A rarer surviving political broadside from the 1807 election in Yorkshire where Henry Lascelles was standing as a candidate.   The broadside, printed by Edward Baines, editor of the Leeds Mecury and opponent of Lascelles, demonstrates that the negativity of modern politics is nothing new - indeed, it could be argued, modern politics is a touch more restrained than the tirade printed here.   Baines was the Editor the Leeds Mercury from 1801 -148 and later MP for Leeds.  This broadside is most likely from the 1807 election in which the Whig, Lord Milton defeated the Tory, Henry Lascelles rather than the 1802 election.  These were turbulent political times and Henry Lascelles, son of the 2nd Earl of Harewood, was elected to the House of Commons for Yorkshire in 1796, a seat he held until the 1807 Yorkshire and again from 1812 to 1818, and also represented Westbury from 1807 to 1812 and Northallerton from 1818 to 1820. The latter year he succeeded his father in the earldom and entered the House of Lords. Between 1819 and 1841 he also served as Lord Lieuteant of the West Riding of Yorkshire.  Harewood House is still home to the Lascelles family, the house originally built for Barbadian-born plantation owner, Edwin Lascelles (1713-95), to designs by architects John Carr and Robert Adam.  As an abolitionist Baines vehemntly opposed the election of Lascelles.

Measuring: 26.5cm x 42cm

England, Leeds, 1807