A female witness; Ant Steel & Mayor, Cllr Antony Rowlands; Jacob Bell, Liberal candidate © Tim Boatswain
Sovereign Way Information Panel
Back in August a mural, generously sponsored by Christopher Place, was painted in Sovereign Way in the city centre. This was a result of a cooperative project between Conservation 50 and St Albans & Hertfordshire Architectural & Archaeological Society (SAHAAS), to revive, the historic alleyways of St Albans. The artist, Ant Steel, who was at that time the Artist in Residence at the Cathedral, was commissioned to recreate images relating to St Albans' “great election scandal of 1851”.
On 26th March at 2 pm an information panel, designed by Roy Bellamy, explaining the story behind the Election Scandal will be officially installed in Sovereign Way by Dr John Morewood, President of SAHAAS, who drafted the text. The artist, Ant Steel will be a Guest of Honour and the public is very welcome to attend.
The Corruption that prevailed in St Albans
Later on 26th March at 7 pm, a reenactment of the governmental inquiry into the election corruption at St Albans will take place in the Museum + Gallery. The result of the Inquiry was that the town was punished so that the constituency was not allowed an MP for over 30 years. The story will be played out in the very courtroom where the inquiry took place, along with extracts from the debate in Parliament which led to the Corrupt Practices Act of 1852. Entitled, “An Act to provide for more effectual inquiry into the existence of corrupt Practices at Elections for Members to serve in Parliament”; it was a turning point in British Politics, introducing penalties for those accepting or offering bribes and, for the first time, recording the monies spent by election candidates.
The entrance fee is £10. To book go to:
For further information please contact timboatswain@otmail.com (0787 3586074)
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