The Domination of Lowtherism and Toryism in Westmorland Parliamentary Elections, 1818–1895

Abstract

A comparison of Westmorland elections at either end of the nineteenth century illustrates how a wider franchise could mean less popular involvement in the political process and a tightening of the grip of Conservatism on the county elite. But the dominance of the Lowther family was less monolithic than it seemed: the persistence of Nonconformity and owner-occupier farming, particularly in the north of the county, meant that there was always the potential for a realistic Liberal challenge if a suitably prestigious candidate would come forward, and Lowther agents had to work diligently to sustain the status quo. Parliamentary reform and coincidental Lowther upheavals in the early 1880s opened the door to a confident Liberal challenge, and only a handful of dubious votes prevented the capture of the seat in 1885. That the prospect of success then receded was partly attributable to Gladstone's fixation with Irish Home Rule, which played badly in Westmorland; but, more critically, to a damagingly public, class-related personal feud within the local party. These were not necessarily terminal weaknesses, however: the Conservatives could still be beaten.