Central Democratic Association

The Central Democratic Association, also known as the Democratic Association or the Democrats, was a political party of Chartists which was prominent in Sheffield in the mid-nineteenth century.

Sheffield Town Council was constituted in 1843. While the town had one of the less restrictive electoral franchises, only ratepayers of three years standing were pemitted to vote. Tenants of cottages, including many workers in the city, typically paid their rates indirectly through their landlords and were therefore not permitted to vote. This set-up had been unproblematic until the Council was founded, but was now of concern, as the registered voters were generally the wealthier residents. In 1843, only 5,584 people were registered to vote, and this had risen to 8,000 in 1845.

In 1846, a committee of Chartists in the city met to discuss the problem of voter registration. They decided to focus their campaign for registration by putting up two candidates in the November elections: Thomas Briggs, a farmer, in Brightside in the annual election, and Isaac Ironside, an accountant and former support of Robert Owen, in Ecclesall in a by-election held soon afterwards. Briggs was easily elected, while Ironside won narrowly on a record turnout: 397 votes to 317 for his Liberal rival. Voter registration was also up, reaching 11,500 people.

The Liberals dominated the council, and portrayed the Chartists as socialists, and Ironside as a demagogue. The Liberal press in the shape of the Sheffield Independent was initially supportive, but as the group gain success, became increasingly hostile.

In 1847, Ironside was re-elected in Ecclesall, along with another Chartist councillor. Other Chartists were elected in Brightside, St George's, St Philip's and Nether Hallam wards, and by the end of the year they formed a group of nine councillors. In addition, Richard Otley was elected in Ecclesall, but was unseated because he failed to meet the property qualification. This required councillors to have resources worth £1,000 or to occupy property with a rental value above £30 a year. As a result, the Chartist councillors were mostly shopkeepers and craftsmen, with a couple of surgeons and a farmer. This was not representative of their electorate.

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