1876 Christchurch mayoral election, Background
Initially, councillors elected one of their own as mayor towards the end of the year, and the role was usually awarded to the most senior councillor. The system changed with the introduction of The Municipal Corporations Acts Amendment Act, 1875, as that legislation stipulated that mayors had to be elected at large (i.e. by eligible voters). In December 1875, when the new act first applied, the incumbent mayor, Fred Hobbs, was the only candidate nominated. The returning officer, Edward Bishop, thus declared Hobbs elected unopposed on 17 December 1875.


1876 Christchurch mayoral election, Background
After having served two terms, it became known at the beginning of November 1876 that Hobbs would not seek election for a third term. This was regretted by one of the local newspapers, The Star, as they regarded him as having "discharged his duties with a thoroughness and zeal which will not be readily equalled by his successor." In the same editorial, the two eventual candidates were named. From December 1876 onwards, George Leslie Lee acted as returning officer for mayoral elections for many years.


1876 Christchurch mayoral election, Candidates
James Gapes was from Essex in England. He came to Christchurch with his wife, children, and a relative in 1859. They travelled as assisted immigrants, i.e. they were part of a supported immigration scheme and thus of humble origin. He started a glass, paint and paperhanging business in Victoria Street and was a member of many organisations. He was also known as a flutist, giving concerts together with Sir John Cracroft Wilson. Gapes was first voted onto Christchurch City Council as a city councillor in a February 1873 by-election.


1876 Christchurch mayoral election, Candidates
Charles Thomas Ick was an auctioneer by trade. He came from Otago to Christchurch in 1870. He was first elected as a city councillor in October 1872.


1876 Christchurch mayoral election, Election
Eligible electors in Christchurch had their first opportunity to vote for a mayor on 20 December 1876. Gapes represented working class interests, whereas Ick represented the wealthier part of the population.


1876 Christchurch mayoral election, Election
Gapes won the election, and was sworn in as mayor at the next Christchurch City Council meeting on 2 January 1877. Gapes was defeated at the next mayoral election in December 1877 by Henry Thomson, but won another election as mayor in November 1880. Ick became mayor in November 1878 when he beat Thomson.


1876 Cincinnati Reds season
The 1876 Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. It was the team's first season of existence, having been formed as part of the brand new National League in 1876. This team was not related (except by name) to the previous Cincinnati Red Stockings National Association team, which had folded in 1870.


1876 Cincinnati Reds season, Regular season
One bright spot for the Reds was the play of Charley Jones, who led the club with a batting average of .286, had the second highest home run total in the league with four, and was among the league leaders in doubles and slugging percentage.


1876 Cincinnati Reds season, Regular season, Season summary
The Reds played their first ever game on April 25, 1876, defeating the St. Louis Brown Stockings 2–1 at Avenue Grounds. Wins would be far and few between for the Reds, as after putting up a solid 3–2 record in their opening five games, the Reds would go on an eleven-game losing streak to fall to 3–13. After defeating the Hartford Dark Blues 8–2 to end their losing streak, the Reds would then have a thirteen-game losing streak, and saw their record fall to 4–26. By the time the season was finished, Cincinnati had the worst record in the National League, as they ended the season with a 9–56 record, 42.5 games behind the first place Chicago White Stockings.


1876 Cincinnati Reds season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1876 Cincinnati Reds season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1876 Cincinnati Reds season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1876 Cincinnati Reds season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1876 Cincinnati Reds season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1876 City of Auckland West by-election
The 1876 City of Auckland West by-election was a by-election held  on 25 July 1876 in the City of Auckland West electorate during the 6th New Zealand Parliament. It was then a two-member electorate.


1876 City of Auckland West by-election
The by-election was caused by the resignation of the incumbent, George Grey.


1876 City of Auckland West by-election
Benjamin Tonks, the Mayor of Auckland City, was elected by a large majority.


1876 Colombian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in the United States of Colombia in 1876. The result was a victory for Aquileo Parra of the Liberal Party.


1876 Colombian presidential election, Electoral system
The 1863 constitution changed the electoral system from a direct vote to an indirect vote. The President was now elected on the basis of which candidate received the most votes in each state, with a candidate required to win in at least five of the nine states to be elected. If no candidate received a majority, Congress would elect the President from the main contenders.


1876 Colombian presidential election, Results
The electors were elected in 1875. In Cauca Rafael Núñez won a majority of the vote, but the election jury refused to recognise his victory. However, it also refused to give its college vote to Parra, and so announced that the state's electors would not take part in the presidential ballot. For the first time, no candidate won a majority of states, and as a result, Congress elected the President on 21 February.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election
The 1876 Colorado gubernatorial election took place on October 3, 1876, to elect the 1st Governor of Colorado after the state was admitted to the union on August 1, 1876. Republican John Long Routt, last governor of the Colorado Territory, was elected in a close race against Democratic nominee Bela M. Hughes.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, Political turmoil in the Colorado Territory from 1874 to 1875
In January 1874, Edward M. McCook, who already had been territorial Governor from 1869 to 1873, was appointed for another term by President Ulysses S. Grant after incumbent Governor Samuel Elbert had been removed due to misconduct in the Land Office in Pueblo. Elbert had supporters that claimed he should not have been relieved from his office because he was not involved in any misconduct. McCook, whose first administration was considered tainted by corruption, was also fiercely opposed by Jerome B. Chaffee, an Elbert supporter, who was the Territory's Delegate to the House of Representative at the time.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, Political turmoil in the Colorado Territory from 1874 to 1875
Many in the territory saw McCook's appointment as an affront. The battle for his Senate confirmation turned into a feud between Chaffee and President Grant. Chaffee even threatened to resign if McCook was confirmed in the Senate. After five months of testimony and multiple accusations against McCook, the Senate confirmed his appointment on June 19, 1874 by a one-vote majority.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, Political turmoil in the Colorado Territory from 1874 to 1875
After he had returned to Colorado, Governor McCook asked President Grant to relieve all political appointees from their duties, which had been recommended by Delegate Chaffee. President Grant complied and appointed replacements that all lived outside the territory. McCook and those other federal officers were considered carpetbaggers by the local population. There was a growing a sentiment in the territory, that the federal offices were used to place unsuccessful and no longer needed politicians from the east of the United States. A growing dissatisfaction with the Republican president, his local appointees and the infighting in the Republican party led to the surprising victory of Democrat Thomas M. Patterson in the election for Delegate to the House of Representatives on November 3, 1874.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, Political turmoil in the Colorado Territory from 1874 to 1875
Edward M. McCook's second term as Governor was not successful and lasted just eight months. His administration was plagued by infighting in the Republican Party and McCook's personal problems. McCook was distraught by the death of his wife Mary and suffered from alcoholism. His lack of moral conduct cost him a lot of support and in February 1875 he resigned at the request of President Grant.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, John Long Routt's term as last Territorial Governor
On March 29, 1875, Republican John Long Routt was appointed by President Grant as to replace the unpopular Edward McCook as Governor of the Territory of Colorado. President Grant and John Routt had been close friends since their serving together for the Union in the Civil War.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, John Long Routt's term as last Territorial Governor
Routt's first task was to unite the local Republican party after years of infighting. He also needed to solve a growing disconnect between the inhabitants of Denver and the inhabitants of more rural areas in the territory. Many rural Coloradions believed that the gridlock and infighting in the years prior had been caused by a strong concentration of power for Denver politicians. At first, Routt had to deal with scepticism because he had also been appointed to the office without ever living in Colorado before.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, John Long Routt's term as last Territorial Governor
He assured the public by stating that he planned to move to the territory even if he had not been appointed as Governor. His term as territorial Governor was dominated by the crafting of the first State Constitution of Colorado by the 1875 constitutional convention. Routt also succeeded in uniting the factions of the local Republican party.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, Colorado's final push for statehood
In the 1860s, the Colorado Territory, which had been created in 1861, was already relatively close to statehood. A Republican-dominated congress had passed an enabling act in 1864, that was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. The first proposed state constitution was voted down by the voters of the territory on October 11, 1864. A second proposal for a state constitution was then ratified by the voters on August 12, 1865. President Andrew Johnson, who had come into office after Lincoln's assassination, opposed statehood for the Colorado Territory fearing a strengthened Republican majority. During his term, President Johnson successfully blocked all further attempts by Congress to force statehood for the territory. After Johnson left office in 1869, Congress failed to pass a statehood bill on three separate occasions in between 1869 and 1873.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, Colorado's final push for statehood
The appointment saga around Governor McCook had shown the population of the territory the need for self-government and contributed to a strong effort towards statehood. An act of Congress was again necessary for statehood. After the 1874 United States elections, control of the 44th Congress was divided, with Republicans still firmly in control of the Senate but Democrats with a newly gained majority in the House. National Democrats had long been opposed to statehood for the Colorado Territory fearing that statehood would add a solid Republican state to the Union.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, Colorado's final push for statehood
Newly elected Delegate Thomas M. Patterson, who was a strong proponent of statehood, worked on convincing Democrats in Congress that Colorado would elect Democratic members to Congress. Patterson pointed to his own election as proof. On the Republican side, former Delegate Jerome B. Chaffee, also a statehood proponent, made sure that Republican member of Congress would remain convinced that Colorado would vote Republican and that they supported the party's line. Republicans pushed statehood through the 43rd Congress in the last days of its term, as the Democrats would take over control of the House of Representatives after the 44th Congress was sworn-in on March 4, 1875.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, Colorado's final push for statehood
The United States Congress passed an enabling act on March 3, 1875, specifying the requirements for the Territory of Colorado to become a state. On August 1, 1876, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signed a proclamation admitting the state of Colorado to the Union as the 38th state and earning it the moniker "Centennial State". The borders of the new state coincided with the borders that had been established for the Colorado Territory.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, Colorado's State Constitution
The enabling act laid out the process for the attempt at the first state constitution for Colorado. The territorial governor was authorized to call an election for 39 delegates within 90 days of September 1, 1875 which had to convene for the convention within 60 days of such elections. The crafted would have to be ratified by a referendum in July 1876. The enabling act had included a section stating that only those eligible to vote in territorial elections could vote in the referendum and in the prior elections for delegates to the constitutional convention.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, Colorado's State Constitution
This meant that, due to territorial statue of 1868, only white males over the age of 21 were allowed to vote. The act also included constraints for the future state constitution. It specified that the constitution could make no "civil or political distinction on the account of race or color" and that it had to "tolerate all religious sentiments".


