Oxford University was first granted two
MPs in 1613. The vote was given to proctors and all living masters
of arts of the university, wherever they lived. No canvassing was
allowed within ten miles of the university; the candidates themselves
were forbidden to approach within that distance. The two Tory
candidates were almost always guaranteed success. Around 1,300 people
voted in elections. Between 1817 and 1829 one of Cambridge's two MPs
was Sir Robert Peel. However, Peel's support
for Catholic Emancipation made him unpopular
in Oxford and he was defeated by 146 votes in February 1829.
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