Staffordshire

The representation of Staffordshire was monopolized by four local families, the Leveson Gowers, Wards, Bagots, and Pagets, all Tories at George I’s accession except the Pagets, who had gone over to the Whigs. There were no contests till 1747, when Tory anger against the Leveson Gowers for going over to the Administration led to the first contested election for a hundred years, and the last before the reform bill. Lord Gower had expected that Bagot would ‘compromise the count’ for himself and William Leveson Gower,1Ld. Gower to Pelham, 29 July 1747, Newcastle (Clumber) mss. but at the county meeting, Baptist Leveson Gower reported (27 June 1747):

Sir W. Bagot’s friends proposed young Mr. Crewe to the gentlemen assembled as a colleague to Sir Walter before my brother’s friends joined Sir Richard Wrottesley with him. Upon returning to our inn 104 gentlemen subscribed a paper to support my brother and Sir Richard, and Lord Gower thinks he has a very fair prospect there.2Bedford mss.

After a bitter and violent contest William Leveson Gower was returned but Bagot defeated Wrottesley, who petitioned. In September the Tories under Sir Watkin Williams Wynn met at Lichfield races to organize a subscription against the petition. According to a supporter of the Leveson Gowers:

About one hundred and fifty of the Burton mob, most of them in plaid waistcoats, plaid ribbon round their hats and some with white cockades, entered the town in a body headed by Sir Thomas Gresley, Sir Charles Sedley, a steward of Lord Uxbridge’s and an infamous fellow that struck the Duke of Bedford [Lord Gower’s son-in-law], one Toll, a dancing master. About the same time came in another party of the Birmingham people, most of them in the same dress, with Sir Lister [Holte], and some of the Warwickshire gentlemen. Sir Walter Bagot came in alone. As we had been severely threatened we had reason to apprehend a good deal of mischief from such a meeting, but having no opposition they behaved in general peaceably and did no other damage than the breaking the arm of a poor soldier, an out pensioner for crying out ‘God Bless His Majesty King George and Damn the Plaid’. Many of this mob drank the Pretender’s health publicly in the streets, singing treasonable songs.3T. Hinton to Ld. Anson, 26 Sept. 1747, Lichfield mss.

Wrottesley’s petition was unsuccessful.