British general election, 1741
Encyclopedia
The British general election, 1741 returned members to serve in the House of Commons
of the 9th Parliament of Great Britain
to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England
and the Parliament of Scotland
in 1707. The election saw support for the government increase in the quasi-democratic constituencies which were decided by popular vote, but the Whigs lost control of a number of rotten and pocket boroughs, partly as a result of the influence of the Prince of Wales, and were consequently re-elected with the barest of majorities, Walpole's supporters only narrowly outnumbering his opponents.
Partly as a result of the election, and also due to the crisis created by naval defeats in the war with Spain, Walpole was finally forced out of office on the 11 February 1742, after his government was defeated in a motion of no confidence on a supposedly rigged by-election. His supporters were then able to reconcile partially with the Patriot Whigs to form a new government, and the Tories remained excluded from any realistic hope of forming a government.
for details. The constituencies used were the same throughout the existence of the Parliament of Great Britain.
At this period elections did not take place at the same time in every constituency. The returning officer in each county or parliamentary borough
fixed the precise date (see hustings for details of the conduct of the elections).
House of Commons of Great Britain
The House of Commons of Great Britain was the lower house of the Parliament of Great Britain between 1707 and 1801. In 1707, as a result of the Acts of Union of that year, it replaced the House of Commons of England and the third estate of the Parliament of Scotland, as one of the most significant...
of the 9th Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
and the Parliament of Scotland
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
in 1707. The election saw support for the government increase in the quasi-democratic constituencies which were decided by popular vote, but the Whigs lost control of a number of rotten and pocket boroughs, partly as a result of the influence of the Prince of Wales, and were consequently re-elected with the barest of majorities, Walpole's supporters only narrowly outnumbering his opponents.
Partly as a result of the election, and also due to the crisis created by naval defeats in the war with Spain, Walpole was finally forced out of office on the 11 February 1742, after his government was defeated in a motion of no confidence on a supposedly rigged by-election. His supporters were then able to reconcile partially with the Patriot Whigs to form a new government, and the Tories remained excluded from any realistic hope of forming a government.
Summary of the Constituencies
See British general election, 1796British general election, 1796
The British general election, 1796 returned members to serve in the 18th and last House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain to be held before the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 January 1801...
for details. The constituencies used were the same throughout the existence of the Parliament of Great Britain.
Dates of Election
The general election was held between 30 April 1741 and 11 June 1741.At this period elections did not take place at the same time in every constituency. The returning officer in each county or parliamentary borough
Parliamentary borough
Parliamentary boroughs are a type of administrative division, usually covering urban areas, that are entitled to representation in a Parliament...
fixed the precise date (see hustings for details of the conduct of the elections).
See also
- List of Parliaments of Great Britain
- MPs elected in the British general election, 1741