The rotten borough of Dunwich gained notoriety in Blackadder the Third when it’s most notable voters were, “a dachshund named Colin and a hen in it’s late forties.” In the early 1800s the borough was practically under the sea and had only 32 registered voters. Similarly Old Sarum was a desolate district with only one voter. Manchester, on the other hand, was a thriving city with a population of 100,000 on the cusp of boldly leading Britain into the industrial age. What did these areas have in common? Their parliamentary representation consisted of two MPs each.

The Patriotic Union Society (PUS) created by journalists of the Manchester Observer (The precursor of The Guardian), led the demands for reform. Their support swelled due to the harsh economic conditions of the post-Napoleonic age. For example the Corn Laws of 1815 forbade the import of cheaper grain from other countries to protect…