CCEA A-Level History 4010
England 1509–58AS Unit 1
England 1603–49AS Unit 1
Britain in the Age of Reform 1830–80AS Unit 1
Italy and Germany 1815–71AS Unit 1
Germany 1919–45AS Unit 1
Spain and Europe 1556–98AS Unit 2
The Ascendancy of France in Europe 1660–1714AS Unit 2
Ireland 1823–67AS Unit 2
France 1815–70AS Unit 2
Russia 1914–41AS Unit 2
Italy's Quest for Great Power Status 1871–1943AS Unit 2
Crown and Parliament in England 1625–1714A2 Unit 1
Ireland Under the Union 1800–1900A2 Unit 1
The Causes and Consequences of Great Power Conflict 1848–1945A2 Unit 1
The American Presidency 1901–2000A2 Unit 1
Clash of Ideologies in Europe 1900–2000A2 Unit 1
England 1558–1603A2 Unit 2
Ireland 1685–1714A2 Unit 2
Ireland 1778–1803A2 Unit 2
Partition of Ireland 1900–25A2 Unit 2
Britain in the Age of Reform 1830–80
The case for and against parliamentary reform
- 3 things to know
- AS Unit 1
Overview
Rotten borough, pocket borough and open voting.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Why did the growth of industrial towns strengthen the case for reform?
Why did borough franchises vary so widely?
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What was a rotten borough?
Model answer
A rotten borough was a constituency whose population had collapsed but which still returned two members, such as Old Sarum with a handful of voters.
- 2
What was a pocket borough?
Model answer
A pocket borough was a seat where a single patron controlled enough of the electorate to nominate the members, so the constituency sat in his pocket.
- 3
Why did the growth of industrial towns strengthen the case for reform?
Model answer
Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds had grown into great manufacturing towns without a single member of their own, while tiny southern boroughs returned two apiece.
- 4
Describe the county franchise before 1832.
Model answer
In the counties the vote belonged to men holding freehold land worth forty shillings a year, a qualification unchanged since the fifteenth century.
- 5
Why did borough franchises vary so widely?
Model answer
Each borough voted on the terms of its own charter, so qualifications ranged from every male householder in a few places to a closed corporation of a dozen men in others.
- 6
What was open voting, and what were its consequences?
Model answer
Votes were cast publicly at the hustings, so landlords and employers could see how their tenants and workmen voted and punish them accordingly.
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