Right of election
in the freeholders and freemen till 1739, afterwards in the freemen1CJ, xxiii. 419.
Plymouth
Background Information
Number of voters: about 200
Constituency business
| Date | Candidate | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Feb. 1715 | SIR JOHN ROGERS | |
| SIR GEORGE BYNG | ||
| 19 Dec. 1720 | BYNG re-elected after appointment to office | |
| 31 Oct. 1721 | PATTEE BYNG vice Sir George Byng, called to the Upper House | |
| 22 Mar. 1722 | PATTEE BYNG | |
| WILLIAM CHETWYND | ||
| 1 May 1724 | BYNG re-elected after appointment to office | |
| 24 Aug. 1727 | GEORGE TREBY | |
| ARTHUR STERT | ||
| 1 Mar. 1728 | ROBERT BYNG vice Treby, chose to sit for Dartmouth | |
| 21 Jan. 1732 | BYNG re-elected after appointment to office | |
| 30 Apr. 1734 | ROBERT BYNG | |
| ARTHUR STERT | ||
| 13 June 1739 | JOHN ROGERS vice Byng, appointed to office | |
| Charles Vanbrugh | ||
| 26 Nov. 1740 | LORD HENRY BEAUCLERK vice Vanbrugh, deceased | |
| 11 May 1741 | LORD VERE BEAUCLERK | |
| ARTHUR STERT | ||
| 31 Dec. 1744 | BEAUCLERK re-elected after appointment to office | |
| 3 July 1747 | LORD VERE BEAUCLERK | |
| ARTHUR STERT | ||
| 6 Apr. 1750 | CHARLES SAUNDERS vice Beauclerk, called to the Upper House |
Main Article
<p>The control of Plymouth was in the Admiralty. Under Walpole it was managed for the Government by <a href="/landingpage/58987" title="George Treby" class="link">George Treby</a>, who had property and an interest there.<a class='fnlink' id='t2' href='#fn2'>2<span>Geo. Treby to Walpole, 4 Aug. 1727, 30 Apr. 1734, Cholmondeley (Houghton) mss.</span></a> In 1739 the Commons restricted the right of election, previously by usage in the freemen and freeholders, to the freemen only, unseating <a href="/landingpage/58784" title="John Rogers" class="link">John Rogers</a>, who had been elected largely by the freeholders,<a class='fnlink' id='t3' href='#fn3'>3<span><em>CJ</em>, xxiii. 419; H. F. Whitfield, <em>Plymouth and Devonport in Times of War and Peace</em>, 169.</span></a> thus confirming the government interest in the town.</p>
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