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, Colorado's State Constitution
Governor John Routt ordered elections for representatives in a Constitutional Convention, which were held on October 25, 1875. Republicans won 24 seats, while the Democrats won just 15 seats. The convention convened in Denver on December 20, 1875. The most hotly contested issues were the regulation of railroads, mines and other companies, women's suffrage, funding for  denominational schools and whether God should be mentioned in the preamble.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, Colorado's State Constitution
The state constitution gave black men over the age of 21 the right to vote in state, while women's suffrage was also proposed but defeated in a 28-4 vote. Delegates were afraid that territory's male electorate was against women's suffrage and that including it would doom the constitutions and thus statehood in the referendum. The fear of corruption due to the strong influence of private mining and railroad companies in the state defined many choices of the convention. The term length of Governors was set at just two years to give voters an early opportunity to reject unpopular administration.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, Colorado's State Constitution
Article V, Section 25, prohibited the passing of any laws benefiting just one company and Sections 27 and 28 provided ethics standards for legislators. The constitution is also very long due to detailed instructions and restrictions of the legislative abilities of the Colorado General Assembly. The intent here was to curb the ability of business leaders to enact laws through their influence over legislators.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Background, Colorado's State Constitution
The constitution passed the convention on March 14, 1876 in a unanimous vote of 30-0, with nine delegates absent. Due to provisions in the enabling act, the ratification referendum could not be held until July 1876. The new constitution was finally ratified by a vote of the people on July 1, 1876. The vote margin was 15,443-4,039 (79%-21%) in favor of the constitution. Only four counties, El Paso, Huerfano, Las Animas and Pueblo, voted against the constitution. At the time, the residents of those counties were mostly of Mexican heritage and the results showed their dissatisfaction with the constitution and their mistrust towards the majority Anglo-American population.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Republican Primary, State Convention
The Republican convention was held on August 23, 1876 in Pueblo. Jerome B. Chaffee, who was considered the leader of the local Republican party, chaired the convention. When the convention convened in the morning of August 23, it was uncertain who the state party would choose as their first nominee for Governor.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Republican Primary, State Convention
Former Governor Samuel Hitt Elbert still enjoyed significant support among the delegates and the party leaders. Elbert was considered the favorite for the nomination. His removal from office in 1874 had caused widespread solidarity and his candidacy was supported by Chaffee. Incumbent Governor John Long Routt had still to fight against his image as an outsider and "carpetbagger". Although, Routt had gained respect among Republicans for successfully uniting the factions within the party. Lafayette Head was a candidate who had strong support among the delegates from the Hispanic-majority southern part of the new state but a limited appeal outside his geographic base. George M. Chilcott was another candidate who was seen favorably by the party's establishment.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Republican Primary, State Convention
After four rounds of balloting had ended without a candidate receiving a majority of the delegates' votes (see below), John Routt struck a deal with Lafayette Head and Samuel Elbert. Head joined Routt on the Republican ticket as the nominee for Lieutenant Governor, while Elbert accepted a nomination in the elections for the Colorado Supreme Court.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Democratic Primary, State Convention
In February 1876, Bela Metcalfe Hughes was already rumoured in an article of the Colorado Weekly Chieftain to be the likely Democratic nominee in the first Gubernatorial election in the state of Colorado. On August 29, 1876, the Democratic convention met in Manitou Springs in order to nominate candidates for the first state elections on October 3, 1876. Bela Hughes was nominated for the 1876 Colorado Gubernatorial election per acclamation.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Democratic Primary, State Convention
Bela M. Hughes was born in Carlisle, Kentucky in 1817. He had worked as a transportation businessman, developer and attorney in Missouri and Kansas. In Missouri, Hughes had also served in the state's House of Representatives and had been appointed to the office of Receiver of Public Moneys by President John Tyler. He moved to Denver in 1862. He practiced as an attorney in the city and was the first president of the Denver Pacific Railway and Telegraph Company. Just prior to his candidacy for Governor, he had served one term as a Democrat in the Territorial Council, the upper house of the legislature of the Colorado Territory.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, General election, Campaign
The slightly over one month long campaign began right after the conventions in the end of August 1876. Both nominees had very different styles of campaigning. The Democratic Nominee Bela M. Hughes hold many speeches presenting his platform. In the first three weeks of September 1876 alone, he travelled for campaign events to 15 different Colorado cities, speaking up to six nights per week. The Republican newspaper Golden Weekly Globe, published an extensive report on Hughes's speech in Golden.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, General election, Campaign
In their report, the newspaper alleged that Democratic presidential nominee Samuel J. Tilden had committed perjury and criticized Hughes for his defense and support of Tilden. The editorial also criticized Hughes' language, as he used phrases like "damned lie" and "the government is going to hell", despite the fact that there were around twenty women in the audience. On the other hand, Democratic newspapers enthusiastically supported Hughes' candidacy. This was especially the case with the Denver Mirror, a small newspaper which was published by Stanley G. Fowler.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, General election, Campaign
The Republican nominee, Territorial Governor John Routt, did not make any public speeches during the campaign. He preferred to meet and greet voters face-to-face. At one Republican event, Routt acknowledged that he was not using rhetorical skills like his opponent. He said: "I cannot soar as high as some of my friends on the other side, but I am short and spry, and when it comes to getting into the political pastures I can get in just as quickly as they by crawling through; perhaps I can beat them in, for they have to soar high to avoid the fences."


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, General election, Campaign
The Denver Mirror then used the image of Routt crawling through the fences to paint him in multiple cartoons as a carpetbagger, who had not been elected but appointed to the territorial governorship by President Grant after serving in different political roles in Illinois and Washington, DC. The first cartoon was published on September 17, 1876. Fowler was successful with his cartoons, which were received attention across the whole state. Routt was amused by the caricatures and began to distribute copies of them at his campaign events. In its last cartoon concerning the 1876 State Elections on October 1, 1876, the Denver Mirror called its readers to support Hughes and other Democratic candidates, stressing their support for the Silver Dollar and political reforms, while alleging that a Republican state government would be tainted by corruption.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, General election, Results
Routt was able to secure another term in office as Republicans managed to sweep all statewide offices and both chambers of the Colorado General Assembly. Routt won the gubernatorial election by 14,154 to 13,316 votes, a 52-48 margin.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, General election, Reactions
Many Colorado Democrats questioned the accuracy of the election results. Nevertheless, Bela M. Hughes did not approve the calls for a recount and refused to request one despite the closeness of the results.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Aftermath
John Routt was sworn in as Colorado's 1st Governor on November 3, 1876. Routt did not run for reelection in 1878 but served another term as Colorado's as 7th Governor from 1891 to 1893. Additionally, he also served as Denver's 17th Mayor from 1883 to 1885. John Routt died in Denver on August 13, 1907.


1876 Colorado gubernatorial election, Aftermath
After the lost gubernatorial election, Bela Hughes mostly retreated from politics. His advice was still sought but he never ran for public office again. In February 1877, he was suggested by the newspaper Memphis Appeal as United States Secretary of State, in case Democratic nominee Samuel J. Tilden would emerge as the winner of the contested 1876 Presidential election. Hughes focused on his law practice in which he was in 1888 joined by his relative Charles J. Hughes Jr., who went on to represent Colorado as a Democratic member in the United States Senate. Bela Hughes retired from his profession as a lawyer in 1893. Hughes was recognized for his significant contributions to the state in the Colorado Hall of Fame and is depicted in the Colorado State Capitol. Bela Hughes died in his Denver home in the early morning of October 3, 1902.


1876 Columbia football team
The 1876 Columbia football team represented Columbia University in the 1876 college football season.


1876 Cork City by-election
A by-election was held in the UK House of Commons constituency of Cork City on 25 May 1876 due to the death of Joseph Philip Ronayne, one of the two incumbent Home Rule League MPs, on 7 May 1876. It was won by the Conservative candidate William Goulding because the Home Rule vote was split between two candidates. It was the last time that a parliamentary election for Cork City was won by a Conservative or Unionist.


1876 Costa Rican general election
The 1876 Costa Rican general election was held on April 2, 1876. Aniceto Esquivel Sáenz was elected president unanimously thanks to the influence of the acting president Tomás Guardia Gutiérrez who practically hand picked him. At that time and according to the Constitution, there were two electoral rounds; first all citizens legally allowed to vote chose electors and then the voters voted for the president.


1876 Costa Rican general election
Esquivel would not finish his period since that same year he would be overthrown by the brothers Pedro and Pablo Quirós Jiménez in conspiracy with Guardia who was dissatisfied with him and in his place was named the more lenient Vicente Herrera Zeledón, who was Guardia's puppet.


1876 Dalmatian parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in the Kingdom of Dalmatia in 1876. The People's Party won with a record-largest majority of 30 seats in the 41 seat assembly. During the course of the government's mandate, Serb members of the People's Party formed their own Serb Party.


