NORTHUMBERLAND ELECTION BROADSIDE – HIGH ODDS! Northumberland Election Broadside – Morpeth, 4 April 1826

Morpeth: Reprinted by S. Wilkinson, 4 April 1826.

Single-sheet letterpress broadside.

Sheet size: 17.9 x 22.4 cm.

Condition: Near fine. Fold creases. Minor handling wear only. Clean and well-preserved example with strong impression and excellent legibility.

Description

A rare surviving example of the ephemeral satirical literature generated by the fiercely contested Northumberland Parliamentary Election of 1826, one of the most celebrated county election contests of the late Georgian period.

Printed at Morpeth and dated 4 April 1826, this broadside consists of a short satirical verse entitled “High Odds!”, attacking supporters of Henry Thomas Liddell during the closing stages of the election campaign.

The poem adopts the form of a mock betting conversation between two individuals identified only through partially concealed names:

“I’ll bet,” says Macaroni John,
“One Hundred Guineas against One,
That Liddell heads the Poll!”

The second speaker initially appears willing to accept the wager, only for the first to withdraw, claiming:

“There is a flaw in the indictment—
I cannot make it yet!”

The broadside concludes with partially disguised identifications:

“*J—n T—n-y.”
“†M—I R—b—n.”

Such masking of names was a common feature of political squibs and election satires of the period, allowing contemporary readers to recognise the intended targets while preserving a degree of plausible deniability for printer and publisher.

The title “High Odds!” itself is a political joke, referring both to betting language and to contemporary speculation regarding the likely outcome of the election.

Historical Context

The Northumberland election of 1826 became one of the most expensive and fiercely fought county elections in Georgian Britain.

Among the principal figures were:

• Henry Thomas Liddell, later 1st Earl of Ravensworth.
• Thomas Wentworth Beaumont, major Northumberland landowner and reform politician.
• Matthew Bell, Newcastle merchant and Whig politician.
• Lord Howick (Charles Grey), future Prime Minister and architect of the Reform Act of 1832.

The campaign generated an enormous volume of printed election material, including:

• Candidate addresses.
• Committee notices.
• Polling instructions.
• Handbills.
• Broadsides.
• Satirical poems.
• Songs and lampoons.

Many survive only in isolated examples, having originally been intended for immediate distribution and disposal during the contest.

This broadside belongs to the latter category and preserves the humour, mockery and personal rivalries that characterised Georgian electioneering.

Political Satire and Election Culture

Election contests before the Reform Act of 1832 frequently produced substantial quantities of satirical ephemera. Printed verses such as the present example were designed for rapid circulation amongst voters, supporters and political clubs.

Unlike formal election addresses, such pieces often survive in very small numbers owing to their temporary purpose. Their importance today lies in the insight they provide into popular political culture, local rivalries, campaign tactics and public opinion.

The present broadside demonstrates how betting language, personal caricature and literary parody were employed as political weapons during the election.

Printing

Reprinted by S. Wilkinson of Morpeth, a Northumberland printer active during the election campaign.

The fact that the piece was specifically reprinted suggests that the satire enjoyed a circulation wider than a single locality and was considered sufficiently effective or amusing to warrant further distribution.

Institutional Holdings

Election ephemera from the Northumberland contest of 1826 survives within various collections relating to the Bell, Beaumont, Grey and Liddell interests, together with specialist collections of British political ephemera.

However, individual satirical broadsides are substantially scarcer than formal election addresses and poll books.

At the time of cataloguing, no separate institutional catalogue record has been identified for this specific broadside entitled “High Odds!”, dated 4 April 1826 and reprinted by S. Wilkinson of Morpeth.

As with much election satire of the period, survival appears uncommon.

A scarce and engaging survival from one of the most famous county elections of the Georgian era, preserving the humour, betting culture and political satire of pre-Reform British electoral politics.

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