Bishop’s Castle

Bishop’s Castle was the one notoriously corrupt borough in Shropshire, and though neighbouring big landowners had a natural influence in it, there being several such competing interests, the borough was till the 1760’s open even to strangers. Perhaps the strongest single interest was that of the Walcots of Walcot Hall, about 2½ miles from Bishop’s Castle; next, of the Warings of Owlbury. Before the general election of 1761, Shelburne noted against Bishop’s Castle in his list of constituencies:1Lansdowne mss.‘Contest—want money and not the present [Members]’. The election cost the two new Members £2,400, of which nearly £2,000 went in direct payments to 122 freemen and four (out of 15) aldermen.2Salop RO, ms 599/3.

In 1763 Lord Clive purchased the Walcot estate with a promise from Charles Walcot of ‘all his interest’ in the borough (but Clive seems in turn to have promised Walcot to accept his nomination for one seat at the next general election); and although Clive did not take possession of the estate till Michaelmas, on a vacancy caused by the death of Francis Child, 23 Sept. 1763, he nominated his cousin George Clive. Against him stood Walter Waring, supported by the Government. Clive, who about this time was hovering between Government and Opposition, tried through both to persuade Waring to desist, offering him £1,000 ‘for the expenses already incurred’.3Namier, Structure, 291-294; Grenville Pprs. iv. 14. But Waring stood the poll, was defeated, presented a petition against the return, but withdrew it. He renewed his candidature before the general election of 1768, and the question arose whether Walcot would claim the nomination promised him by Clive. George Clive wrote to Lord Clive, 6 Oct. 1767:4Clive mss.

There is not the least doubt of your Lordship’s nomination of one, but a quarrel with Walcot would risk both. However it will be necessary to have an éclaircissement with him as soon as possible—to leave him unsupported Waring would get the advantage of him, if he could support an opposition. Mr. Walcot must be desirous of standing in conjunction with your interest and if so ought to be at half the expense.

But Walcot would not face the expense, and Lord Clive, having in December 1767 purchased Waring’s Shropshire estates for £30,500,5Private Act, 8 Geo. III, c.62. with an undertaking on Waring’s part ‘to give his entire interest bona fide at all times with respect to Bishop’s Castle’,6John Walsh to Ld. Clive, 17 Dec. 1767, Clive mss. in March 1768 returned two Clives without a contest. Lastly, on 10 May 1769, Clive mentions in a letter to George Grenville7Grenville Pprs. iv. 423. the purchase of some estates he was making ‘for the purpose of entirely surrounding the town of Bishop’s Castle with my own possessions’: two letters from Corbyn Morris to Clive, 11 and 27 May,8Clive mss. identify him as the seller. Bishop’s Castle now became a pocket borough of the Clives, so safe and cheap that its representatives could be changed with ease and frequency.