Colonel Wodehouse’s father was Member for Norfolk when he entered Parliament in 1796 on the 1st Earl of Ailesbury’s interest for Bedwyn. The Treasury had him on their list as prepared to pay £2,000 for a seat. Wodehouse senior was described by Ailesbury as ‘a very old acquaintance’, but when he pressed for his son to come in again for the borough in 1802, the application came too late and Ailesbury complained that ‘except the year or two and the last of his serving for Great Bedwyn’, his nominee ‘never called on me and I scarce knew him by sight’.
At the election of 1802, Wodehouse contested Norfolk. He was prepared to withdraw in favour of William Windham, but the latter returned the compliment and Wodehouse espoused the independence of the county against domination by the Whig interest of Coke of Holkham. The Whigs reproached Wodehouse for his past support of ministers and his being the heir to a peerage. At length, he was defeated, despite a scrutiny. In August 1806 he again canvassed and was again defeated, by the coalition of Coke and Windham, but it was a near thing. Though aided by subscriptions, Wodehouse spent about £20,000 each time and his father’s rental was about £7,000 p.a.: he therefore declined an invitation to come forward in 1807.