Commons 1715-1754

<p>In 1715 the Newport seats were filled by Anthony Morgan, a government supporter, and William Stephens, a local Tory landowner, without opposition, though Morgan, who had been appointed lieutenant governor of the Isle of Wight after George I&#8217;s accession, tried to persuade the Government to put up a second candidate, assuring them that &#8217;it will be an easy matter to bring in two Whigs at that corporation&#8217;.<fn>T.

<p>From 1715 to 1734 one seat at St. Ives was controlled by <a href="/landingpage/58134" title="Sir John Hobart" class="link">Sir John Hobart</a>, who had the &#8217;great tithe&#8217; on pilchards and herrings, and built up a strong interest in the corporation, spending £2,000 on the contested election of 1722 and £500 on the unopposed 1722 election.<fn>Hobart Pprs. Norwich City Central Lib.

<p>The principal interest at Windsor lay in the castle. From 1722 to 1761 the Beauclerk dukes of St. Albans, lords lieutenant of Berkshire 1714-51, who owned Burford House in the borough, always held one of the seats, the 2nd Duke being constable of the castle 1730-51. According to the Duchess of Marlborough, George II said at his levee in 1738, &#8217;Lord Vere [Beauclerk] should have the seat in Parliament, for Windsor was his [i.e. the King&#8217;s] borough&#8217;.<fn><em>Mems of Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough</em>, ed.