Monmouth was under the sway of the dukes of Beaufort, who had a strong interest in all its three constituent boroughs. In Monmouth the Duke controlled the council of 15 life-members; in Usk he was lord of the manor, appointing the burgesses through the recorder; in Newport, where he was lord of the borough, his steward nominated the mayor from two candidates chosen by the aldermen. By the eighteenth century considerable power in the last borough had also been acquired by a neighbouring family, the Morgans of Tredegar.
In 1715 the Beaufort nominee, Andrews Windsor, a Tory, was defeated by a Tredegar candidate, William Bray, a Whig. This was the last challenge to Beaufort domination till 1820. By the middle of the century the dukes of Beaufort had an understanding with the Morgan and Hanbury families whereby the Morgans and Hanburys shared the county representation, leaving the borough under Beaufort control.
in the resident freemen of Monmouth, Newport and Usk
Number of voters: about 2000 in 1715