ABSTRACT
In 1802, William Cobbett fulminated that the parliamentary elections were not as heretofore, a contest between such a gentleman and such a gentleman. As E. P. Thompson argued, these elections were part of a radical resurgence from 1798-1802, a time when authorities feared insurrections and equated calls for an expanded suffrage with Jacobinism. Most parliamentary seats which were not controlled by the government were influenced by great aristocratic families. Party politics did not map onto class lines during this period, but occasionally the language of class began to appear in some elections in the 1790s. Several conservative women, nonetheless, played an important role in the election. First, they continued their traditional roles of canvassing voters and even coercing their tenants' votes. The Norwich election is also interesting in terms of the ongoing debate about the extent of corruption in electoral politics. Aristocratic influence could become especially controversial in elections when exerted by women.
