Andover

The right of election at Andover was in the corporation, who allowed John Wallop, Lord Lymington, a neighbouring landowner, to nominate one Member. The other seat was filled by their recorder, William Guidott, till 1727, when Charles Colyear reported to Walpole:

The corporation of Andover having for some elections past made Lord Lymington the compliment of taking his recommendation for one Member, who was Mr. Brudenell, and Mr. Guidott always stood upon his own interest, but by some accident or other having disobliged a majority of the voters, they were determined to elect another in his room, upon which Mr Hoare [?Henry], the banker, was applied to and had not I luckily intervened, they had determined that night to accept of him. But the corporation being rather inclined for the Whig interest approved of me and dropped Mr. Hoare yet were fixed in their resolutions at all events to set aside Mr. Guidott.9 Aug. 1727, Cholmondeley (Houghton) mss.

At the election Brudenell and Colyear were returned by the corporation, 22 out of 24 of them voting for Brudenell, 14 for Colyear, and 10 for Guidott. Two Tory candidates, Matthew Skinner and Abel Ketelby, who received no corporation votes, petitioned on the ground that they had each polled 53 resident freemen, who had a right to vote. The freemen also petitioned against the restriction of the franchise to the corporation, whose

numbers being so few, a majority of them have made corrupt bargains and divided considerable sums of money among themselves for their votes of Members to serve for the borough in the present Parliament.

Both petitions were withdrawn.CJ, xxi. 43.

In 1734 Lord Lymington did not put up a candidate, leaving Guidott to be returned unopposed with John Pollen, a local man. At the next general election Guidott was finally ousted by Pollen and Lord Lymington’s eldest son, who were re-elected unopposed in 1747.