1876 Danish Folketing election
Folketing elections were held in Denmark on 25 April 1876. The Liberals won a majority, whilst voter turnout was around 48.6%.


1876 Democratic National Convention
The 1876 Democratic National Convention assembled in St. Louis just nine days after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention in Cincinnati.


1876 Democratic National Convention
This was the first political convention held west of the Mississippi River. St. Louis was notified in February 1876 that it had been selected. Among the events was a fireworks display from the top of the Old Courthouse.


1876 Democratic National Convention, Proceedings
The convention was called to order by Democratic National Committee chairman Augustus Schell. Henry Watterson served as the temporary convention chairman and John Alexander McClernand, a retired congressman and major general, served as permanent convention president.


1876 Democratic National Convention, Platform
The Democratic platform pledged to replace the corruption of the Grant administration with honest, efficient government and to end "the rapacity of carpetbag tyrannies" in the South; called for treaty protection for naturalized U.S. citizens visiting their homeland, restrictions on Oriental immigration, and tariff reform; and opposed land grants to railroads.


1876 Democratic National Convention, Presidential nomination, Presidential candidates
The 12th Democratic National Convention assembled in St. Louis in June 1876. Five thousand people jammed the auditorium in St. Louis, hoping for the Democrats' first presidential victory in 20 years. The platform called for immediate and sweeping reforms following the scandal-plagued Grant administration.


1876 Democratic National Convention, Presidential nomination, Presidential candidates
Six names were placed in nomination: Samuel J. Tilden, Thomas A. Hendricks, Winfield Scott Hancock, William Allen, Thomas F. Bayard, and Joel Parker. Tilden won more than 400 votes on the first ballot, a strong showing, but less than the 487 required by the convention's two-thirds rule. He won the nomination by a landslide on the second ballot. Although Tilden was strongly opposed by "Honest John" Kelly, the leader of New York's Tammany Hall, he was still able to obtain the nomination. According to contemporary accounts, Tilden's nomination was received by the delegates with more enthusiasm than that of any nominee since Andrew Jackson.


1876 Democratic National Convention, Vice Presidential nomination, Vice Presidential candidate
Thomas Hendricks was the only individual nominated for vice-president, and received the nomination almost unanimously on the first ballot. The delegation from Ohio had thought of offering the name of one of her distinguished sons, Henry B. Payne. However, the feeling of unanimity was so great that the Ohio delegation declined to present his name and seconded the nomination of Hendricks. But when the roll call vote took place, Ohio cast 8 blank ballots.


1876 Donegal by-election
The Donegal by-election of 1876 was fought on 26 August 1876. The byelection was fought due to the death of the incumbent Conservative MP, Thomas Conolly. It was won by the Conservative candidate William Wilson, who beat the Liberal candidate, Thomas Lea, former member for Kidderminster, by 1,975 votes to 1876, a majority of 99.


1876 Dorset by-election
The Dorset by-election of 1876 was fought on 3 February 1876. The byelection was fought due to the elevation to the peerage of the incumbent Conservative MP, Henry Sturt. It was won by the Conservative candidate Edward Digby. The other candidate stood as a "Conservative, and tenant farmer" candidate.


1876 East Cumberland by-election
The East Cumberland by-election of 1876 was fought on 26 April 1876. The byelection was fought due to the death of the incumbent Conservative MP, William Nicholson Hodgson. It was won by the Liberal candidate Stafford Howard.


1876 East Kent by-election
The East Kent by-election of 1876 was held on 26 July 1876. The byelection was held due to the resignation of the incumbent Conservative MP, Wyndham Knatchbull. It was won by the Conservative candidate William Deedes junior.


1876 East Kent by-election
The by-election was unopposed by-election. William Deedes senior, his father had previously represented the same constituency, from 1845 to 1857 and from 1857 to 1862, but William junior's political career was shorter, as he stood down from Parliament at the 1880 general election.


1876 East Retford by-election
The East Retford by-election of 1876 was fought on 24 February 1876. The byelection was fought due to the death of the incumbent Conservative MP, George Monckton-Arundell. It was won by the Conservative candidate William Beckett-Denison.


1876 East Suffolk by-election
The East Suffolk by-election of 1876 was fought on 22 February 1876. The byelection was fought due to the succession to a peerage of the incumbent Conservative MP, Viscount Mahon. It was won by the Conservative candidate Frederick St John Barne.


1876 English cricket season
1876 was the 90th season of cricket in England since the foundation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). Gloucestershire reclaimed the unofficial "Champion County" title. A relatively dry summer and improvements to pitches via the heavy roller saw several batting records broken.


1876 English cricket season, Notes
An unofficial seasonal title sometimes proclaimed by consensus of media and historians prior to December 1889 when the official County Championship was constituted. Although there are ante-dated claims prior to 1873, when residence qualifications were introduced, it is only since that ruling that any quasi-official status can be ascribed.


1876 Enniskillen by-election
The Enniskillen by-election of 1876 was held on 15 February 1876. The election was fought due to the incumbent Conservative MP, John Crichton, becoming Lord Commissioner of the Treasury. It was retained by the incumbent.


1876 FA Cup Final
The 1876 FA Cup Final  was a football match between Wanderers and Old Etonians on 11 March 1876 at Kennington Oval in London. It was the fifth final of the world's oldest football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (known in the modern era as the FA Cup). Wanderers had won the Cup on two previous occasions. The Etonians were playing in their second consecutive final, having lost in the 1875 final. Both teams had conceded only one goal in the four rounds prior to the final. In the semi-finals Wanderers defeated Swifts and the Etonians beat the 1874 FA Cup winners Oxford University.


1876 FA Cup Final
The match finished in a 1–1 draw, the second time an FA Cup Final had finished all-square. John Hawley Edwards scored for Wanderers, but the Etonians equalised with a goal credited in modern publications to Alexander Bonsor, although contemporary newspaper reports do not identify him as the scorer. A week later, the replay took place at the same venue. The Etonians were forced to make a number of changes due to players being unavailable, and the revised team was no match for the Wanderers, who won 3–0. Charles Wollaston and Thomas Hughes scored a goal apiece in a five-minute spell before half-time, and Hughes added the third early in the second half.


1876 FA Cup Final, Route to the final
Old Etonians, the team for former pupils of Eton College, had reached the 1875 final but been defeated by Royal Engineers. Wanderers had won the competition in both 1872 and 1873 but had not progressed beyond the quarter-finals in the subsequent two seasons. Both teams entered the 1875–76 competition at the first round stage and were allocated matches at home. Wanderers defeated a team from the 1st Surrey Rifles regiment 5–0, and the Etonians overcame Pilgrims 4–1. In the second round Wanderers defeated Crystal Palace (not the current professional club) 3–0 and the Etonians had an easy win over Maidenhead, scoring eight goals without reply.


1876 FA Cup Final, Route to the final
At the quarter-final stage, Wanderers took on the world's oldest football club, Sheffield F.C. and won 20, and the Etonians gained a 1–0 victory over Clapham Rovers. Both semi-final matches took place at Kennington Oval in London, as stipulated in the original rules of the competition. The Etonians beat the 1874 FA Cup winners Oxford University 10 in the first semi-final, and a week later Wanderers clinched their place in the final, defeating the Slough-based club Swifts 21.


1876 FA Cup Final, Match, Summary
Three sets of brothers played in the match. Francis and Hubert Heron lined up for the Wanderers, while the Etonians' team included Hon. Edward Lyttelton and his brother Hon. Alfred Lyttelton and Albert Meysey-Thompson and his brother Charles. The latter pair's surname had been simply Thompson until it was changed in 1874, and for the final Albert played under the name Thompson and Charles under the name Meysey. This is the only occasion that two or more pairs of brothers have played in the same FA Cup Final. Later that year, Francis Birley married Margaret, sister of his teammate Jarvis Kenrick.


1876 FA Cup Final, Match, Summary
The Etonian team also included Julian Sturgis, who had been born in the U.S. and was the first foreign-born player to appear in the Cup Final (discounting those born to British parents in the British Empire), as well as Arthur Kinnaird, who had captained Wanderers to victory in the 1873 FA Cup Final. Wanderers began the match with two full-backs, two half-backs and six forwards, while the Etonians opted for one full-back, two half-backs and seven forwards.


1876 FA Cup Final, Match, Summary
Wanderers won the coin toss and chose to start the game defending the Harleyford Road end of The Oval. The crowd was estimated at 3,500, the largest for an FA Cup Final up to that point. The match was played in a strong wind, to the extent that when Frederick Maddison took a corner kick for Wanderers, the gale blew the ball back out of play.


1876 FA Cup Final, Match, Summary
The Wanderers dominated the early stages of the game, but the Etonians kept them at bay for around 35 minutes until Charles Wollaston eluded Thompson and passed the ball to John Hawley Edwards, who kicked it narrowly under the crossbar of the Etonians' goal to give Wanderers the lead. In the second half the Old Etonians had the wind in their favour and had the better of the play.


1876 FA Cup Final, Match, Summary
Around five minutes after the interval, a corner kick to the Etonians led to a "scrimmage" (a term in common use at the time to describe a group of players struggling to gain possession of the ball) in front of their opponents' goal, which resulted in the ball and a number of players being forced over the goal-line, uprooting the goalposts in the process. Modern sources credit the goal to Alexander Bonsor, but contemporary newspaper reports in The Sporting Life and Bell's Life in London do not mention his name, merely noting that the goal was scored "from a scrimmage". Neither team could manage to score another goal, and the game finished with the scores level, meaning that for the second successive season a replay would be needed to determine the winners of the competition.


