Cockermouth

Cockermouth remained a pocket borough of the Lowther family until 1832. James, 1st Earl of Lonsdale, usually returned personal adherents, but when Sir William Lowther succeeded to his electoral influence he frequently placed a seat at the disposal first of the Pittites and later of administration. Although the Earl of Egremont, as lord of the manor and a substantial local property owner, was well suited to contest control of the borough, he could not be induced to take an interest in its politics during this period. Nothing came of the report of an attempt to open the borough in December 1812 by Mr (probably Joseph) Hume.1Lonsdale mss, Lonsdale to Visct. Lowther, 12 Dec., Lowther to Lonsdale, 19 Dec. 1812.

The abortive challenge to the Lowther interest at the general election of 1818, inspired by Brougham’s anti-Lowther crusade in Westmorland and engineered by his brother James, gave ample proof of the futility of fighting a popular campaign in a constituency under tight local control. The unsuccessful Whig candidates meant to contest ‘the question of burgage’; and ‘it was their intention to have polled a good many householders that they might, in that view of the right of voting, have also a majority. But ... they could not get householders to poll for them—two at the utmost.’ No petition materialized.2Carlisle mss, Lady to Ld. Morpeth [15 June], Ld. to Lady Morpeth [21 June], Lamb to Morpeth, 22 June, Howard to same, 3 July 1818; Wentworth Woodhouse mun. G1/14.