1832-1834] 253 



CHAPTER XVIII 



18321834 



Josiah Wedgwood elected for Stoke-upon -Trent Bessy's serious 

 illness The Langtons at Onibury Miss Martineau and Mrs 

 Marsh Hensleigh Wedgwood's scruples as to administering 

 oaths William Clifford abroad A tour in Switzerland and visit 

 to Queen Hortense at Constance. 



AT the end of 1832 Josiah Wedgwood was elected in the 

 first reformed Parliament for Stoke- upon-Trent. 



Emma Wedgwood to Madame Sismondi. 



MY DEAREST AUNT JESSIE, 16 Dec ' 1832> 



Mamma has been saying she meant to write to you 

 every day since the election, but I think our news will be 

 quite flat if we leave it any longer, and now I am afraid 

 we shall not be the first to tell you that Papa was elected 

 by a handsome majority. The numbers were Wedgwood 

 822, Davenport 625, Heathcote 588, Mason 240. Mr 

 Mason is a thorough-going Radical, so we were all very glad 

 at his being so low on the poll. Papa and all of us were 

 very much pleased at his coming in so grandly, especially 

 as he is become too Tory for these Radical times. We 

 were very secure after the first day's poll. Jessie [Wedg- 

 wood] and I went to Hanley to see the candidates going 

 to Stoke to be nominated. Papa went first with his sons 

 and some more gentlemen, his proposer and seconder, in 

 the carriage open with 4 horses; a few carriages followed, 

 and then the tag-rag and bobtail in gigs, carts and phaetons. 

 Then came Davenport, who looked much more numerous, 