1876 FA Cup Final, Replay, Summary
The replay took place one week later at the same venue. The Wanderers fielded an unchanged team, but the Etonians had to make a number of changes, as Meysey was injured and three other players were unavailable due to other commitments. One of the replacements, Edgar Lubbock, had not long recovered from a bout of illness and was noted as being out of practice, and Kinnaird was still suffering the after-effects of an injury sustained in the original match.


1876 FA Cup Final, Replay, Summary
The weather on the day of the match was extremely cold, with the threat of snow. The Etonians began the match playing in a rough manner, and there were also many appeals from the players for handball, which disrupted play. After around half an hour, the Wanderers' forwards surged towards their opponents' goal and Charles Wollaston got the final kick which sent the ball past goalkeeper Quintin Hogg, one of the replacement players brought in for the replay. Almost immediately afterwards, another massed attack by the Wanderers led to Thomas Hughes doubling the lead.


1876 FA Cup Final, Replay, Summary
Soon after half-time, Hawley Edwards, Francis Heron and Jarvis Kenrick combined in a skilful attack and set up Hughes to score his second goal of the game. Although the Wanderers' goalkeeper, W. D. O. Greig, was called into action several times, the Etonians were unable to get the ball past him, and the match finished 3–0 to the Wanderers. The winning team's captain Francis Birley was praised for his performance by the press, as were both Lyttleton brothers for the Etonians.


1876 FA Cup Final, Post-match
As occurred each year until 1882, the winning team did not receive the trophy at the stadium on the day of the match, but later in the year at their annual dinner. In addition to receiving the Cup, the winning team each received a gold medal from the committee of Surrey County Cricket Club. A week after the replay, four of the victorious Wanderers were chosen to represent London in a match against an equivalent team from Sheffield. Despite their presence, the London XI lost the game 6–0.


1876 Florida gubernatorial election
The 1876 Florida gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1876. Democratic nominee George F. Drew narrowly defeated Republican incumbent Marcellus L. Stearns with 50.51% of the vote.


1876 French legislative election
The 1876 legislative election to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower chamber of the National Assembly of the French Third Republic under the French Constitutional Laws of 1875, was held on 20 February and 5 March 1876.


1876 French legislative election
The result was a victory for the Republicans. President Patrice MacMahon subsequently invited Jules Simon, who declared himself "resolutely republican and resolutely conservative", to form a government, but dismissed him on 16 May 1877, precipitating the Seize Mai crisis and further elections.


1876 French legislative election in Algeria
Elections to the National Assembly of France were held in Algeria on 20 February 1876 as part of the wider National Assembly elections. At that time, Algeria had three representatives in the National Assembly.


1876 French legislative election in Algeria, Results
Lambert died on 22 January 1877. In the second round of a by-election to replace him, held on 26 April 1877, Gaston Thomson was elected with 2,963 votes against 2,654 for Fawiter (a Radical) and 2,530 for Treille.


1876 Frome by-election
The Frome by-election of 1876 was fought on 23 November 1876. The byelection was fought due to the resignation  of the incumbent Conservative MP, Henry Lopes in order to become a Judge of the High Court of Justice. It was won by the Liberal candidate Henry Samuelson.


1876 Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities by-election
The Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities by-election of 1876 was fought on 6–10 November 1876. The byelection was fought due to the resignation (Lords of Appeal in Ordinary) of the incumbent Conservative MP, Edward Strathearn Gordon. It was won by the Conservative candidate William Watson.


1876 Grand National
The 1876 Grand National was the 38th renewal of the Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree near Liverpool, England, on 24 March 1876.


1876 Greenback National Convention
The 1876 Greenback National Convention was held in Indianapolis in the spring of 1876. The Greenback Party had been organized by agricultural interests in Indianapolis in 1874 to urge the federal government to inflate the economy through the mass issuance of paper money called greenbacks. Peter Cooper was nominated for president with 352 votes to 119 for three other contenders. The convention nominated anti-monopolist Senator Newton Booth of California for vice-president; after Booth declined to run, the national committee chose Samuel Fenton Cary as his replacement on the ticket. Cooper was 85 years old at the time of his nomination, thus the oldest person ever nominated by a political party to serve as President of the United States.


1876 Greenback National Convention, Candidates gallery
The Greenback Party had been organized by agricultural interests in Indianapolis in 1874 to urge the federal government to inflate the economy through the mass issuance of paper money called greenbacks. Their first national nominating convention was held in Indianapolis in the spring of 1876. Peter Cooper was nominated for president with 352 votes to 119 for three other contenders. The convention nominated anti-monopolist Senator Newton Booth of California for vice-president; after Booth declined to run, the national committee chose Samuel Fenton Cary as his replacement on the ticket. Cooper was 85 years old at the time of his nomination, thus the oldest person ever nominated by a political party to serve as President of the United States.


1876 Hartford Dark Blues season
The Hartford Dark Blues joined the new National League for its first season in 1876, and team owner Morgan Bulkeley was the first National League president. They finished the season in third place.


1876 Hartford Dark Blues season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In


1876 Hartford Dark Blues season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In


1876 Hartford Dark Blues season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned Run Average; SO = Strikeouts


1876 Hartley colonial by-election
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Hartley on 21 April 1876 because the Committee of Elections and Qualifications found that Thomas Brown had an office of profit under the crown and declared that his seat was vacant.


1876 Hartley colonial by-election, Committee of Elections and Qualifications
Thomas Brown owned land at Eskbank at what is now Lithgow, some of which was acquired using Robert Pitt as a dummy or proxy, circumventing the Lands Act 1861. Coal was mined at the property and William Pitt was the colliery manager. In October 1875 Thomas Brown responded to a tender for the supply of coal to the railway, however no contract was awarded. In December 1875 a fresh tender was called and William Pitt personally submitted a tender which was accepted. Samuel Gray said in the Legislative Assembly that Thomas Brown leased the colliery to William Pitt and that the only connection between them was one of landlord and tenant.


1876 Hartley colonial by-election, Committee of Elections and Qualifications
The Committee found that Thomas Brown was the owner of the Eskbank Colliery, the coal supplied by William Pitt was taken from the Eskbank Colliery and that Thomas Brown had a "direct interest in a contract entered into with the Government by the said William Pitt for the supply of engine coal for the Great Southern and Western Railways" and was therefore disqualified from being a member of the Legislative Assembly.


1876 Hartley colonial by-election, Committee of Elections and Qualifications
After the Committee report was tabled Thomas Brown attempted to resign, however the Legislative Assembly adopted the report of the Committee and declared the seat was vacant.


1876 Hartley colonial by-election, Committee of Elections and Qualifications
The question of whether Hugh Taylor had an interest in a contract for the supply of meat to the government asylum at Parramatta was referred to the Committee on the same day as Thomas Brown. Taylor resigned after the report on Thomas Brown had been tabled, but before the Committee had reported on whether he too was disqualified, and the resulting by-election was held on Thursday 20 April.


1876 Horsham by-election
The Horsham by-election of 1876 was held on 29 February 1876. The byelection was fought due to the previous by-election being declared void. This had resulted in the election of the Liberal MP Robert Henry Hurst (junior).


1876 Horsham by-election
The Conservative candidate, Sir Hardinge Gifford, had been appointed as Solicitor General the year before, although he had not yet gotten a seat in the Commons. It was won by the Liberal candidate James Clifton Brown.


1876 Huntingdon by-election
The Huntingdon by-election of 1876 was fought on 16 February 1876. The byelection was fought due to the resignation of the incumbent Conservative MP, John Burgess Karslake. It was won by the Conservative candidate Viscount Hinchingbrooke.


1876 Illinois gubernatorial election
The 1876 Illinois gubernatorial election was the sixteenth election for this office. Representative Shelby Moore Cullom narrowly defeated businessman Lewis Steward for the Governorship of Illinois. This was the narrowest victory for a Republican Governor since 1856, when William H. Bissell narrowly won the office in a plurality. Cullom's victory was the sixth consecutive victory for the Republican Party. Cullom also slightly overperformed Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes in the concurrent Presidential election.


1876 Illinois gubernatorial election
Republican Andrew Shuman was elected Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. At this time in Illinois history, the Lieutenant Governor was elected on a separate ballot from the governor. This would remain so until the 1970 constitution.


1876 Indiana gubernatorial election
The 1876 Indiana gubernatorial election was held on October 10, 1876. Democratic nominee James D. Williams defeated Republican nominee Benjamin Harrison with 49.06% of the vote.


1876 Invercargill mayoral election
The 1876 Invercargill mayoral election was held on 21 July 1876.


1876 Ipswich by-election
The Ipswich by-election of 1876 was fought on 1 January 1876. The by-election was fought due to the death of the incumbent Conservative MP, John Cobbold. It was won by his younger brother the Conservative candidate Thomas Cobbold.


1876 Italian general election
The Italian general election of 1876 was held in Italy on 5 November, with a second round of voting on 12 November.


1876 Italian general election, Electoral campaign
The Historical Left was led by the current Prime Minister of Italy, Agostino Depretis, who became head of the government and early elections were called.


1876 Italian general election, Electoral campaign
On the other hand, the bloc of the Historical Right was led by Marco Minghetti, former Prime Minister from Bologna.


1876 Italian general election, Electoral campaign
The election on 5 and 12 November was a snap one, and it came after MPs from Tuscany became dissatisfied with the government of Minghetti following its refusal to intervene in the financial problems of Florence. The government was defeated on a vote on nationalising railways on 18 March 1876 and was forced to resign and Depretis was appointed Prime Minister. For the first time, the left-wing won an election, taking 414 of the 508 seats, of which 12 were extreme left-wingers.


1876 Italian general election, Electoral campaign
As opposed to the previous right-wing governments, whose members were largely aristocrats representing rentiers from the north of the country, and held moderate political views including loyalty to the crown and low government spending, the left-wing government represented the bourgeoisie of the south of the country and supported low taxation, secularism, a strong foreign policy and public jobs.


