Marlow was venal, expensive, and faithless. During this period every election save one was contested; and three out of the eight Members who represented the borough were rejected after having sat for one Parliament only.
The strongest interest was in the Clayton family of Harleyford, two miles from Marlow. ‘Mr. Clayton stands very well here’, wrote Robinson in his survey for the general election of 1780—almost the only Member in this period of whom so much could be said.
In 1787 William Clayton jun. sold his property in the borough to William Antonie Lee, son of William Lee of Totteridge Park. The price asked was £20,000, about half of which was in respect of the electoral interest the property gave at Marlow.
in inhabitants paying scot and lot
Number of voters: about 250