The Sheffield Political Union (SPU) was an organisation established to campaign for Parliamentary Reform in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. It attracted 12,000 members in 1832. The SPU was founded by "Eleven Poor Men of

Hallamshire Hallamshire (or Hallam) is the historical name for an area of South Yorkshire, England, approximating to the current City of Sheffield local government area. The origin of the name is uncertain. The English Place-Name Society describe "Hall ...

" as celebrated in a hymn of this name by Ebenezer Elliott. In May 1833 the SPU originally proposed submitting a "humble prayer" to

King William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded hi ...

to dismiss his ministers and call a new election. However, when the wording was made somewhat stronger by turning this into a demand, the committee including Elliott, resigned and the union was wound up.

Notable people associated with the Sheffield Political Union

Ebenezer Elliott Ebenezer Elliott (17 March 1781 – 1 December 1849) was an English poet, known as the ''Corn Law rhymer'' for his leading the fight to repeal the Corn Laws, which were causing hardship and starvation among the poor. Though a factory owner himse ...

, poet * Isaac Ironside, chartist

References

{{reflist Yorkshire culture