Richard Potter (businessman): Difference between revisions
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'''[[Richard Potter]]''' was: radical politician; son was merchant who became chairman of [[Great Western Railway]] |
'''[[Richard Potter]]''' was: radical politician; son was merchant who became chairman of [[Great Western Railway]] |
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==Little Circle== |
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The '''Little Circle''' were a [[Manchester]]-based political and social reform group, that met from the 1800's onwards to reform political representaion and gain social reform in the [[United Kingdom]]. |
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===First Little Circle=== |
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The first group was formed by cotton merchant John Potter. The group was strongly influenced by the ideas of [[Jeremy Bentham]] and [[Joseph Priestley]], objecting to a poltical representation system that denied booming industrial cities such as [[Birmingham]], [[Leeds]] and Manchester proportionate representation in the [[House of Commons]]. |
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Meetings were held at John Potter's home, with its core membership being members of the [[Unitarian church]]. Group member [[Archibald Prentice]] later called them the "Little Circle", with members including: John Potter and his three sons Thomas, Richard and X; [[John Shuttleworth]]; [[John Edward Taylor]]; [[Absalom Watkin]]; [[Joseph Brotherton]] and [[William Cowdray]]. |
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===Second Little Circle=== |
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After the death of John Potter, a second group of eleven local Manchester business people began to meet at the Cannon Street warehouse of Potters trading company,<ref>{{cite book|title=Reform and Respectability: The Making of a Middle-class Liberalism in Early 19th-century Manchester (Chetham Society)|author=Dr Michael J Turner|Carnegie Publishing Ltd|date=15 April 1995|ISBN=1859360246}}</ref> Seven were Unitarians, including five from the [[Cross Street Chapel]]: Thomas and Richard Potter; Abasolm Watkin; John Shuttleworth and brothers Edward and William Baxter (cotton merchants); John Edward Taylor (first Editor of the "Manchester Guardian"); Fenton Atkinson (prominent Manchester attorney); William Harvey; Mark Philips.<ref name=CrossStreetChapel>{{cite web|url=http://cross-street-chapel.org.uk/index.php?page=before-the-welfare-state|title=Before the Welfare State|publisher=[[Cross Street Chapel]]|accessdate=2012-02-13}}</ref> Discrete, the group supported various social reform issues closely by discretely: Taylor survived a trial for libel; Shuttleworth organised the defence of plebian reformers accused of administering an illegal oath. |
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The group initially proposed that the seats of rotten boroughs convicted of gross electoral corruption should be transferred to industrial towns, citing and later targetting example boroughs including [[Penryn]] and [[East Retford]]. But when Parliament refused to take action, in 1831 Absalom Watkin was given the task of drawing up the petition asking the government to grant Manchester two Members of Parliament. As a result Parliament passed the 1832 Reform Act 1832, and the group gave Manchester its first two post-reform MPs: Mark Philips and [[Charles Poulett Thompson]]. |
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==Legacy== |
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By the time of the passing of the [[Reform Act 1832]], Manchester had become a Borough and many social reforms had come to fruition. The group had also established themselves in society, with:<ref name=CrossStreetChapel/> |
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*Richard Potter became MP for Wigan |
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*Thomas Potter became the first Mayor of Manchester on its incorporation. Ten out of the first 28 Mayors of Manchester were associated with Cross Street Chapel.<ref name=CrossStreetChapel/> |
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*Benjamin Smith became successively MP for Stirling and Stockport |
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==Member of Parliament== |
==Member of Parliament== |
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Revision as of 18:56, 13 February 2012
Richard Potter was: radical politician; son was merchant who became chairman of Great Western Railway
Little Circle
The Little Circle were a Manchester-based political and social reform group, that met from the 1800's onwards to reform political representaion and gain social reform in the United Kingdom.
First Little Circle
The first group was formed by cotton merchant John Potter. The group was strongly influenced by the ideas of Jeremy Bentham and Joseph Priestley, objecting to a poltical representation system that denied booming industrial cities such as Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester proportionate representation in the House of Commons.
Meetings were held at John Potter's home, with its core membership being members of the Unitarian church. Group member Archibald Prentice later called them the "Little Circle", with members including: John Potter and his three sons Thomas, Richard and X; John Shuttleworth; John Edward Taylor; Absalom Watkin; Joseph Brotherton and William Cowdray.
Second Little Circle
After the death of John Potter, a second group of eleven local Manchester business people began to meet at the Cannon Street warehouse of Potters trading company,[1] Seven were Unitarians, including five from the Cross Street Chapel: Thomas and Richard Potter; Abasolm Watkin; John Shuttleworth and brothers Edward and William Baxter (cotton merchants); John Edward Taylor (first Editor of the "Manchester Guardian"); Fenton Atkinson (prominent Manchester attorney); William Harvey; Mark Philips.[2] Discrete, the group supported various social reform issues closely by discretely: Taylor survived a trial for libel; Shuttleworth organised the defence of plebian reformers accused of administering an illegal oath.
The group initially proposed that the seats of rotten boroughs convicted of gross electoral corruption should be transferred to industrial towns, citing and later targetting example boroughs including Penryn and East Retford. But when Parliament refused to take action, in 1831 Absalom Watkin was given the task of drawing up the petition asking the government to grant Manchester two Members of Parliament. As a result Parliament passed the 1832 Reform Act 1832, and the group gave Manchester its first two post-reform MPs: Mark Philips and Charles Poulett Thompson.
Legacy
By the time of the passing of the Reform Act 1832, Manchester had become a Borough and many social reforms had come to fruition. The group had also established themselves in society, with:[2]
- Richard Potter became MP for Wigan
- Thomas Potter became the first Mayor of Manchester on its incorporation. Ten out of the first 28 Mayors of Manchester were associated with Cross Street Chapel.[2]
- Benjamin Smith became successively MP for Stirling and Stockport
Member of Parliament
Richard Potter became MP for Wigan.
Input
Input2
Input3
References
- ^ Dr Michael J Turner (15 April 1995). Reform and Respectability: The Making of a Middle-class Liberalism in Early 19th-century Manchester (Chetham Society). ISBN 1859360246.
{{cite book}}: Text "Carnegie Publishing Ltd" ignored (help) - ^ a b c "Before the Welfare State". Cross Street Chapel. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
- ^ "Richard Potter". archiveshub.ac.uk. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
- ^ "Chairman of the GWR". greatwestern.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-02-13.