1876 Italian general election, Electoral campaign
Only 605,007 men of a total population of around 28 million were entitled to vote.


1876 Kansas gubernatorial election
The 1876 Kansas gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1876. Republican nominee George T. Anthony defeated Democratic nominee John Martin with 56.78% of the vote.


1876 Kentucky Derby
The 1876 Kentucky Derby was the 2nd running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 15, 1876. Winning horse Vagrant ran carrying only 97 pounds, one of the lightest loads carried by a winner in Derby history.


1876 Kentucky Derby, Payout
The winner received a purse of $2,950. The second-place finisher received $200.


1876 Leeds by-election
The Leeds by-election of 1876 was fought on 15 August 1876. The by-election was fought due to the resignation of the incumbent Liberal MP, Robert Meek Carter. It was won by the Liberal candidate John Barran.


1876 Leitrim by-election
The Leitrim by-election of 1876 was fought on 14 July 1876. The byelection was fought due to the succession to a peerage of the incumbent Conservative MP, William Ormsby-Gore. It was won by the Home Rule candidate Francis O'Beirne.


1876 Leominster by-election
The Leominster by-election was a by-election held on 15–16 February 1876 for the British House of Commons constituency of Leominster in Herefordshire.


1876 Leominster by-election
The by-election was caused by the resignation on 8 February 1875 of the serving Conservative Party MP, Richard Arkwright. After a close-fought campaign, the result was a gain for the Liberal candidate, Thomas Blake, with a majority of 85 over the Conservative, Charles Spencer Bateman Hanbury Kincaid-Lennox, brother of Lord Bateman. This came as something of a surprise as no Liberal had been elected to the constituency for the previous 25 years.


1876 Liskeard by-election
The Liskeard by-election of 1876 was fought on 22 December 1876. The byelection was fought due to the death of the incumbent Liberal MP, Edward Horsman. It was won by the Liberal candidate Leonard Courtney.


1876 Liverpool Plains colonial by-election
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Liverpool Plains on 5 June 1876 because Hanley Bennett was insolvent.


1876 Liverpool School Board election
Elections to the Liverpool School Board were held on Friday 17 November 1876.


1876 Liverpool School Board election
After the election, the composition of the school board was:


1876 Liverpool Town Council election
Elections to Liverpool Town Council were held on Wednesday 1 November 1876. One third of the council seats were up for election, the term of office of each councillor being three years.


1876 Liverpool Town Council election, Election result
Because of the large number of contested seats, these statistics should be read in that context.


1876 Liverpool Town Council election, By-elections, No. 8, Pitt Street, 23 April 1877
The death of Alderman William Barton was reported to the Council on 4 April 1877.


1876 Liverpool Town Council election, By-elections, No. 8, Pitt Street, 23 April 1877
Councillor Henry Jennings (Conservative, Pitt Street, elected 1 November 1875) was elected by the Council as an Alderman on 9 April 1877.


1876 Liverpool Town Council election, By-elections, No. 8, Pitt Street, 23 April 1877
This election was declared void on 27 June 1877 under the Corrupt Practices (Municipal Elections) Act 1872 and reported to the Council on 4 July 1877. The election was re-run on 23rd Mar 1878


1876 Louisiana gubernatorial election
The 1876 Louisiana gubernatorial election was the third and final election to take place under the Louisiana Constitution of 1868. As a result of this election Francis T. Nicholls became Governor of Louisiana, but not before the election was contested by his opponent. The results of this election, like those of 1872, were disputed. The dispute was resolved by the Compromise of 1877 which gave the Governor's Mansion to Democrat Francis T. Nicholls. The Compromise also gave Republican presidential candidate Rutherford B. Hayes the electoral votes of several disputed states, including Louisiana, which resulted in his election to the White House. The election of Nicholls marked the end of Reconstruction in Louisiana and the decline of the Republican Party of Louisiana.


1876 Louisville Grays season
The Louisville Grays were formed prior to the 1876 Major League Baseball season and joined the just formed National League as a charter member. They finished in fifth place in their debut season under manager Jack Chapman.


1876 Louisville Grays season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1876 Louisville Grays season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1876 Louisville Grays season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1876 Louisville Grays season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1876 Maine gubernatorial election
The 1876 Maine gubernatorial election was held on September 11, 1876. Incumbent Republican Governor Seldon Connor defeated Democratic nominee John C. Talbot.


1876 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
The 1876 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 7. Incumbent Republican Governor Alexander H. Rice was re-elected to a second term in office over former Minister to Great Britain Charles F. Adams.


1876 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, Republican nomination, Convention
Rice was nominated without opposition at the convention in Worcester on September 5.


1876 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, Democratic nomination, Campaign
Former Governor William Gaston, who had been the party nominee in the prior three elections, was considered an early favorite for a fourth nomination. However, a movement to draft Charles F. Adams, the former Minister to Great Britain during the Civil War, was brought about by New York associates of Governor Samuel Tilden, who had become the party's presidential nominee and national leader at the 1876 Democratic National Convention in June.


1876 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, Democratic nomination, Campaign
At the convention, the boom for Adams was led by delegates from Western Massachusetts and supported on the grounds that an Adams nomination would lend support to Tilden's reformist campaign for President. Opposition to Adams came from conservative Bourbon Democrats, who opposed Adams for his former membership in the Republican Party, and Irish-born Democrats.


1876 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, Democratic nomination, Convention
U.S. Representative William W. Warren was named permanent chairman of the convention at Worcester on September 6. He gave a long speech embracing Tilden, Adams, and Gaston and opposed to the Grant administration's policy of protective tariffs and failure to resume specie payments.


1876 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, Democratic nomination, Convention
When the Committee on Resolutions was announced, competing cheers were made for Patrick Collins, a Gaston supporter from Boston, and James Scollay Whitney, an Adams supporter from the West. Whitney gave a speech explaining that a compromise would be reached between the parties and a recess was called. During the recess, Gaston allegedly received a telegram from Tilden requesting his withdrawal.


1876 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, Democratic nomination, Convention
During a recess, Gaston withdrew his name from consideration. He was welcomed to the stage and withdrew his name, moving to nominate Adams by acclamation. Whitney declined calls to for him to "Call for the Nays!" and the ticket was carried without dissent recorded. Gaston was made a elector-at-large for the Tilden ticket, though some hoped that he would be nominated for Lieutenant Governor on the assumption that Adams would join the Tilden cabinet.


1876 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, Democratic nomination, Convention
There were some rumors that Adams would decline the nomination, but nothing came of them.


1876 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, General election, Campaign
The Rice campaign faced opposition from prohibitionists, labor reformers, and conservative Republicans. There were rumors of U.S. Representative Benjamin Butler, a powerful kingmaker from Lowell, throwing his support behind Prohibition candidate John I. Baker in revenge for Rice's support of Ebenezer R. Hoar's independent campaign against Butler. Adams's strength was among intellectuals, reformers, and in the West.


1876 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, General election, Campaign
During the campaign, U.S. Senator James G. Blaine attacked Adams for his conduct during the War and his earlier proposal to preserve slavery by constitutional amendment.


1876 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, General election, Results
Ultimately, Rice won re-election with an increased majority, although far smaller than Rutherford B. Hayes's majority in the presidential election, owing to the Prohibition campaign against him.


1876 Massachusetts legislature
The 97th Massachusetts General Court, consisting of the Massachusetts Senate and the Massachusetts House of Representatives, met in 1876 during the governorship of Alexander H. Rice. George B. Loring served as president of the Senate and John Davis Long served as speaker of the House.


1876 Melbourne Cup
The 1876 Melbourne Cup was a two-mile handicap horse race which took place on Tuesday, 7 November 1876.


1876 Melbourne Cup
This year was the sixteenth running of the Melbourne Cup. The race is most famous for winning jockey Peter St. Albans (real name: Micheal Bowden) who became the youngest Melbourne Cup winning jockey at 12 (he was actually a few days shy of his 11th birthday). Briseis, who won the Doncaster Handicap at two, won by two lengths and was the first of three fillies to win the race the Cup. She also completed the VRC Derby and Melbourne Cup double. Briseis won in a field of 33 and "The boy who rode the winner was carried around the pack and is the hero of the day" reported the Australasian Sketcher. Both Peter St Albans and Briseis have now become racing legends.


1876 Melbourne Cup
This is the list of placegetters for the 1876 Melbourne Cup.


1876 Mexican general election
General elections were held in Mexico in 1876. Incumbent president Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada was re-elected with over 90% of the vote. However, he was removed from office by the end of the year as a result of the Plan of Tuxtepec.


1876 Michigan gubernatorial election
The 1876 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1876. Republican nominee Charles Croswell defeated Democratic nominee William L. Webber with 52.39% of the vote.


1876 Mid Cheshire by-election
The Mid Cheshire by-election of 1876 was fought on 18 July 1876. The byelection was fought due to the death of the incumbent Conservative MP, Egerton Leigh. It was won by the Conservative candidate Piers Egerton-Warburton.


1876 Missouri gubernatorial election
The 1876 Missouri gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1876 and resulted in a victory for the Democratic nominee, former Congressman (and 1868 gubernatorial nominee) John S. Phelps, over the Republican candidate, former Congressman Gustavus A. Finkelnburg, and Greenback nominee J. P. Alexander.


1876 Mudgee colonial by-election
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Mudgee on 5 October 1876 because of the death of Stephen Goold.


1876 Murrumbidgee colonial by-election
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Murrumbidgee on 21 February 1876 because William Forster was appointed Agent-General in London.


