Wendover

At the beginning of the eighteenth century the Whig family of Hampden, who held the manors of Wendover Borough and Wendover Forrens, carrying the right to nominate the returning officers, controlled both Wendover seats. In 1715 Richard Hampden was able to bring in Richard Grenville under an agreement whereby the latter withdrew from the county in favour of Hampden.2See BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. At the 1722 election Hampden, who had been dismissed from his office of treasurer of the navy for peculation, returned himself for Wendover with Sir Richard Steele, the Whig essayist. Steele had a majority of 71 over Sir Roger Hill, then aged 80, who had been returned on Hampden’s interest in six previous elections. Hampden was now a ruined man, whose estates became vested in government-appointed trustees. At the 1727 election these trustees wrote to Hampden’s steward that ‘it will be acceptable to our lords and masters here for you to gain all the votes you can ... at [Wendover] for Philip Lloyd ... We therefore desire you will use your interest for the said Mr. Lloyd’,3Chris. Tilson, M. Frecker and Thos. Bower to Hen. Harding, 8 July 1727, Earl of Buckinghamshire’s mss 39/15. who did not, however, stand. Hampden for his part, after attempting to sell one of the seats to the Crown,4See HAMPDEN, Richard. returned himself with Lord Limerick, an opposition Whig. After his death his brother and successor, John Hampden, was able to retain control of only one Wendover seat at considerable expense and by a narrow margin. Thus to secure his return in 1734 he paid out £583, including £116 in one day at public houses; in 1741 £1,103 was spent, of which 115 voters received six guineas apiece as ‘loans’ to avoid accusations of bribery; in 1747, when there was apparently no opposition, 189 voters were given three guineas each out of a total expenditure of £682, despite a petition to Hampden from 60 Wendover burgesses that there should be no money given, lent or spent, no ringers and no public or private bills.5Earl of Buckinghamshire’s mss 40/4,8,27,34,35. In 1734 John Boteler with government support defeated Limerick, who petitioned successfully on the ground that his opponent did not possess the necessary property qualification. At the ensuing by-election, Boteler, though armed with £500 from the secret service money, was defeated by Limerick.6Parl. Hist. xii. 629-30. Before the 1741 election Lord Fermanagh, of Claydon, began to buy property in the borough, where at the time of the election he owned 110 houses occupied by voters. With this backing he was able to head the poll, ousting Limerick. Shortly afterwards, Fermanagh, now Earl Verney, acquired both the Wendover manors from Hampden, apparently on condition that the latter should have the right to be returned for the borough during his life or for so long as he wished. Should Hampden not be elected, the manors were to be handed back to him.7Earl of Buckinghamshire’s mss 40/20,21,41. In 1747, therefore, Hampden and Lord Verney were returned unopposed. The 2nd Lord Egmont in his electoral survey, c.1749—50, wrote against Wendover: ‘Earl Verney can bring in two’.