Thomas Oldfield facts for kids
Thomas Hinton Burley Oldfield (1755–1822) was an English person who wanted to make government fairer. He was a political reformer, meaning he worked to change how elections and Parliament worked. He also studied the history of Parliament and old things, making him a historian and an antiquary. His most important book, The Representative History, was described as a "domesday book of corruption." This means it was a detailed record of how unfair and corrupt the election system was back then.
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About Thomas Oldfield
Thomas Oldfield was born in Derbyshire, England. People believed he was a lawyer. In the 1780s, he lived in Hoxton Square, a part of east London.
Joining Reform Groups
In 1782, Oldfield became a member of the Society for Constitutional Information. This group wanted to make the government more democratic and give more people a say. He was suggested to join by John Jebb and supported by Thomas Brand Hollis.
Oldfield also worked closely with Richard Brocklesby during a famous legal case in 1784, known as The Case of the Dean of St Asaph. Later, he joined another group called the Society of Friends of the People. This group also aimed to reform Parliament and make elections fairer. Thomas Oldfield passed away in Exeter on July 25, 1822.
How Oldfield Managed Elections
For many years, Thomas Oldfield worked as an election agent or manager. This meant he helped organize election campaigns for candidates.
Working in Westminster
In 1780, he was the secretary for the Westminster election committee. He held this important role again in 1783 and 1784.
Helping Henry Flood
In 1785, Oldfield helped a politician named Henry Flood run for election in Seaford. Even though there were many challenges and rules to follow, Flood was successfully elected in 1786, thanks to Oldfield's help.
The East Retford Election
In 1812, Oldfield offered to manage the election campaign for George Osbaldeston in East Retford. Osbaldeston won the election. However, he later refused to pay Oldfield for his work. Because of this, Oldfield decided to reveal the unfair and illegal ways that the election had been run. This was known as electoral corruption.
Oldfield's Ideas on Rights
Thomas Oldfield believed that everyone had an old and natural right to be involved in making laws and discussing important issues. He thought this was a right that people had always had.
Views on Ancient Rights
His ideas were similar to those of another writer, Gilbert Stuart. However, a magazine called the British Review disagreed with him in 1818. They argued that rights were not just given from ancient times, but had to be fought for and earned. Oldfield often mixed up the ideas of rights that came from history (historic rights) with rights that everyone is born with (natural rights).
Oldfield's Books
Thomas Oldfield was a leader in the movement to reform Parliament. He wrote several important books:
- An Entire and Complete History, Political and Personal, of the Boroughs of Great Britain, together with the Cinque Ports; to which is prefixed an original Sketch of constitutional rights from the earliest Period until the present Time (1792, 3 volumes; 2nd edition 1794, 2 volumes). A lot of George Tierney's book, State of the Representation, was based on Oldfield's work.
- History of the Original Constitution of Parliaments from the Time of the Britons to the present Day; to which is added the present State of the Representation (1797).
Both of these books were later printed again together under a new title: A Complete History, Political and Personal, of the Boroughs of Great Britain, together with the Cinque Ports; To which is now first added the History of the Original Constitution of Parliaments (no date, 3 volumes).
His final and most complete edition was called The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland; being a History of the House of Commons, and of the Counties, Cities, and Boroughs of the United Kingdom from the earliest Period. This large work came out in 1816 and had 6 volumes.
Oldfield also put together a book called A Key to the House of Commons, being a History of the last General Election in 1818; and a correct State of the virtual Representation of England and Wales (1820).