1876 NYU Violets football team
The 1876 NYU Violets football team was an American football team that represented New York University in the 1876 college football season. The team played one game, losing to Stevens Institute of Technology by an 8–0 score.


1876 New Shoreham by-election
The New Shoreham by-election of 1876 was fought on 4 August 1876. The byelection was fought due to the death of the incumbent Conservative MP, Percy Burrell. It was won by the Conservative candidate Walter Burrell.


1876 New York Mutuals season
After five seasons in the National Association, the 1876 New York Mutuals finished with a record of 21–35, good for 6th place in the National League. It would prove to be their only season in the league, as they were expelled from the league as punishment for refusing to make a late-season road trip during the season.


1876 New York Mutuals season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs


1876 New York Mutuals season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs


1876 New York Mutuals season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1876 New York Mutuals season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1876 New York state election
The 1876 New York state election was held on November 7, 1876, to elect the governor, the lieutenant governor, a judge of the New York Court of Appeals, a Canal Commissioner and an Inspector of State Prisons, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and two members of the New York State Senate. Besides, two constitutional amendments were proposed - to abolish the elected Canal Commissioners and appoint a Superintendent of Public Works instead; and to abolish the elected New York State Prison Inspectors and appoint a Superintendent of State Prisons instead - and both were accepted by the electorate.


1876 New York state election, History
The Republican state convention met on August 23 at the Town Hall in Saratoga Springs , New York. Warner Miller was Temporary Chairman until the choice of John M. Francis as Permanent Chairman. Ex-Governor Edwin D. Morgan (in office 1859-1862) was nominated for Governor on the first ballot (vote: Morgan 242, William M. Evarts 126, William H. Robertson 24, Martin I. Townsend 18). Sherman S. Rogers was nominated for Lieutenant Governor on the first ballot (vote: Rogers 240, Theodore M. Pomeroy 178).


1876 New York state election, History
George F. Danforth was nominated for Judge of the Court of Appeals on the second ballot (first ballot: Danforth 107, Lyman Tremain 81, Prescott 67, Erastus Cook 49, Edwin Countryman 31, Bullard 14; second ballot: Danforth 185, Tremain 83, Prescott 70). Daniel G. Spencer was nominated for Canal Commissioner after a rising vote (vote: Spencer 113, Benjamin Carpenter 109). Charles W. Trowbridge was nominated for Prison Inspector after the first ballot (vote: Trowbridge 147, John W. Veeder 40, William W. Enos 33, William P. More 31, Charles Tremain 29, William Post 2).


1876 New York state election, History
The Liberal Republican state convention met also on August 23 at Saratoga, New York. Benjamin F. Manierre was Chairman. The convention endorsed the Republican ticket.


1876 New York state election, History
The Democratic state convention met on August 30 at Saratoga, New York. Judge Gray was Chairman. Ex-Governor Horatio Seymour (in office 1853-1854 and 1863-1864) was nominated for Governor again. The convention re-assembled on August 31, and re-nominated the incumbent Lieutenant Governor William Dorsheimer by acclamation. Then Lester C. Faulkner read a telegram received from the Committee that informed Seymour of his nomination, stating in a roundabout way that Seymour, who was already in bad health at home in Utica, New York, had accepted the nomination.


1876 New York state election, History
Robert Earl for Judge of the Court of Appeals, and Darius A. Ogden for Canal Commissioner, were nominated by acclamation. Robert H. Anderson was nominated for Prison Inspector on the first ballot (vote: Anderson 163, Benjamin S. W. Clark 146). After a few more speeches, the convention adjourned sine die in the afternoon. In the evening, it was discovered that Seymour had not accepted the nomination, but on the contrary had sent a telegram to Chairman Gray before the opening of the second day's session declining the nomination. This telegram was held back on the advice of Daniel Magone.


1876 New York state election, History
It was believed that the Tilden faction had the intention to have the State Committee select a candidate later. Others believed that the hiding of Seymour's refusal from the convention was done with the intention to force him to stay on the ticket, help to get the Democratic ticket elected and then resign, like Martin Van Buren who resigned two months into his term to let his lieutenant Enos T. Throop occupy the office. The convention re-assembled on September 13 at Congress Hall in Saratoga, and nominated State Comptroller Lucius Robinson for Governor, whereupon John Kelly resigned from the ticket on which he had been placed as a presidential elector at-large.


1876 New York state election, History
The Greenback convention met on September 26 at Martin's Opera House in Albany, New York. A. A. Carsey was Temporary and Permanent Chairman. Richard M. Griffin for Governor; Thomas Armstrong for Lieutenant Governor; Abraham J. Cuddeback for Canal Commissioner; Marcena M. Dickinson, of Nyack, for Judge of the Court of Appeals; and John W. Crump for Prison Inspector; were nominated by acclamation.


1876 New York state election, Result
With the ratification of the two amendments, this was the last time Canal Commissioners and Prison Inspectors were elected.


1876 North Carolina gubernatorial election
The 1876 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1876. Democratic nominee Zebulon Baird Vance defeated Republican nominee Thomas Settle with 52.83% of the vote.


1876 North Norfolk by-election
The North Norfolk by-election of 1876 was fought on 21 April 1876. The byelection was fought due to the death of the incumbent Conservative MP, Frederick Walpole. It was won by the Conservative candidate James Duff.


1876 North Shropshire by-election
The North Shropshire by-election of 1876 was fought on 3 February 1876. The byelection was fought due to the elevation to the peerage of the incumbent Conservative MP, John Ormsby-Gore. It was won by the Conservative candidate Stanley Leighton.


1876 Northwestern University football team
The 1876 Northwestern University football team represented Northwestern University during the 1876 college football season. The first Northwestern football team played one game, losing to the Chicago Football Club with two goals from touchdown and three touchdowns scored.


1876 Norwegian parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Norway in 1876. As political parties were not officially established until 1884, all those elected were independents. Voter turnout was 43.1, although only 4.6% of the country's population was eligible to vote.


1876 Open Championship
The 1876 Open Championship was the 16th Open Championship, held on Saturday 30 September at the Old Course at St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Bob Martin won the Championship. He had tied with Davie Strath but Strath refused to take part in the playoff and Martin took the title. The combination of a large crowd and the fact that a number of Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews members were playing the course caused a number of problems. An objection was made against Strath for hitting a spectator at the 17th. The objection was not decided on the evening of the contest and Strath was informed that he would have to play on the Monday, under protest. Objecting to this arrangement, Strath refused to take part.


1876 Open Championship
In the first round Strath reached the turn in 43 and finished with 86. Martin was 42 after the first nine but took 7 at the 17th and also finished on 86. Tom Morris, Sr. scored 90 while Park had a poor start (7-6-6), going out in 49 and finished with 94. In the second round Strath's second shot at the 14th struck a Mr. Hutton (upholsterer), "who was playing out", on the forehead and he fell to the ground. Strath was shaken by the event and scored 6 at the hole followed by another 6 at the next.


1876 Open Championship
His tee shot at the 17th ended in the Station Park but he was able to climb the wall and played his second well up the course. There was now a large crowd and Strath's third shot "struck some party standing near the hole" which stopped it and he holed out for a 5, finishing with a 6 for a round of 90. Martin finished 7-5 and also scored 90. Park scored 89 to finish in third place.


1876 Open Championship
The Open was played, like the 1873 tournament, during the Royal and Ancient autumn meeting at St Andrews and many members of the club were playing golf among the competitors. "The links were so crowded by golfers so as to interrupt the play. Often several of the couples had to stand waiting before they could play up to the putting greens. Indeed, to this fact may be traced the unfortunate result of the competition." "The members of the Royal and Ancient might have exercised that courtesy which is invariably accorded them on their medal days."


1876 Open Championship
"At the close it was found that Davie Strath and Bob Martin had tied at 176, but the former having, it is said, infringed one of the rules by playing before a previous couple had holed out, and striking one of the spectators, objection was lodged and the matter has been referred to the Club Council. The playoff was due to be played on the Monday "under protest, but Strath refused to do so, and Martin walked over the course." It seems that Club Council were to make their decision after the playoff but Strath felt that the decision should be made before the playoff and refused to take part.


1876 Open Championship
This was the third occasion (after 1870 and 1872) that Strath was runner-up in the Open Championship. He fell ill with consumption in 1878 and went to Australia to recover. He died there in 1878.


1876 Open Championship, Final leaderboard, Playoff
Martin and Strath were due to play an 18-hole playoff but Strath refused to play and the Championship was awarded to Martin. Martin took the first prize of £10 while Strath took £5 for second place.


1876 Open Championship, Final leaderboard, Playoff
Morris, Park and Thomson, who tied for fourth place, had a playoff on Monday morning. Tom Morris, Sr. (92) took 4th prize of £3, Mungo Park (94) took 5th prize of £2 while Willie Thomson (96) took 6th prize of £1 10s. Park played with Thomson while Morris played with Willie Park who also scored 92. Morris was out in 43 which included a two at the 8th hole.


1876 Open Championship, Final leaderboard, Playoff
There was further playoff on Monday for seventh place. Bob Kirk (94) took 7th prize of £1 (Henry Lamb, as an amateur, could not accept the 7th place prize money). Gourlay (104) took 10s for 8th prize. It seems that George Paxton did not compete.


1876 Parramatta colonial by-election
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Parramatta on 20 April 1876 caused by the resignation of sitting member Hugh Taylor after he was referred to the Committee of Elections and Qualification as to whether he had a position of profit under the crown as a result of the supply of meat by him to Mr Dunn who in turn had a contract to supply meat to government asylums.


