United Kingdom general election, 1847

1841 ←

29 July–26 August 1847

→ 1852

List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1841 ←

All 656 seats in the House of Commons 329 seats needed for a majority

	First party	Second party	Third party

Leader	Lord Stanley	Lord John Russell	John O'Connell
Party	Conservative	Whig	Irish Repeal
Leader since	July 1846	October 1842	15 May 1847
Leader's seat	Baron Stanley	City of London	Limerick City
Last election	367 seats, 50.9%	271 seats, 46.9%	20 seats, 1.9%
Seats won	325 (including Peelites led by Peel)	292	36
Seat change	42	21	16
Popular vote	205,481	259,311	14,128
Percentage	42.7%	53.8%	2.9%
Swing	8.2%	6.9%	1.0%

PM before election

Lord John Russell
Whig

Subsequent PM

Lord John Russell
Whig

1837 election • MPs
1841 election • MPs
1847 election • MPs
1852 election • MPs
1857 election • MPs

Lord John Russell
Whig

The 1847 United Kingdom general election saw candidates calling themselves Conservatives win the most seats, in part because they won a number of uncontested seats. However, the split among the Conservatives between the majority of Protectionists, led by Lord Stanley, and the minority of free traders, known also as the Peelites, led by former prime minister Sir Robert Peel, left the Whigs, led by Prime Minister Lord John Russell, in a position to continue in government.

The Irish Repeal group won more seats than in the previous general election, while the Chartists gained the only seat they were ever to hold, Nottingham's second seat, held by Chartist leader Feargus O'Connor.

The election also witnessed the election of Britain's first Jewish MP; the Liberal Lionel de Rothschild in the City of London. Members being sworn in were however required to swear the Christian Oath of Allegiance, meaning Rothschild was unable actually to take his seat until the passage of the Jews Relief Act in 1858.

Total votes cast: 482,429. Conservative totals include Liberal Conservatives.

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