4 responses to “East Derbyshire Election, 1868”

  1. Paul Freeman

    It would perhaps be an interesting research project to attempt identification of the persons depicted in these cartoons. The Liberal agent at the time for the East Derbyshire constituency was Charles Stanhope Burke Busby (1814-1901), a Chesterfield solicitor and three-times Mayor of Chesterfield (1858, 1866, 1867). A short obituary in the Derbyshire Courier (20 July 1901, p.5) contains the following.

    “As Liberal agent far the old division of East Derbyshire, too, Mr. Busby showed that he could organise as well as talk, and the famous struggle of 1868 resulted in a triumph for the Liberal party largely through his efforts. One of the most striking cartoons of the series issued during the
    contest shows Mr. Busby in characteristic attitude in the Liberal boat issuing directions to the oarsmen.”

    The Courier was a Liberal newspaper and the cartoons were advertised singly therein as they appeared, at 3d, for collection, or 4d by post. (See for example the issue of 26 September, 1868, p.2, advertising cartoon no. 7, which they name “BY JOVE!!”.)

    The rival newspapaer was Conservative, the Derbyshire Times, and their comments (19 September 1868, p.3) on cartoon no. 5, “Which will win?”, includes the following.

    “The Liberal cartoons don’t improve … the “Liberal” engine … represented as driven by the Duke of Devonshire’s agent, with Mr. Markham as fireman and stoker …”

    The Duke of Devonshire’s agent was JG Cottingham.
    Charles Markham was an important local industrialist.

    This information is from just a few newspaper articles that I happen to have to hand in connection with a (very) little research that I have been doing into Charles Busby.

  2. Jim Sim Benton

    I have this book. In good shape for it’s age.

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