1830-1831] Defeat at Newcastle 237 



In the spring of 1831 Josiah Wedgwood stood for New- 

 castle- under- Lyme . 



Mrs Josiah Wedgwood to her sister Emma Allen. (At Mrs 

 Holland's, New Norfolk St., Park Lane.) 



MAEE, May 11, 1831. 



... I thank you very much, my dear sisters, for the 

 warmth with which you have taken up our cause. I am 

 not less warm on yours and if you [John Allen] had come 

 in at Pembroke, I should have been consoled for being 

 thrown out at Newcastle. As it is, I think Jos is very little 

 disappointed; it is not a pleasant situation to be baffled, 

 but it was so much on public grounds that he stood, that 

 his personal feeling is not much, and I believe what he 

 has belongs to the gentlemen who have brought him in. 

 However the election was carried on with no unnecessary 

 expense, as it seemed by mutual understanding, as there 

 was no treating, and the out- voters were not brought in; 

 so that I hope there has not been much money thrown 

 away. ... I fully expect that we shall be members for 

 Stoke upon Trent, 1 i.e. the Potteries, and if we are it will be 

 a much pleasanter seat. Jos had not before this quite made 

 up his mind to accept it if it should be offered him, but 

 what has lately passed has settled that part of the question ; 

 and, if I live so long, I shall like to be obliged to spend 

 some part of every year in London. But I have great 

 misgivings that I may not, and though it does not in any 

 degree lower my spirits, it gives me a degree of uncertainty 

 as to worldly matters that flattens hope. If it would please 

 God to give me brighter hopes instead, I should be happy, 

 and that I hope will come nearer and nearer as I approach 

 the confines. One of my dearest earthly hopes is now to 

 see Jessie [Sismondi] and my castle is to meet her at Paris, 

 or to return with her if she comes to England which I hope 



1 The expectation was that in the Reform Bill the Potteries would 

 be given a seat and that Josiah Wedgwood would be the first member 

 elected. 



