The right to vote

On 22  May 1780 the Master of the Charterhouse, John Bourne, was ordered by the Aldermen "to leave them [the inmates] to their own free election of members to serve in Parliament".  The timing is rather odd; the general election was not held until the Autumn of 1780.  But most interesting is the fact that there were any residents who were entitled to vote.
Hull, in common with only a few constituencies around the country, had a "freemen" electorate rather than using the usual property qualification.  One could become a freeman in a number of ways, including inheriting or buying the privilege, or gaining status as a tradesman - the route presumably taken by a few Charterhouse brethren.  It meant that, in Hull, around 1,200 men had the vote.  That made it very expensive for the candidates, who had to pay to transport their potential voters to York, where the poll was held, and to bribe them (illegally, of course).  The vote was public.  The 1780 election resulted in William Wilberforce becoming Hull's MP.

Sir William St Quintin

The first reference to Charterhouse voters comes as early as a report by Matthew Bolton in 1716.

One candidate in the 1713 election was Sir William St Quintin . -------- "A poor old man - more than 80 years - residing in a miserable room, two pair back in a House in Munk Gate Ally, was ask'd by St Quintin and Maister's partie for his Vote. which he would not Promise to give; and on St Quintin being tould that his Personal appliemente might be of service, he took the opportune of going to see him. On finding the old man St Quintin said, "Well, my worthie friend, I want your Vote." The man looked at St Quintin thro' his Specktackle glasses and said, "You want my Vote, is that the ways you come to ask a Favor, I shan't give you it - that's flat." "Why not?" said St Quintin, "it would be better for you if you did, and I will tell you why. A Vacance is verie likelie to take place, I hear, in the Charter-House; now if you choose to do me a Favor I'll do one for you, for I'll get you the Room when the Inmate dies." The old man looked at Sir William thro' his Spectacles and said, "Mayster Quintum, I'm an aude man, and I feelit will be verie likelie the last Vote I shall iver give; I ha beene of opsit Principels to yours all the days of my Life, and what little Time itte plesith God for me to Live, so I shall Remain. A Charter House room to me would be a great Boon ------ " But he refused to give St Quintin his vote. The candidate was so impressed that he gave him a guinea and told him that he would send his carriage to take him to the poll so that he could vote for the other candidate, Daniel Hoare; and on polling day he did just that. The story concludes: ------ Let me give Sir William St Quintin credit for the following; a Room in the Charter-House became Vacant in about 2 months after the Election, and the poor old man became its Inmate, but onlie for a verie shorte Time, as in about another Month he entered that Bourne from which no Traveller returns!!!" 

The Reform Act of 1832 changed the situation.  No more freemen were created, but those who remained kept their entitlement.  As they died off one would expect that Charterhouse men would be ineligible to vote.  There were still freemen, however, by the middle of the century.  The 1852 election which saw the Liberals James Clay and Lord Goderich returned for Hull was so blatantly corrupt that an enquiry was launched.  Among those giving evidence were freemen of the Charterhouse.  The Hull Advertiser, reporting on the process in April 1853, included the testimony of Anne Loft, wife of Benjamin Loft: "My husband is too infirm to come.  He is in the Charter-house.  He is a freeman.  He voted Clay and Thompson and I received 30s for him.  At the last election he voted Clay and Goderich, but did not get any money."  Incidentally, the Conservative agent in the 1852 election was Richard Mitchell, a hairdresser, who, 15 years later, became a resident of the Charterhouse himself.  Politics seem to have played a part in a number of admissions.

 When there were no more freemen it was successfully argued, through two more Reform Acts in 1867 and 1881, that the men of the Charterhouse fulfilled the property qualification.  The lands with which the founder had endowed the hospital were still owned in the name of "the Master, Brethren and Sisters of the Charterhouse" and it was accepted that this made the men property owners.  This lasted until 1896, when a legal objection was raised by the Liberals.  These men were, it was argued, disqualified on the basis that they were paupers.  If this was accepted, the men of the Charterhouse would, at a stroke, have lost their right to vote.  The decision would also affect the residents of Trinity House.  One resident, John Cowen, refused to accept this.  He had been involved in politics all his life, as an agent and organiser, and he knew his way round the system.  He took his case to the Revision of Voters' Lists hearing - but the barrister ruled against him.  Cowen appealed, but a year later, after an initial decision to confirm the ruling, it was overturned and voting rights were restored.  Cowen died in February 1897.  Later that year the original decision, disenfranchising the Charterhouse men, was confirmed and they had to wait until 1918.  The women, of course, did not fulfil the property qualification in the 1918 Act and had to wait until 1928.

On 26 November 1923 there was a by-election in the Hull Central constituency where the Charterhouse was situated.  The sitting MP, Joseph Kenworthy, had been a Liberal but crossed the floor to join Labour and resigned to fight a by-election.  The Hull Daily Mail ran a story about "The 'Father' of the Charterhouse":

"By half past ten between six and seven hundred people had polled at Scott Street station, representing what one official described as 'a hundred per cent poll'.  The Scott Street station was also the centre for members of the Charterhouse where election enthusiasm has been more than usually keen.  During the campaign the old people have had an opportunity of hearing all three candidates, and there have been some keen debates on the merits and de-merits of the various parties.  The majority of the old people support either the Liberals or Conservatives, but a few of the younger men and women have expressed themselves in favour of the Socialists.  Arrangements had been made for the old people who were able to votes to be conveyed to Scott Street by motor-car, and as early as half past nine, some of them had made the trip to the polling booth.  The oldest member of the Charterhouse to register his vote was Mr William Hakney [should be Hakeney] who is ninety years of age."

Kenworthy won.

The right to vote was hard-won, and residents still cherish that right.