The Birkenhead Enfranchisement Act 1861 (24 & 25 Vict. c. 112), also known as the Appropriation of Seats (Sudbury and Saint Alban's) Act was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reallocated four seats of the House of Commons that became available after the disenfranchisement of the boroughs of St Albans and Sudbury. A new parliamentary borough of Birkenhead was created, the existing single-member West Riding of Yorkshire constituency was split into two divisions and the Lancashire South constituency received an extra member of parliament.
| Act of Parliament | |
.svg) | |
| Long title | An Act for the Appropriation of the Seats vacated by the Disfranchisement of the Boroughs of Sudbury and Saint Alban. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 24 & 25 Vict. c. 112 |
| Introduced by | Sir George Cornewall Lewis, 2nd Baronet (Commons) |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 6 August 1861 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the Birkenhead Enfranchisement Act 1861 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The two abolished constituencies had been disenfranchised for corruption: Sudbury in 1844 and St Albans in 1852.[1]
The additional seats at Birkenhead and Lancashire were filled by byelections soon after the passage of the act in 1861. The changes in the West Riding of Yorkshire did not come into effect until the 1865 general election.
References
edit- ↑ Kathryn Rix (15 May 2025). "The evolving electoral system: the 1835 and 1865 general elections compared". The Victorian Commons. Retrieved 27 June 2026.