Tenants of cottages, including many workers in the city, typically paid their rates indirectly through their landlords and were therefore not permitted to vote.
Briggs was easily elected, while Ironside won narrowly on a record turnout: 397 votes to 317 for his Liberal rival.
The Liberal press in the shape of the Sheffield Independent was initially supportive, but as the group gain success, became increasingly hostile.
[3] The Chartists set up ward committees which met regularly and were responsible for selecting candidates, canvassing for them and for encouraging supporters to vote.
[1] These committees, known as "wardmotes" and open to all "burghers" (loosely defined as the skilled working classes), were inspired by Joshua Toulmin Smith's ideas.
[1] The Association allowed the wardmotes to select any candidate they chose, and while many were active Democrats, other radicals and independent Chartists were sometimes elected on to their slate.
On one occasion, Ironside found five youths disturbing the peace and a wardmote passed a resolution calling for their parents to bring them before the body.
The Chartists also opposed the additional property qualifications it introduced for voters and members of local boards, noting this would disenfranchise many of their supporters.
[1] In 1851, Ironside seconded a council motion to call a public meeting to decide whether a local bill should be applied for that year.
The bill claimed for Sheffield a wide range of powers, which would include the absorption of the Church Burgesses and the Town Trustees.
They opposed it on the grounds that it did not introduce a universal male franchise for the council, and that it would for the first time impose rates on housing with a rateable value of £7 or less per year.
[1] Ironside was the chair of the city's Highways Board from 1852 to 1854, and led a campaign of street paving and laying deep sewers.