The1847 United Kingdom general election was held from 29 July to 26 August 1847. It saw theConservatives win the most seats but remain divided between Protectionists andPeelites. This allowed theWhigs, led by Prime MinisterLord John Russell, to retain power.[2]
The election also witnessed the election of Britain's first Jewish MP, the LiberalLionel de Rothschild in theCity of London. Members being sworn in were however required to swear the ChristianOath of Allegiance, meaning Rothschild was unable actually to take his seat until the passage of theJews Relief Act in 1858. The constituency ofSudbury, which elected two members, was disfranchised for this election. This accounts there being two fewer seats in theHouse of Commons as compared to the previous election, though no redistribution took place.
^abSeveral country and university seats held by Conservatives were uncontested, and many urban multi-member constituencies that tended to vote Liberal had multiple candidates, so this is a misleading figure. Therefore, national swing is not applicable to elections in this era.
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