Forgotten Gentleman Leaders: Local Elites,Conservative Constitutionalism and the Development of the Public Sphere in England (c. 1820–1860)

Abstract

Forgotten Gentleman Leaders: Local Elites, Conservative Constitutionalism and the Development of the Public Sphere in England (c. 1820–1860)

The longevity of the English aristocracy in the nineteenth century is generally explained with reference to their economic positions as proprietors of land and the deference to their leadership by the middle and lower classes. Analysing the local political struggles of an urban Tory-Anglican elite with at least aristocratic connections, this article discusses the role of conservative gentleman leaders in defending the power of English noble elites. Like their much better known radical and liberal counterparts, conservative gentleman leaders used participatory election rituals, local party organisations and a patriotic language to present themselves as the true voice of the people. Thus, the created a public political sphere, in which noble elites could use popular conservatism to cast themselves as an aristocratic type of democratic politician and maintain political leadership despite the transition towards democracy.