3-052-561 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The General Election: counting the votes at the Southwark election, 1880. 'The ballot-boxes were at once removed from all the polling-stations, and were delivered into the custody of the High Bailiff of Southwark, at the Vestry-Hall Borough-road. Here, at ten o'clock next morning, began the operation of counting the votes, which was performed by an adequate staff of clerks, under the superintendence of the High Bailiff and his deputy, in presence of three of the candidates - Mr. Cattley being absent from indisposition - and of their agents and friends. Each ballot-box was emptied, and the number of ballot papers in each were counted and tied up into bundles. These bundles were eventually all mixed together, and the actual counting commenced at a quarter past eleven...The process of counting was completed a few minutes after one in the afternoon. The announcement was first made in the Vestry-Hall, and then to a little knot of people who, in spite of the rain, waited outside to hear the result, which was a great victory for the Liberals - the numbers being, for Mr. Cohen, 9693, and Mr. Rogers, 9521, against 8163 for Mr. Clarke, and 7674 for Mr. Cattley'. From "Illustrated London News", 1880.