Newcastle under Lyme

<p>Newcastle-under-Lyme was always classed as a Leveson Gower borough, and only once during this period was that interest seriously challenged. Yet it had a fairly large electorate, and could not have been easy to manage. In 1767 Lord Clive received a letter from three freemen offering the support of 120 more &#8217;to serve any gentleman... willing to offer himself a candidate in opposition ot the present interest&#8217;.<fn>Signed by Rich. Rhodes, Geo. Taylor, and Wm. Hill, 20 Nov. 1767, Clive mss.</fn> Lord Gower is said to have controlled the borough &#8217;in part by lavish hospitality... and in part by an ingenious device of owning the property in the town and letting the tenants get ten or fifteen years in arrears&#8217;.<fn>J.C. Wedgwood, <em>Staffs. Parlty. Hist.</em> ii. xxvii.</fn></p>