Description:When Josiah Wedgwood II ran for Parliament in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, his major selling point was "reform."
Forward-thinking, "reforming" politicians were campaigning for changes to the way that Staffordshire's people elected their MPs.
Until now, for example, Stoke-on-Trent had shared its MP with the rest of Staffordshire.
But like the growing cities of Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds, the Potteries was an industrial hub with very different interests to the surrounding countryside.
Not surprisingly, reformers were looking for a way to gain an MP for Stoke-on-Trent.
Wedgwood had pledged to support the cause of reform.
As well as giving a better deal to the area, the authors of the notice claim that he would also have the ear of reforming ministers.
This would help him to pursue other policies on behalf of the local area.
About this document
This document was collected by Burslem pottery manufacturer Enoch Wood, and is now among the collections at Stoke-on-Trent Museums.