Westbury

The Berties, earls of Abingdon, Tories, were lords of the manor of Westbury, where they owned a majority of the burgages. One or both seats were taken by members of the Bertie family at every election from the Revolution to the accession of the House of Hanover. From 1715 to 1754 they were less successful, partly because, as Tories, their candidates were liable to be unseated by the Whig House of Commons on petition, partly because their practice had been to grant long leases, which reduced their hold on their tenants. ‘As most of the tenants were poor, it afforded great scope for any adventurer to fight his Lordship with his own weapons by buying off his tenants.’1‘Case of the Borough of Westbury’, 1767, Bodl. Top. Wilts. c. 5.

In 1715 two Bertie candidates were returned by the mayor and two Whig strangers by the constable, both indentures being accepted by the sheriff and annexed to the precept. On the merits of the return the House ordered the constable’s to be taken off the file, thus seating the Tories, who were themselves unseated in favour of their opponents two months later on the merits of the election.2CJ, xviii. 23-24, 27-28, 149-54.

At the next two general elections Bertie candidates were successful but in 1734 both seats were won by Whigs, one of whom, John Bance, went into opposition. Before the 1741 election he seems to have considered proceedings in the King’s bench about the election of a mayor, by which, according to government agents,

they can only propose giving us trouble and expense, and endanger the borough (supposing they should get the better upon such trial) of falling into our adversary’s hands, which is Lord Abingdon’s, and this may be the consequence.3Cholmondeley (Houghton) mss 68 (undated).

In the event the government candidates were easily successful. In 1747 Pelham suggested a compromise at Westbury and Wallingford between Bance and Chauncy Townsend; but this was rejected by Bance4Townsend to J. West, 26 June 1754, Add. 32735, f. 573. who, with the support of the Bertie interest, stood jointly with a Tory, Paul Methuen. Bance and Methuen were successful at the poll but were unseated on petition in favour of the government candidates. At a by-election in 1753 one of the seats was recovered by the Berties without opposition.