Cirencester

In the first half of the eighteenth century the leading interests at Cirencester were in the Bathurst and Master families, both of which were Tory. But when in 1749 Thomas Master died, leaving a five-year-old son, a rift occurred between the Tories. At the general election of 1754 two sons of Lord Bathurst declared themselves candidates, and the supporters of the Master interest accused Bathurst of taking advantage of the minority to attempt both seats.1Pamphlet, The Cirencester Contest (1753). This dissension opened the way for John Dawnay, ‘the first Whig avowedly that ever represented this borough’,2Downe to Newcastle, 30 Dec. 1753, Add. 32733, f. 610. brother of Viscount Downe, who owned the estate of Ampney Crucis, near Cirencester.

The Bathursts held one seat throughout this period, James Whitshed sitting on their interest from 1761 to 1783. In 1765 Lord Downe sold Ampney Crucis to Samuel Blackwell, who represented Cirencester from 1774 to 1785; when the Master family again won back a seat. But however powerful these interests were, the contests of 1761, 1768, and 1774 show the existence of an independent party in the borough.