1838 Manchester Borough Council election

1838 Manchester Borough Council election

14 December 1838 (1838-12-14) 1839 →
48 of 64 seats to Manchester Borough Council 33 seats needed for a majority
First party   Party Whig Seats won 48 Seats after 64 Popular vote 10,713 Percentage 90.8%
Map of results of 1838 election
Leader of the Council after election Whig

Elections to Manchester Borough Council were held on Friday, 14 December 1838.

This was the first local election held in Manchester since it had been incorporated under the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 alongside the townships of Beswick, Cheetham Hill, Chorlton upon Medlock, and Hulme. As this was the first election to the Council, all seats for each of the fifteen wards were up for election. The candidate in each ward with the highest number of votes was elected for three years, the candidate with the second highest number of votes was elected for two years and the candidate with the third highest number of votes was elected for one year. Only one of the fifteen wards was contested.

The Conservative Party boycotted the election due to their opposition to incorporation.^[1] All seats were won by pro-incorporation candidates aligned with the Whigs with the only opposition coming in New Cross ward where the Radicals stood a slate of candidates.^[2]

Aldermanic elections took place during the council's first meeting on 15 December 1838, all Aldermanic seats were up for election.^[3]