Family History 1.3

Charles Gaze

Charles's birth certificate

Charles was born in the significant year of 1832. All London, and the country, was in an uproar. A left-wing Government had been elected in 1830, when as was usual in those days a General Election had been held after George IV died and William IV became King. The Government had been swept into office on a landslide because there was overwhelming support for changes to the way Parliament was elected.

Hogarth: Canvassing for Votes (before 1832)

Before that time, many MPs had just been appointed by the landowners in each constituency. Middle class people were now demanding a say in how their representatives were chosen.

The new House of Commons passed two Reform Bills, but they were both thrown out by the House of Lords. There was rioting in the streets; grain stores were set alight in the countryside in protest; there were street demonstrations. The Government resigned.

William IV

The King asked various leaders of the other party to try to form a Government, but he made it clear they would have to agree to some reform of the electoral system. William IV was as near a democrat as the Royal Family ever produced, as he had been a naval captain, and he lived with his de facto wife and ten children when ashore, so he understood what ordinary people thought.

None of the right-wing party could get any support, so the King went back to the majority leaders. They agreed to reform their Government, on condition he agreed to create enough Lords to enable the bill to pass in the Upper House. William agreed to this because he believed it was his duty to follow the advice of the majority of the House of Commons.

So the Reform Act of 1832 was passed, because the opposition Lords all stayed home, and there was great rejoicing.

Into this ferment, Charles Gaze was born on 7 August.