Pocket boroughs and rotten boroughs
Study note
Even after the Glorious Revolution, Britain was a long way from being a modern democracy. The right to vote was very limited. Only men who owned property worth a certain amount could vote at all, and no women could vote whatsoever, so a true or false question on women voting at this time should be answered false.
The way seats in Parliament were arranged was also far from fair. A pocket borough was a constituency effectively controlled by a single wealthy family, who could decide who became its member of Parliament. A rotten borough was a constituency that had hardly any voters left, yet still elected a member. These unfair arrangements were finally swept away by the Reform Act of 1832.
Memory tip: Pocket borough = run by one rich family; rotten borough = almost no voters.
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Question 1 of 3
What was a 'pocket borough'?
Show all questions and answers for Pocket boroughs and rotten boroughs(3 questions with explanations)
Pocket boroughs and rotten boroughs: questions, answers and explanations
1. What was a 'pocket borough'?
- A town with no church
- A Scottish clan area
- A seat reserved for women
- A constituency controlled by a single wealthy family
Correct answer: A constituency controlled by a single wealthy family
A pocket borough was a seat controlled by one wealthy family.
2. What was a 'rotten borough'?
- A region without farms
- A town destroyed by fire
- A constituency with hardly any voters
- A borough that supported the king
Correct answer: A constituency with hardly any voters
A rotten borough was a seat with very few voters.
3. After the Glorious Revolution, women were allowed to vote for members of Parliament.
- True
- False
Correct answer: False
False. No women could vote at this time, and only men who owned property could do so.
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