# 1848 Liverpool Town Council election

Elections to Liverpool Town Council were held on Wednesday 1 November 1848, with the exception of Castle Street and Scotland wards where the elections were held on 2 November because the Aldermen for these wards were not able to act as returning officers. One third of the council seats were up for election, the term of office of each councillor being three years.
Eight of the sixteen wards were uncontested.
This was the first year that the local press referred to "Liberals" rather than "Reformers"
The main issue at this election was whether the Corporation's estate and the docks should be subject to Rates (tax).
After the election, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Party | Councillors | ± | Aldermen | Total |
| | Conservative | 33 | 0 | 15 | 48 |
| | Reformers | 15 | 0 | 1 | 16 |

## Election result

Liverpool Local Election Result 1848 :
| Party | Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| | Conservative | 10 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 62% | 60% | 1,826 | |
| | Whig | 6 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 38% | 40% | 1,218 | |
Because half of the wards were uncontested, these statistics should be taken in that context.

## Ward results

* - Retiring Councillor seeking re-election

### Abercromby

No. 11 Abercromby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Hugn Neil | 249 | 55% |
| | Whig | William Earle | 201 | 45% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 48 | 10% |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 450 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Polling Place : The Phœnix Inn, on the east side of Mount-pleasant.

### Castle Street

No. 6 Castle Street :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Hugh Hornby * | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Polling Place : The Saracen's Head in Dale-street.

### Everton

No. 1 Everton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Edward Langsdale | 352 | 51% |
| | Conservative | Francis Shand * | 338 | 49% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14 | 2% |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 690 | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | |
Polling Place : The Public-house on the north side of Great Homer-street, Occupied by Mr. Charles Unwin.
Francis Shand was opposed to the rating of the Corporation and Dock Estates, Edward Langsdale was of the opposite view.

### Exchange

No. 5 Exchange :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Littledale jun. * | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Polling Place : The north end of the Sessions' house, in Chapel-street.
Thomas Littledale jun. was a pro-rater.

### Great George

No. 9 Great George :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Thomas Wagstaff | 202 | 58% |
| | Whig | Thomas Lloyd | 147 | 42% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 55 | 16% |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 349 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Polling Place : The Shop, No. 64 at the north side of Nelson-street, occupied by Mr. Richard Hesketh.

### Lime Street

No. 12 Lime Street :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | James Johnson | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Polling Place : The Public-house of Mr. William Prescott, at the corner of St. Vincent-street, London-road.
James Johnson was a pro-rater.

### North Toxteth

No. 16 North Toxteth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | William Fisher | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig |
Polling Place : The Public-house, sign of "The Royal Oak", corner of Warwick-street, Park-road.
William Fisher was a pro-rater.

### Pitt Street

No. 8 Pitt Street :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Robinson * | Unopposed | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Polling Place : The Committee-room of the South Corporation School, in Park-lane.
Thomas Robinson was a pro-rater.

### Rodney Street

No. 10 Rodney Street :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Booker | Unopposed | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Polling Place : The Shop, near the entrance to the New Arcade, on the west side of Renshaw-street, occupied by Mr. Robert Brassey.
George Booker was a pro-rater.

### St. Anne Street

No. 13 St. Anne Street :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Poole | 138 | 80% | |
| | Whig | Henry Adams | 35 | 20% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 103 | 60% | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 173 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | | |
Polling Place : The House of Mr. Thomas Hindle, on the west side of Christian-street
Thomas Pool was a pro-rater.

### St. Paul's

No. 4 St. Paul's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Briscoe | 185 | 50.4% | |
| | Whig | John Rowland McGuffie | 182 | 49.6% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3 | 0.8% | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 367 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | | |
Polling Place : The House of Mr. Mather, at the northwest corner of St. Paul's-square.
Both candidates were pro-raters.

### St. Peter's

No. 7 St. Peter's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Ferguson | 268 | 59% | |
| | Conservative | John Stewart * | 184 | 41% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 84 | 18% | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 452 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Conservative | Conservative gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Polling Place : The Public-house, sign of "The Horse and Jockey" in Seel-street'
John Ferguson, a determined pro-rater and chairman of the National Federation.

### Scotland

No. 2 Scotland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | James Thomson | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative |
Polling Place : The House No. 64, on the north side of Burlington-street, near Limekiln-lane, occupied by Mr. Joseph Jones.
James Thomson advocated the rating of the Corporate and Dock estates.

### South Toxteth

No. 15 South Toxteth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Edward Cannon Hindley | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative |
Polling Place : The Shop, on the west side of Park-road, occupied by Mrs. Eliza Gould, near the church of St. John the Baptist.
Edward Cannon Hindley was a pro-rater.

### Vauxhall

No. 3 Vauxhall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Llewellyn Hodson | 123 | 78% | |
| | Whig | William Rathbone * | 35 | 22% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 88 | 56% | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 158 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | | |
Polling Place : The House occupied by Mr. George Gurden, on the west side of Vauxhall-road nearly opposite the end of Blackstock-street.
William Rathbone was an advocate of the Rivington Pike water scheme and opposed to the rating of the Corporate and Dock estates. Mr. Hodson took the contrary views.

### West Derby

No. 14 West Derby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Richard Mitchell Beckwith | 266 | 65% | |
| | Conservative | James H. Bourne | 141 | 35% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 125 | 30% | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 407 | | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Polling Place : The House, on the south side of Edge-hill, opposite the Church, in the occupation of Mrs. Mary Fleetwood.
Richard Mitchell Beckwith was a pro-rater.