1876 Parramatta colonial by-election, Committee of Elections and Qualifications
The question of Thomas Brown's eligibility had been referred to the committee on the same day. The Committee found that Thomas Brown was the owner of the Eskbank Colliery, the coal supplied by William Pitt was taken from the Eskbank Colliery and that Thomas Brown had a "direct interest in a contract entered into with the Government by the said William Pitt for the supply of engine coal for the Great Southern and Western Railways" and was therefore disqualified from being a member of the Legislative Assembly.


1876 Parramatta colonial by-election, Committee of Elections and Qualifications
Taylor resigned after the report on Thomas Brown had been tabled, but before the Committee had reported on whether he too was disqualified.


1876 Pembrokeshire by-election
The Pembrokeshire by-election of 1876 was fought on 26 June 1876. The byelection was fought due to the death of the incumbent Conservative MP, John Scourfield. It was won by the Conservative candidate James Bevan Bowen.


1876 Penn Quakers football team
The 1876 Penn Quakers football team represented the University of Pennsylvania in the 1876 college football season. They finished with a 1–2 record. This was the first season for the Penn Quakers football team.


1876 Philadelphia Athletics season
After five seasons in the National Association, the 1876 Philadelphia Athletics finished the first season of the National League with a record of 14–45, good for 7th place. It would prove to be their only season in the league, as they were expelled from the league as punishment for refusing to make a late-season road trip.


1876 Philadelphia Athletics season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs


1876 Philadelphia Athletics season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs


1876 Philadelphia Athletics season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned Run Average; SO = Strikeouts


1876 Philadelphia Athletics season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned Run Average; SO = Strikeouts


1876 Prince Edward Island general election
The 1876 Prince Edward Island election was held on 10 October 1876 to elect members of the House of Assembly of the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. It was won by the Conservative party. It was Prince Edward Island's first general election as a Canadian province.


1876 Princeton Tigers football team
The 1876 Princeton Tigers football team represented the College of New Jersey, more commonly known as Princeton College, in the 1876 college football season. The team finished with a 3–2 record and outscored its opponents, 15–3, but lost to both Harvard and Yale. 1876 was the only year between 1872 and 1881 that Princeton did not claim at least a share of the national championship assigned retroactively by either the Billingsley Report, the National Championship Foundation, or Parke H. Davis. The captain of the team was A. J. McCosh in the fall and B. Nicoll in the spring of 1877.


1876 Prohibition National Convention
The 1876 Prohibition National Convention was a presidential nominating convention held at Halle's Hall, in Cleveland, Ohio on May 17, 1876, to select the Prohibition Party's presidential ticket for the 1876 presidential election.


1876 Prohibition National Convention, Presidential nomination
On May 17, 1876, the national convention was called to open by party Secretary John Russell due to the absence of Chairman Simeon B. Chase and was attended by 150 delegates, which one source describes as "not largely attended". Green Clay Smith, the former Territorial Governor of Montana, was selected to serve as the temporary chairman of the convention. James H. Raper, a representative from the United Kingdom Alliance, gave a speech at the convention.


1876 Prohibition National Convention, Presidential nomination
On the first ballot a variety of candidates split the 70 votes cast including Green Clay Smith with 28 votes, former presidential nominee James Black with 12, former vice presidential nominee John Russell with 8, R. A. Brown with 7, former New York Governor Myron H. Clark with 5, Gideon T. Stewart with 3, James G. Blaine with 2, and five others received a single vote each: former Portland Mayor Neal Dow, abolitionist and advocate for Native Americans Wendell Phillips, S. Merritt, W. D. Dodge and R. M. Foust. On the second ballot, Smith received a majority of 46 votes and was nominated as the party's presidential candidate. Stewart was selected to be the vice presidential nominee.


1876 Prohibition National Convention, Platform
The platform drafted by the Platform Committee gave support to alcoholic prohibition in Washington, D.C., territories, and every state, equal suffrage and office eligibility regardless of race and gender, free public education, direct election of the president, vice president, and senators, increasing immigration, decreasing governmental salaries, and opposition to the death penalty, gambling, and lotteries. The delegates also voted to reaffirm their support for the party's platform that was created at the national convention during the 1872 presidential election.


1876 Republican National Convention
The 1876 Republican National Convention was a presidential nominating convention held at the Exposition Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 14–16, 1876. President Ulysses S. Grant had considered seeking a third term, but with various scandals, a poor economy and heavy Democratic gains in the House of Representatives that led many Republicans to repudiate him, he declined to run. The convention resulted in the nomination of Governor Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio for president and Representative William A. Wheeler of New York for vice president.


1876 Republican National Convention, Overview
The convention was called to order by Republican National Committee chairman Edwin D. Morgan. Theodore M. Pomeroy served as the convention's temporary chairman and Edward McPherson served as permanent president.


1876 Republican National Convention, Overview
The principal candidates at the convention included Senator James G. Blaine of Maine, the former Speaker of the House; Senator Oliver P. Morton of Indiana; Secretary of the Treasury Benjamin H. Bristow of Kentucky; Senator Roscoe Conkling of New York; Governor Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio; and Governor John F. Hartranft of Pennsylvania. James Russell Lowell, well-known poet and a professor at Harvard College, spoke on behalf of Hayes. Three candidates, including Secretary Benjamin Bristow, Postmaster General Marshall Jewell of Connecticut, and Secretary of State Elihu B. Washburne of Illinois were former Cabinet members of President Ulysses S. Grant.


1876 Republican National Convention, Overview
Blaine led after the first ballot, but had only 285 of the 378 delegates required to secure the nomination. Morton, Bristow, and Conkling each had around 100 delegates, while Hayes and Hartranft each had around 60. The second, third, and fourth ballots saw similar results, but Hayes began to surge on the fifth ballot, passing Morton and Conkling to secure third place after Blaine and Bristow. The sixth ballot saw Blaine rise to 308, but, with the other candidates fading, Hayes continued his surge, moving into second place. After the sixth ballot, the Bristow, Conkling, Morton, and Hartranft supporters withdrew their candidates' names from consideration, leaving Hayes as the sole focus of opposition to Blaine. With the other candidates gone, Hayes won a narrow majority on the seventh ballot and secured the nomination.


1876 Republican National Convention, Overview
The Convention then went on to choose a vice presidential nominee. Representative William A. Wheeler of New York won a majority on the first ballot, defeating Marshall Jewell, Stewart L. Woodford of New York, Joseph R. Hawley of Connecticut, and Frederick T. Frelinghuysen of New Jersey.


1876 Republican National Convention, Overview
The Republican ticket of Hayes and Wheeler went on to lose the popular vote to Democrats Samuel J. Tilden and Thomas A. Hendricks in the election of 1876, but won the electoral vote after a controversy which was resolved by the Compromise of 1877.


1876 Rhode Island gubernatorial election
The 1876 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held on April 5, 1876. Incumbent Republican Governor Henry Lippitt defeated Prohibition Party nominee Albert C. Howard and Democratic nominee William B. Beach.


1876 Rhode Island gubernatorial election
Since no candidate received a majority in the popular vote, Lippitt was elected by the Rhode Island General Assembly per the state constitution.


1876 Rhode Island gubernatorial election, General election, Legislative election
As no candidate received a majority of the vote, the Rhode Island General Assembly was required to decide the election, choosing among the top two vote-getters, Lippitt and Howard. The legislative election was held on May 30, 1876.


1876 Rhode Island gubernatorial election, Bibliography
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1876 Rutgers Queensmen football team
The 1876 Rutgers Queensmen football team represented Rutgers University in the 1876 college football season. The Queensmen played only one intercollegiate game, a 3–2 victory over Stevens on November 1. The team had no coach, and its captain was Andrew Raymond.


1876 Rutlandshire by-election
The Rutlandshire by-election of 1876 was fought on 17 August 1876. The byelection was fought due to the incumbent Conservative MP, Gerard Noel, becoming First Commissioner of Works. It was retained by the incumbent.


1876 San Felipe hurricane
The San Felipe Hurricane was the second tropical cyclone of the 1876 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm was first observed east of the Leeward Islands on September 12, later intensifying to a category 3 hurricane while approaching Puerto Rico. In the upcoming days, the storm would make landfall on Hispaniola and Cuba, while also at hurricane intensity. Weakening to a tropical storm, it crossed the island until emerging over central Cuba, and passing just east of Florida. The storm re-intensified into a hurricane and struck near Wilmington, North Carolina as a minimal hurricane. Continuing inland, the San Felipe Hurricane gradually weakened over the United States, reaching near Cape Cod before dissipation on September 19. The San Felipe Hurricane was the only tropical cyclone in the season to result in fatalities, according to records of the season.


1876 San Felipe hurricane, Meteorological history
A hurricane was first observed east of the Leeward Islands on September 12, hitting the islands that night. It first passed through Antigua, St. Kitts, and the Virgin Islands. It strengthened on the next day to become a Category 3 hurricane, and hit Puerto Rico at that intensity on September 13; it entered by Yabucoa and Humacao at about seven in the morning and left the island through Mayagüez at 1:30 local time in the afternoon.


1876 San Felipe hurricane, Meteorological history
The minimum pressure that was measured in San Juan was about 29.20 inches of mercury (989 hPa) in the morning on September 14, with winds up to about 60 mph and rain at around 4.71 inches (120 mm). The hurricane maintained this intensity and made landfall on the eastern side of Puerto Rico. Shortly after landfall, the hurricane rapidly weakened to a Category 2 hurricane, then to a Category 1 hurricane after reemerging in the Atlantic. Again maintaining strength, the hurricane made landfall on the eastern tip of Dominican Republic with winds of 80 mph.


