# 1861 Liverpool Town Council election

Elections to Liverpool Town Council were held on Friday 1 November 1861. One third of the council seats were up for election, the term of office of each councillor being three years, and nine of the 16 wards were uncontested. After the election, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Party | Councillors | ± | Aldermen | Total |
| | Conservative | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? |
| | Liberal | ?? | ?? | ?? | ?? |

## Election result

Liverpool Local Election Result 1861 :
| Party | Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| | Conservative | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | Liberal | 12 | | | | | | | |
Because of the large number of uncontested seats, these statistics should be taken in that context.

## Ward results

* - Retiring Councillor seeking re-election

### Abercromby

No. 11 Abercromby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Robertson Gladstone * | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Castle Street

No. 6 Castle Street :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | Thomas Avison * | unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing |

### Everton

No. 1 Everton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Conservative | Thomas Darnley Anderson * | unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing |

### Exchange

No. 5 Exchange :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | James Tyrer * | 343 | 54% |
| | Liberal | John Ravenscroft | 292 | 46% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 51 | 8% |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 635 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
Until the Ballot Act 1872 polling at elections was in public and the state of the polls were reported on an hour by hour basis in the newspapers.
| Time | James Tyrer | James Tyrer | John Ravenscroft | John Ravenscroft |
| Time | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| 10:00 | 91 | 48% | 98 | 52% |
| 11:00 | 163 | 49% | 168 | 51% |
| 12:00 | 253 | 54% | 218 | 46% |
| 13:00 | 289 | 53% | 253 | 47% |
| 14:00 | 303 | 53% | 270 | 47% |
| 15:00 | 324 | 53% | 287 | 47% |
| 16:00 | 343 | 54% | 292 | 46% |

### Great George

No. 9 Great George :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | | John Rogers * | unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | |
| | | | Swing |

### Lime Street

No. 12 Lime Street :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | James Allanson Picton * | Unopposed | N/A | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### North Toxteth

No. 16 North Toxteth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Joseph Harrison | 395 | 68% |
| | Liberal | William Digby Smith | 188 | 32% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 207 | 36% |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 583 | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | |
| Time | Joseph Harrison | Joseph Harrison | William Digby Smith | William Digby Smith |
| Time | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| 10:00 | 98 | 68% | 46 | 32% |
| 11:00 | 152 | 66% | 79 | 34% |
| 12:00 | 202 | 63% | 118 | 37% |
| 13:00 | 273 | 66% | 141 | 34% |
| 14:00 | 336 | 67% | 167 | 33% |
| 15:00 | 370 | 67% | 180 | 33% |
| 16:00 | 396 | 67% | 195 | 33% |
The discrepancy between the final results given in the Council Minute Book and the 4 o'clock final figures as reported in the Liverpool Mercury should perhaps be attributed to errors in the newspaper report.

### Pitt Street

No. 8 Pitt Street :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | | Thomas Ridley * | unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | |
| | | | Swing |

### Rodney Street

No. 10 Rodney Street :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | Thomas Bulley Job * | unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing |

### St. Anne Street

No. 13 St. Anne Street :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | William Bottomley Bairstow | 226 | 53% |
| | Conservative | Arthur Piggot Fletcher | 200 | 47% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 26 | 6% |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 426 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | |
| Time | William Bottomley Bairstow | William Bottomley Bairstow | Arthur Piggot Fletcher | Arthur Piggot Fletcher |
| Time | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| 11:00 | 178 | 52% | 167 | 48% |
| 12:00 | 186 | 52% | 170 | 48% |
| 13:00 | 187 | 52% | 176 | 48% |
| 14:00 | 193 | 52% | 177 | 48% |
| 15:00 | 208 | 53% | 183 | 47% |
| 16:00 | 226 | 53% | 200 | 47% |

### St. Paul's

No. 4 St. Paul's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | John Buck Spence | 192 | 54% |
| | Conservative | Thomas Rigby | 162 | 46% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 30 | 8% |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 354 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | |
| Time | John Buck Spence | John Buck Spence | Thomas Rigby | Thomas Rigby |
| Time | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| 10:00 | 55 | 49% | 57 | 51% |
| 11:00 | 109 | 60% | 73 | 40% |
| 12:00 | 137 | 59% | 94 | 41% |
| 13:00 | 155 | 59% | 106 | 41% |
| 14:00 | 170 | 59% | 118 | 41% |
| 15:00 | 180 | 58% | 132 | 42% |
| 16:00 | 187 | 57% | 141 | 43% |

### St. Peter's

No. 7 St. Peter's :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | David Rae * | unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing |

### Scotland

No. 2 Scotland :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | | Richard Sheil * | unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | |
| | | | Swing |

### South Toxteth

No. 15 South Toxteth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | Horace Seymour Alpass | 298 | 54% |
| | Conservative | John Farnworth | 249 | 46% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 49 | 8% |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 547 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | |
| Time | Horace Seymour Alpass | Horace Seymour Alpass | John Farnworth | John Farnworth |
| Time | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| 10:00 | 100 | 59% | 69 | 41% |
| 11:00 | 111 | 58% | 79 | 42% |
| 12:00 | 164 | 61% | 105 | 39% |
| 13:00 | 205 | 56% | 160 | 44% |
| 14:00 | 233 | 56% | 185 | 44% |
| 15:00 | 259 | 51% | 247 | 49% |
| 16:00 | 298 | 54% | 249 | 46% |

### Vauxhall

No. 3 Vauxhall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | Roger Haydock * | 118 | 75% |
| | Conservative | James Denton | 39 | 25% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 79 | 50% |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 157 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | |
| Time | Roger Haydock | Roger Haydock | James Denton | James Denton |
| Time | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| 10:00 | 29 | 74% | 10 | 26% |
| 11:00 | 51 | 78% | 14 | 22% |
| 12:00 | 76 | 79% | 20 | 21% |
| 13:00 | 85 | 73% | 32 | 27% |
| 14:00 | 112 | 75% | 38 | 25% |
| 16:00 | 118 | 75% | 39 | 25% |

### West Derby

No. 14 West Derby :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Liberal | Peter George Heyworth | 507 | 52% |
| | Conservative | Edward Samuelson | 471 | 48% |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 36 | 4% |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 978 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | |
| Time | Peter George Heyworth | Peter George Heyworth | Edward Samuelson | Edward Samuelson |
| Time | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| 9:30 | 27 | 69% | 12 | 31% |
| 10:00 | 66 | 53% | 58 | 47% |
| 11:00 | 147 | 53% | 129 | 47% |
| 12:00 | 195 | 43% | 260 | 57% |
| 13:00 | 275 | 50% | 277 | 50% |
| 13:35 | 334 | 51% | 318 | 49% |
| 14:30 | 394 | 51% | 377 | 49% |
| 15:00 | 451 | 52% | 419 | 48% |
| 16:00 | 507 | 52% | 471 | 48% |