For your consideration and for auction I offer an 
                              
1832 HANDBILL TO THE ELECTORS OF
THE BOROUGH OF BIRMINGHAM.

The notice, dated 29th June 1832, was printed by W. Hodgetts, printer of 16, Spiceal Street, Birmingham and urges the electorate of Birmingham to support Thomas Attwood in the forthcoming General Election.

Thomas Attwood was born in 1783 at Halesowen, Worcestershire and entered his father's banking firm in Birmingham in 1800. In 1811, after his election, as High Bailiff of Birmingham, he showed increasing concern with currency questions and sought more equitable representation for middle and lower-income groups in the House of Commons. He opposed the return to the gold standard in 1821, believing that the economic ills of the country were caused by hard money and that the cure lay in an abundant supply of paper currency.

Attwood saw himself as the representative of the Birmingham 'industrious' classes: businessmen, masters and skilled workers in the small-scale industries of the Midlands. In January 1830 he founded the Birmingham Political Union, regarded as the political organisation most effective in exerting pressure on the government for passage of the Reform Bill of 1832. Attwood formed the BPU because of widespread economic distress, particularly after 1826. 

Through its action, working-class protest was strengthened by middle-class agitation for parliamentary reform to secure currency reform. The union's structure and methods were applied in many parts of the country. After passage of the Reform Bill, Attwood was elected a Member of Parliament for Birmingham in 1832, sitting until 1839. 

Attwood died on 6th March 1856 at Great Malvern, Worcestershire.

Measuring just 6 x 3.5 inches approximately, the handbill has no loss or tears.


This item is one of many items I have relating to the Reform Act of 1832, the 'Great Reform Act' of which Attwood was so influential.

I shall leave the images to complete my description and welcome all questions. 

All that remains is to thank you for your interest and invite you to take a peek at my other items.

If you are successful in acquiring 2 or more items, please allow me to invoice you to enable an adjustment to made to your postage costs if necessary.

Postage to the EU will be £6.99 (Royal Mail International Signed service).




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