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

Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

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

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 Isaac Ironside (17 September 1808 – 20 August 1870) was an English Chartist and socialist politician, whose activities were centred in Sheffield. Early years Born near Masbrough, Rotherham, Ironside grew up in Sheffield, the son of Samuel Iron ...

, chartist

References

{{reflist Yorkshire culture