Durham City

Throughout this period Durham was represented by the Lambton and Tempest families. At the general election of 1761 they were challenged by the Earl of Darlington, who, with the support of the corporation and of the bishop of Durham, set up Ralph Gowland. Gowland was defeated, but stood again at the by-election in December. This, the most controversial Durham election of the century, resulted in a victory for Gowland by three votes on a poll of over 1,500, but only because the corporation had created over 200 honorary freemen to carry the election.1E. Hughes, North County Life in 18th Cent 262-3. On petition the Commons unseated Gowland, and introduced a bill preventing honorary freemen from voting in elections unless they had held their freedom for at least twelve months (the ‘Durham Act’). The Lambton-Tempest influence was again challenged in 1774.