{"id":17975,"date":"2025-09-11T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/?p=17975"},"modified":"2025-07-25T14:55:06","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T13:55:06","slug":"daniel-gaskell-mp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/2025\/09\/11\/daniel-gaskell-mp\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I have attached myself to no party’: Daniel Gaskell and parliamentary life in the 1830s"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Our Victorian Commons project is shedding new light on the increasingly important role played in the behind-the-scenes business of the post-1832 House of Commons, particularly in the committee-rooms, by MPs who came from non-elite backgrounds.<\/em> Dr Kathryn Rix<\/a> looks at the life and career of Daniel Gaskell (1782-1875), including his friendship with the author Mary Shelley.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Described by the novelist Mary Shelley as \u2018a plain silentious but intelligent looking man\u2019, Gaskell served as MP for Wakefield from 1832 until his defeat in 1837. Whilst a family inheritance enabled him to lead a comfortable life as a country gentleman, his Unitarian faith set him apart from the traditional political class. He was enthusiastically supported in his parliamentary career by his wife, and the often under-valued political role of women is another major theme to emerge in our research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gaskell was one of around 40 Unitarians who sat in the Commons during the 1832-68 period. His grandfather, a linen draper, and his father, a merchant, had both worshipped at Manchester\u2019s Cross Street Unitarian Chapel. Gaskell was born in Manchester, but moved to Lupset Hall, near Wakefield, following his marriage in 1806. He and his older brother Benjamin were the major beneficiaries under the will of their cousin, James Milnes, and acquired considerable urban and rural property. Lupset Hall \u2018received all the embellishment which taste and art could confer upon it\u2019 and became \u2018the seat of the most liberal hospitality\u2019. Gaskell was acquainted with prominent figures such as the philosopher and social reformer Jeremy Bentham, although Mary Shelley considered him and his wife to be \u2018country folks in core\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"A<\/a>
A map of Wakefield constituency after the 1832 Reform Act<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The Radicals in the newly enfranchised borough of Wakefield \u2013 which had one MP from 1832 \u2013 invited Gaskell to be their candidate. He initially accepted, but subsequently withdrew. He was, however, persuaded to reconsider. In August 1831, his nephew, James Milnes Gaskell, who had begun canvassing Wakefield as a Conservative, recorded that \u2018the radicals had so effectually worked upon my uncle\u2019s anxious and sensitive mind that he considered it a point of conscience\u2019 to stand. Milnes Gaskell withdrew in his uncle\u2019s favour in March 1832, finding a safe seat at Wenlock instead. Gaskell was elected unopposed in December 1832, when his political platform included retrenchment in public spending, shorter Parliaments, the secret ballot, the abolition of slavery, revision of the corn laws and reform of the Church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside local Radical pressure, Gaskell\u2019s formidable wife, Mary, played an important part in encouraging her \u2018reluctant spouse\u2019 to stand. Although women were debarred from the parliamentary franchise, their political influence in this period should not be overlooked, whether as\u00a0local voters<\/a>,\u00a0petitioners<\/a>,\u00a0electoral patrons<\/a>\u00a0or, in Mary Gaskell\u2019s case, political wives. \u2018Unquestionably a character\u2019, who \u2018drew upon herself a great degree of notice from the leading part she took in public matters\u2019, she was described as \u2018a sort of zealot in the patronage of ultra-Liberals\u2019. She went to hear sermons from the Unitarian preacher, William Johnson Fox (later Radical MP for Oldham), and \u2018was a kind and generous friend\u2019 to the radical journalist and novelist William Godwin and his family, including Mary Shelley, who was his daughter. In April 1831 James Milnes Gaskell told his mother that \u2018it is, in fact, my Aunt, that would be member of Parliament\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite his initial reluctance to stand, Gaskell was \u2018punctual in his attendance\u2019 at Parliament. Mary Shelley marvelled that<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

he attends the house night after night and dull committees and likes it! \u2013 for truly after a country town and country society, the dullest portion of London seems as gay as a masked ball.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

\n
\"An<\/a>
 <\/span><\/span>Mary Shelley, Richard Rothwell (1831-1840), \u00a9 National Portrait Gallery, London<\/a>, CC BY-NC-ND 3.0<\/a><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Despite her comments about Parliament\u2019s dullness, Shelley took advantage of her friendship with Gaskell to make use of his parliamentary franking privileges, encouraging correspondents to send letters to her via Gaskell, who could receive them without payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although he was assiduous in his attendance, Gaskell seldom spoke in debate. One obituary recorded that \u2018the atmosphere of publicity\u2019 was not \u2018congenial to his tastes and habits\u2019. He was, however, remembered as \u2018an excellent committee-man\u2019, highlighting the fact that contributions in the chamber were only one aspect of parliamentary engagement. While Gaskell gave general support to Whig ministers, he expressed concerns that they \u2018did not proceed in the path of Reform so rapidly as was generally expected; indeed some of their early measures seemed to indicate a retrograde movement\u2019. Reflecting his claim that \u2018I have attached myself to no party\u2019, Gaskell\u2019s votes in the division lobbies displayed