Highlights from the Bartholomew Archive
William Gladstone and the 1880 General Election
Bartholomew printed tickets for speeches by William Gladstone (1809-1898) in the lead up to the 1880 General Election.
The Liberal Party leader's political seat was Midlothian in Scotland. During March and April he gave a series of speeches that became known as the 'Midlothian Campaign'. Because of the press attention it drew, it is possibly the first modern political campaign.
Election meetings tickets
According to newspaper reports, thousands of people attended Gladstone's Midlothian speeches. Among tickets printed by the Bartholomew mapmaking firm for these meetings were:
Edinburgh Music Hall, 17 March 1880:
- 1,590 tickets for electors
- 70 tickets for reporters
- 180 platform tickets for the committee
Stow, 30 March 1880:
- 600 free tickets for reserved seats for electors
- 500 tickets for a reserved seat 'for a Lady or Gentleman': ticket cost five shillings (around 25 pence in today's sterling)
- 60 free tickets for reporters
- 1,000 tickets for an unreserved seat: ticket cost two shillings and sixpence (around 12 pence today)
- 900 tickets for an unreserved seat: ticket cost one shilling (around 5 pence today)
West Calder, 2 April 1880:
- 200 ladies' tickets – which is interesting, as women did not have the right to vote at this time.
Speeches help Gladstone to victory
Regarded as a great public speaker, William Gladstone gave speeches that could last up to five hours. He was highly critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli's foreign policies. As a result, his speeches were widely reported in the newspapers.
The press coverage had a major influence on public opinion. On 5 April 1880, Gladstone gained a landslide victory in the General Election. He became Prime Minister – a position he had held earlier, from 1868-1874.
Other highlights from the archive:
- Seven Pillars of Wisdom
- Botanical Survey of Scotland
- The naming of Antarctica
- Survey Atlas of Scotland
- Half-inch to the mile maps
- Bathymetric Survey of Scottish lochs
- A National Institute of Geography
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