Exhibition Explores Oldham's Fascinating Voting History

The Great Reform Act of 1832 created the political constituency of Oldham for the first time. The act was celebrated in the town with the ringing of church bells, the firing of cannon and a large procession through the town.  175 years later Oldham Votes, a new exhibition opening at Gallery Oldham on 18 August, looks at key elections from Oldham’s history and the issues and personalities that shaped the politics of the town.

Oldham Votes is on show from 18 August – 17 November 2007 and features political posters, leaflets and a range of other objects from Gallery Oldham’s Social History Collection.

The Great Reform Act allowed Oldham to elect two MPs and the first of these were radical thinkers who did not have close links with mainstream politics.

The 1832 Oldham election became a high profile national event – the candidates included well-known writer and campaigner William Cobbett; William Burge who was a prominent lawyer and agent for the “Jamaica Lobby” of slave owners; and George Stephen, nephew of the anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce.

This section of the exhibition links with the Revealing Histories, Remembering Slavery project. Revealing Histories explores the history and lasting local legacy of slavery in the region through the collections of eight museums and galleries in Greater Manchester. For more information visit www.revealinghistories.org.uk.

At the “Khaki Election” of 1900, which was dominated by the ongoing Boer War, young war correspondent Winston Churchill was elected as Oldham’s MP. Churchill was elected as a Conservative MP, but in 1904 “crossed the floor” and joined the Liberal party.  

The 1918 election was the first at which women were allowed to vote and many Oldhamers had been active in the long campaign for women’s suffrage. These included prominent suffragette Annie Kenney and benefactor and campaigner Sarah Lees, who became mayor of Oldham in 1910.

Exhibition curator Sean Baggaley will give a free exhibition talk on Wednesday 12 September at 1pm.

Oldham Votes is on show at Gallery Oldham from 18 August – 17 November 2007. Gallery Oldham is situated in the Cultural Quarter, Greaves Street, Oldham, OL1 1AL. The Gallery is open Monday – Saturday 10am – 5pm (last admission 4:30pm) and admission is free. For further information call 0161 770 4653 or visit www.galleryoldham.org.uk.

ENDS

For further information and images contact Catherine Bradley on 0161 770 4741 catherine.bradley@oldham.gov.uk