[2] The growing industrial centre of Birmingham had neither local government nor parliamentary representation at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
[3] In that capacity, Scholefield chaired a meeting of Birmingham's businessmen in January 1820 that resolved to petition Parliament to hold an inquiry into the "deplorable situation of the Manufacturing and Labouring classes of the Community and of this Town in particular; and the distressing situation to which Manufactures and Commerce are reduced".
The Reform Act 1832 enfranchised Birmingham as a parliamentary borough, with the right to return two members to the House of Commons.
It was initially expected that they would contest the seat with the Tories, but in the event, the two men were elected unopposed.
[2] On 24 June 1844 he became ill, apparently with a stroke, and died on 4 July at his residence in Birmingham, aged 69.