsidered: The 4th Duke of Newcastle

The fourth duke of Newcastle (1785-1851) is recognised as one of the most prominent peers with electoral influence in early-19 th century Britain. This article considers the way in which he deployed that influence and the purposes to which it was turned. The essay explains why Newcastle became a leading symbol of the campaign for parliamentary reform and details the nature of his opposition to the Bill which eventually became the 'Great' Reform Act of 1832. In some respects, Newcastle was an atypical electioneer, because he was less overtly concerned with the desire for office, patronage or income. On the other hand, the methods by which that influence was deployed, and the anti-reform purposes to which it was turned, meant that he was inevitably numbered amongst the reactionary forces opposing political change in this period