Description:The Sutherland Papers contain many vouchers for purchases made during election campaigns. Vouchers such as the one featured above tell us about the money spent on election campaigns in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. They also provide details about the tradesmen selling items such as ribbons at this time.
The vouchers for the General Election at Lichfield in 1796 are particularly detailed, with original sales vouchers grouped in bundles for ‘ribbons’ and ‘ale’ amongst vouchers for other expenses including ‘messengers’.
Many of the sales vouchers have printed receipts attached to them confirming the receipt of payment from the Anson-Gower Party.
Vouchers for Ribbons
The voucher featured above is dated 27th May 1796 from Thomas Jackson of Lichfield, ‘Wholesale & Retail Linen & Woollen Draper’. Jackson supplied ribbons to the Anson-Gower Party to be worn by supporters throughout the election. The sales voucher featured above is for 200 Yards ‘of blue & pink china ribbons’ and amounts to six pounds, thirteen shillings and four pence.
Traders at this time typically provided a range of different products and Thomas Jackson reflects this trend in the variety of products he sold. Jackson’s voucher states that he was an ‘Importer of Irish Linens’, a ‘Dealer in fine Teas’ and also provided ‘Funerals compleatly furnish’d’.
To learn more about election vouchers, click on the images on the left.