Background Information
Number of voters: about 800
Number of seats
2
Constituency business
| Date | Candidate | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr. 1754 | THOMAS NOEL | 277 |
| BROWNLOW CECIL, Lord Burghley | 269 |
|
| Edward Finch | 106 |
|
| 18 Dec. 1754 | GEORGE BRIDGES BRUDENELL vice Burghley, called to the Upper House | |
| 9 Apr. 1761 | THOMAS NOEL | 366 |
| THOMAS CHAMBERS CECIL | 324 |
|
| Charles Tryon | 234 |
|
| 30 Mar. 1768 | THOMAS NOEL | |
| GEORGE BRIDGES BRUDENELL | ||
| 20 Oct. 1774 | THOMAS NOEL | |
| GEORGE BRIDGES BRUDENELL | ||
| 20 Sept. 1780 | THOMAS NOEL | |
| GEORGE BRIDGES BRUDENELL | ||
| 20 Apr. 1784 | THOMAS NOEL | |
| GEORGE BRIDGES BRUDENELL | ||
| 15 July 1788 | GERARD NOEL EDWARDS vice Noel, deceased |
Main Article
Three families dominated Rutland politics: the Cecils, Earls of Exeter; the Noels, Earls of Gainsborough; and the Finches, Earls of Winchilsea.
In 1754 and 1761 Exeter and Gainsborough joined together to keep out Winchilsea’s candidate. In 1761 both sides angled for the support of Sir Gilbert Heathcote, the one commoner in Rutland of sufficient property to challenge the peers, but Heathcote would not commit himself and had not ambition or energy to push his own interest. In 1768, 1774, 1780 and 1784 one Exeter and one Gainsborough candidate were returned without opposition.
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