1876 San Felipe hurricane, Impact
It is remembered in the hurricane history of the Antilles because the famous scientist and scholar Father Benito Viñes went to Puerto Rico from Cuba to conduct a study to calculate the damages of the hurricane. It was the first hurricane in which a rain gauge was used. San Felipe affected Puerto Rico for ten hours, killing nineteen people. Although there were 19 deaths reported, historians suspected the Spanish Government withheld the actual damage and death toll data for Puerto Rico. At least two drownings occurred in Onslow County, North Carolina.


1876 San Felipe hurricane, Impact
Flooding, damage to buildings, and uprooted trees were reported from Wilmington. A bridge across Market Street there was washed away. The storm was remembered as the "San Felipe Hurricane" because it struck on September 13, the feast day of Saint Philip. Exactly 52 years later, Puerto Rico was struck by Hurricane San Felipe Segundo.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match
The 1876 association football match between the national teams representing Scotland and Wales was the first game played by the latter side. It took place on 25 March 1876 at Hamilton Crescent, Partick, the home ground of the West of Scotland Cricket Club. The match was also the first time that Scotland had played against a side other than England.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match
The fixture was organised by Llewelyn Kenrick, who had founded the Football Association of Wales (FAW) only a few weeks earlier in response to a letter published in The Field. Advertisements were placed in several sporting journals for Welsh players, or those with more than three years residence in the country, to come forward and the Welsh team was selected after trial matches were held at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. The FAW selected the side and Kenrick was appointed captain for the fixture.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match
As the more experienced team, Scotland dominated the match and had several chances to score in the first half. They had a goal disallowed after scoring directly from a corner kick, before taking the lead after 40 minutes through John Ferguson. In the early stages of the second half, Wales attempted to play more openly to find a goal, but the Scottish side took advantage of their opponent's inexperience and scored two further goals. The first was a rebound off the goalpost which was converted by Billy MacKinnon; the second was headed in by debutant James Lang. Scotland added a fourth through Henry McNeil and claimed a victory in front of a crowd of around 17,000 people, a record for an international fixture at the time.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match
The two nations have met frequently since this first match, playing against each other every year in friendly matches until 1884 when the British Home Championship was introduced. The competition was an annual tournament, and Scotland and Wales played a fixture against each other every year until 1984, apart from when competitive football was suspended during the First and Second World Wars. In total, the two sides have played more than 100 matches against each other since the first meeting.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Background
The first officially recognised international association football match was played between Scotland and England on 30 November 1872. This had been preceded by a series of "unofficial" matches between the two sides in the previous two years, played at The Oval, a cricket ground in South London. As a result, the two sides are recognised as the joint oldest international football teams in history. Following the first game, Scotland and England met annually in a series of friendly matches. By the time their fixture against Wales was organised in 1876, Scotland had played England on five occasions in official matches.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Background
Club football was well established in Scotland with the founding of Queen's Park in 1867, although the earliest Scottish club is believed to be the Foot-Ball Club of Edinburgh founded in 1827. The Scottish Football Association (SFA) and the Scottish Cup had been founded in 1873.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Background
In Wales, association football had struggled to gain recognition, rugby union being the preferred sport, especially in the south. Football clubs were establishing in North Wales though – Druids and Wrexham were both founded in 1872. There was no recognised league or cup football until 1877 when the Welsh Cup was introduced and the first league was not founded until the start of the 20th century when the Welsh Football League was created. The clubs would instead have to arrange friendly matches between themselves on an ad hoc basis. It would take several decades before football became established in the south, Cardiff City becoming the first team from the region to win the Welsh Cup in 1912.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Preparation
In January 1876, a London-based Welshman, G. A. Clay-Thomas, placed an advertisement in The Field magazine, a sports and country publication, proposing that a team be formed from Welsh men residing in London to play Scotland or Ireland at rugby. Llewelyn Kenrick of the Druids club saw the advertisement but decided that the international match should be association football and the field of players be drawn from all of Wales. Clay-Thomas' proposed rugby match between residents in London went ahead on 15 March. Kenrick told The Field that the footballers of North Wales accepted the challenge and he advertised for players:


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Preparation
"Test matches will take place at the ground of the Denbighshire County Cricket Club at Wrexham for the purpose of choosing the Cambrian Eleven. Gentlemen desirous of playing are requested to send in their names and addresses."


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Preparation
The FAW sent out invitations proposing a football match to officials in England, Scotland and Ireland. England rejected the offer, and Ireland only wished to play under rugby rules. Scotland accepted the invitation, meaning Wales became the first team they had faced in an international fixture other than England. The Football Association of Wales (FAW) was formed in February 1876 at the Wynnstay Arms in Wrexham in preparation for the game and they had hoped for the match to be played in Wales.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Preparation
Scotland rejected this due to scheduling issues but did agree to a second fixture to be played the following year in Wales. Accordingly the Welsh side travelled to Scotland, where their opposition had yet to lose a match. The venue chosen for the tie was Hamilton Crescent in Partick which was owned by the West of Scotland Cricket Club and had been used for the first official international fixture previously. Concerns by the FAW over financing the team's trip led to an appeal for public donations to raise money.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Preparation
To qualify for selection, the Welsh players were required to have been born in Wales or taken up residence in the country for at least three years. Although Kenrick corresponded with several Welsh clubs and the nation's universities to raise a team, he was criticised for allegedly overlooking players from the South. One of the main criticisms was the decision to publish most of his notices in English sports journals such as The Field and Bell's Life, which were not widely circulated in Wales.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Preparation
C. C. Chambers, captain of Swansea Rugby Club, wrote a letter to the Western Mail newspaper in which he commented "... there must be some sort of error, and that the team to play Scotland is to be selected from North Wales only. I shall be happy to produce from these parts a team that shall hold their own against any team from North Wales".


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Preparation
H. W. Davies, the honorary secretary of the South Wales Football Club also noted that "very few, if any, players (in the south) knew that a match ... had ever been thought of, much less that a date had been fixed". Although Kenrick refused to be drawn into a direct riposte to their letters, he did welcome players of sufficient ability to try out for the team.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Preparation
Despite the objections, Kenrick and the FAW pushed ahead with their plans. Once applications had been received, the FAW organised trial matches at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham which took place in February 1876. The first match was played between players from the town's own football club and Druids. The second was held a week later, while a third trial match was organised on 26 February 1876 against a combined Oswestry team, made up of players from the town's football clubs.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Preparation
The game was disrupted when six of the eleven players who were scheduled to appear for the Welsh side failed to turn up. This led to other local players who had travelled to watch the match taking their places. The fourth and final trial match was played in early March. Further matches were cancelled as the ground was being prepared for the upcoming cricket season. Scotland also held trial matches for players who had never previously represented the national side, which were held at Hampden Park in February.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Preparation, Team selection
For the final squad, Kenrick appointed himself as captain and selected six players from his own club, Druids, including Dr. Daniel Grey who was born in Scotland but had moved to Wales after obtaining his medical licence to open a practice in Ruabon. Two players from local rivals, Wrexham, and one from English club Oswestry were also selected. Usk-born William Evans, who played for the Oxford University team was the only player from South Wales selected, with the others all from North Wales other than John Hawley Edwards.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Preparation, Team selection
He had been born in Shrewsbury and previously represented the England national football team in 1874. Edwards was a fellow solicitor and member of the Shropshire Wanderers. The Thomson brothers, goalkeeper David and forward George were also born in England but resided in Wales, the former was a captain in the Royal Denbighshire Militia. In Scotland, there was considerable interest in the team that would be arriving to play in the match, newspapers reporting that Beaumont Jarrett and Thomas Bridges Hughes may feature for the Welsh side.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Preparation, Team selection
All eleven players selected for Wales were amateurs, comprising "two lawyers, a timber merchant, a student, a soldier, a stonemason, a physician, a miner, a chimney sweep, an office worker and an insurance company employee".


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Preparation, Team selection
Like the Welsh, the Scots fielded six players from one club (Queens Park) and three of their players were making their international debut: James Lang, Robert W. Neill and Moses McNeil. The latter was the brother of three-time capped Henry McNeil, who was also named in the team. Lang had lost the sight in one eye while working at a shipyard. The majority of the squad from their 3–0 victory over England three weeks earlier was retained. Both teams played a 2–2–6 formation; i.e. two full-backs, two half-backs and six forwards.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Match, Pre-match
The players from both sides travelled together from their hotels in Glasgow to the match in a horsebus and were greeted by a large crowd along the nearby highway. As Wales were an unknown team, the match drew a large crowd with the grandstand at the stadium being nearly full. Spectators were charged half-a-crown (equivalent to 1⁄8 pound sterling) for entry and the crowd at pitchside was described in the Wrexham Guardian as "very thick".


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Match, Pre-match
In an attempt to see over the crowd, spectators climbed onto the roofs of parked taxis and horse buses and a nearby verge was filled with viewers. The official attendance of the match was recorded at 17,000, a new world record for a full international fixture, but some reports believe the number may have been even higher as between one and two hundred further spectators managed to gain access to the ground during the first half after a fence collapsed, allowing more people to enter.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Match, Pre-match
Wales played in a plain white shirt, with the Prince of Wales's feathers embroidered on the chest, and black shorts. Scotland wore blue shirts and white shorts. Each player wore a different colour of socks so the crowd could recognise each player, and the list of colours was included in the match programme.


1876 Scotland v Wales football match, Match, Match summary
Scotland captain Charles Campbell won the coin toss and choose to play "downhill" as the ground featured a slight incline. This was perceived as advantageous to the attacking side, but their choice meant they started the match with the sun in their faces. The Welsh captain Kenrick kicked off the match at 3:40 p.m. The Scots gained possession almost immediately and proceeded to attack the Welsh goal as John Ferguson won the first corner of the game after making a run down the wing, but the resulting setpiece was cleared without incident.