considerable independence. He often divided in the minority with Radical and Irish MPs, on issues ranging from the ballot to the introduction of a moderate fixed duty on corn. His radical leanings prompted joint Whig-Conservative efforts to find an opponent to him at the 1835 election. He survived this contest, but was defeated in 1837. His parliamentary service was rewarded with the presentation of \u2018two massive pieces of silver plate\u2019 in 1838: a vase from the \u2018ladies\u2019 of Wakefield and a soup tureen from 1,700 male subscribers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After several years\u2019 absence from the Commons, Gaskell reluctantly agreed in December 1845 that he would stand again for Wakefield to support the cause of free trade. With the general election delayed and the corn laws repealed, he withdrew in April 1847 on grounds of his age and health. Widowed the following year, he subsequently dedicated his energies \u2013 and up to half his annual income of \u00a34,000 \u2013 to charitable works. He was a particularly generous benefactor to the Unitarian church, donating \u00a31,000 in 1856 to assist poorer congregations in the north of England. He also supported educational causes, contributing \u00a33,000 towards new premises for the Wakefield Mechanics\u2019 Institute in 1855. He died in December 1875.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is an updated version of an article originally published on the Victorian Commons website<\/a> on 27 June 2016, written by Dr Kathryn Rix<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our Victorian Commons project is shedding new light on the increasingly important role played in the behind-the-scenes business of the post-1832 House of Commons, particularly in the committee-rooms, by MPs who came from non-elite backgrounds. Dr Kathryn Rix looks at the life and career of Daniel Gaskell (1782-1875), including his friendship with the author Mary Shelley. Described by the novelist Mary Shelley as \u2018a plain … Continue reading ‘I have attached myself to no party’: Daniel Gaskell and parliamentary life in the 1830s<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37726181,"featured_media":17989,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[4706867,774275741,94605313,774275561,124494893,1450539],"tags":[774276169,35890,116,774276098],"class_list":["post-17975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-19th-century-history","category-parliamentary-life","category-political-parties","category-victorian","category-victorian-commons","category-women-and-parliament","tag-daniel-gaskell","tag-featured","tag-religion","tag-wakefield"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Wakefield-e1752234381864.jpg?fit=1200%2C1486&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2QYNW-4FV","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9704,"url":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/2022\/07\/14\/harriet-grote\/","url_meta":{"origin":17975,"position":0},"title":"Ballot boxes, bills and unions: Harriet Grote (1792-1878) and the public campaign for the ballot,\u00a01832-9","author":"Martin Spychal","date":"July 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"In part six of his article series on Harriet Grote, Dr Martin Spychal, research fellow in our House of Commons 1832-68 project, explores the role of\u00a0Harriet Grote (1792-1878)\u00a0in the popular and parliamentary campaign for the ballot during the 1830s. 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In July 1841 Joseph\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Victorian Commons"","block_context":{"text":"Victorian Commons","link":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/category\/sections\/victorian-commons\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/wakefield.jpg?fit=724%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/wakefield.jpg?fit=724%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/wakefield.jpg?fit=724%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/wakefield.jpg?fit=724%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11532,"url":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/2023\/07\/11\/harriet-grote-1835-parliament-and-the-failed-attempt-to-establish-a-radical-party\/","url_meta":{"origin":17975,"position":3},"title":"\u2018Another of my female politicians\u2019 epistles\u2019: Harriet Grote (1792-1878), the 1835 Parliament and the failed attempt to establish a radical party","author":"Martin Spychal","date":"July 11, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"In the fourth of his articles on Harriet Grote (1792-1878), our research fellow Dr Martin Spychal looks at Harriet\u2019s involvement in the abortive attempt to establish a radical party at Westminster in the wake of the 1835 election. In November 1834 four years of Whig government came to an end\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Victorian Commons"","block_context":{"text":"Victorian Commons","link":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/category\/sections\/victorian-commons\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/political-drama-77-SM.jpeg?fit=1016%2C529&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/political-drama-77-SM.jpeg?fit=1016%2C529&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/political-drama-77-SM.jpeg?fit=1016%2C529&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historyofparliament.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/political-drama-77-SM.jpeg?fit=1016%2C529&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6831,"url":"https:\/\/historyofparliament.com\/2021\/03\/09\/geography-of-voting-behaviour\/","url_meta":{"origin":17975,"position":4},"title":"The geography of voting behaviour: towards a roll-call analysis of England\u2019s reformed electoral map, 1832-68","author":"Martin Spychal","date":"March 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Ahead of next Tuesday\u2019s Virtual\u00a0IHR Parliaments, Politics and People seminar, we hear from Dr Martin Spychal, of the History of Parliament. 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