Potwalloper

A potwalloper (sometimes potwalloner or potwaller) is an archaic term referring to a borough constituency returning members to the British House of Commons before 1832 and the Reform Act created a uniform suffrage. (Several potwalloper constituencies were also represented in the Irish House of Commons, prior to its abolition in 1801). A potwalloper borough was one in which a householder had the right to vote if he had, in his house, a hearth large enough to boil, or wallop, a cauldron, or pot.

The potwalloper was the variant of the borough franchise which was one of the widest, and the tendency was for the franchise to be reduced. From the time of the restoration, the only British boroughs to elect on a potwalloper or inhabitant franchise were:

• Abingdon (1690-1708, and only if electors were not in receipt of alms)
• Amersham (until 1705; electors in receipt of alms were disfranchised in 1690)
• Ashburton (until 1708)
• Aylesbury (only if electors were not in receipt of alms; after 1804 freeholders living near the town were enfranchised also)
• Bedford (providing electors were not in receipt of alms)
• Callington (required one years' continuous residence. The franchise in this borough was in dispute but both definitions amounted to the same people in practice)
• Cirencester
• Hertford (providing electors were not in receipt of alms; freemen voted as well)
• Hindon (providing electors were not in receipt of alms)
• Honiton (1690-1711 and from 1724, but only if electors were not in receipt of alms)
• Ilchester (from 1702, but only if electors were not in receipt of alms)
• Ludgershall (until 1698)
• Milborne Port (until 1702)
• Minehead
• Mitchell (until 1715, and only if electors were not in receipt of alms)
• Northampton (from 1715)
• Pontefract (from 1783)
• Portsmouth (until 1695)
• Preston (from 1768)
• Reading (until 1708)
• St Germans (one year residency)
• Southwark (until 1702, and only if electors were not in receipt of alms)
• Taunton
• Tregony
• Wendover (providing electors were not in receipt of alms)

The term Potwalloper, was also used to refer to the trustee prisoner who made sure cell-buckets (for overnight toilet use), were emptied and cleaned each morning. He didn't do the cleaning himself, but he was responsible for making sure the other prisoners did.