Wallingford

Wallingford was an independent borough, ‘in the hands of the lower people’. There was no predominant territorial influence; the corporation were divided, half for and half against the Administration;1John Hervey to Ld. Hardwicke, 10 Jan. 1753, Add. 35592, ff. 6-7. every election was contested. The most important interests were those of wealthy business men, such as William Hucks, the King’s brewer, who carried the borough for the Government from 1715 till his death in 1740, except in 1727 when he appears to have compromised with a Tory, George Lewen. The 1719 by-election was fought by two Whigs. The Earl of Sutherland wrote to Lord Stanhope, 19 June 1719, ‘I am doing what I can to have Mr. Douglas chose member of parliament for Wallingford, knowing him to be at your lordship’s disposal’.2Sir W. Fraser, Sutherland Bk. ii. 225. But Douglas was beaten by a local landowner, Henry Grey, also a government supporter.

On Hucks’s death his son, Robert, who was already sitting for Abingdon, asked Walpole to nominate a candidate.35 Feb. 1741, Cholmondeley (Houghton) mss. Walpole put up Joseph Townsend, whose cousin, Chauncy Townsend, a wealthy merchant, had an interest in the borough of Westbury, Wilts. The opposition candidate was James Lamb, brother-in-law of John Bance, a director of the Bank of England, sitting as an opposition Whig for Westbury. Townsend was successful after an expensive contest.

At the general election next year Bance stood for both Wallingford and Westbury; Townsend transferred to Westbury; and Walpole was asked to find two new candidates for Wallingford.4Ibid. Both Walpole’s candidates were defeated at Wallingford, while Townsend ousted Bance from Westbury.

In 1747, Chauncy Townsend wrote:

Mr. Pelham recommended John Bance to join Mr. Joseph Townsend at Wallingford or me at Westbury. He answered, both boroughs were under his command and he would bring in whom he pleased. On my assuring Mr. Pelham I could carry both with his support he desired me to undertake them and if I carried them he would help me out to my satisfaction.5To Jas. West, 26 June 1754, Add. 32735, f. 573.

Townsend duly carried both boroughs, Westbury on petition.