Commons 1558-1603

By the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign Winchelsea had ceased to be of any maritime importance, for the sea had receded. The government of the town, nominally in the hands of the corporation, was increasingly influenced during this period by the neighbouring gentry families. This shift of power was reflected in the parliamentary elections, when Winchelsea returned local gentlemen rather than townsmen and merchants. These were held by the mayor, jurats and common assembly. At the time of the elections for the 1559 Parliament, the wardenship of the Cinque Ports was vacant.

Sandwich was governed by a mayor, nine jurats and a common council. The two MPs were chosen by the freemen from four candidates recommended by the jurats. The townsmen MPs were paid 2 s. a day, doubled in 1576. The Sandwich lawyer, Roger Manwood, was returned as senior Member to the first four Parliaments of the reign, being accompanied by a jurat in 1559 and 1563. Before the 1571 election he requested that his brother John, also a jurat, be elected as the junior Member.

Rye was governed by a mayor, elected at an assembly of the commonalty, and by 12 jurats, appointed each year by the new mayor. Parliamentary elections were held at an assembly of the freemen, about 100 in number, at the cross in the churchyard. Between 1575 and 1590 the commonalty was gradually replaced by a common council of 14 chosen by the mayor and jurats.

Although its trade had declined by Elizabeth’s reign because of the silting of the harbour, New Romney was still the venue of the brodhull. The town was governed by a bailiff, probably appointed by the Crown, and 12 jurats, chosen by the freemen. There was a change in 1563, however, when the town was incorporated as the mayor, jurats and commonalty. To establish the new governing body a mayor and a number of life jurats were named in the charter.K. M. E. Murray, Const. Hist. Cinque Ports, 139-189; Arch. Cant. xiii. 199; M.

At the beginning of the reign Hythe was governed by a bailiff, appointed annually by the Crown, 12 jurats and the common assembly of freemen. A charter, similar to those of New Romney in 1563 and Hastings in 1588, was granted to Hythe in 1575. Among other provisions, this raised the bailiff to mayoral status, named nine life jurats, and replaced the common assembly by an undefined number of commoners. The practical result, as far as parliamentary elections were concerned, was a reduction in the number of voters.

Until the charter of 1588 or 9, Hastings was governed by a bailiff and 12 jurats chosen by him. This new charter raised the status of bailiff to that of mayor and vested the government of the town in the mayor, jurats and commonalty. There was a town clerk, chosen by the mayor, and a legal counsel, whose appointment was renewed annually. Parliamentary elections were held at a general assembly of the bailiff or mayor, jurats and freemen in the ‘hundred place’.

Dover was the most important of the Cinque Ports and, by the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign, had already enjoyed several centuries of strong and independent local government. Parliamentary elections were conducted in the common assemblies, consisting of mayor, jurats, common council and freemen.

The Cinque Ports formed a separate group of constituencies whose Members were known as ’barons’ of the Cinque Ports. The Ports had their own assembly, the brodull. The lord warden of the Cinque Ports, whose administrative headquarters was at Dover castle, was a royal official with interests for the most part opposed to those of the Ports themselves.

York is fortunate in having records sufficient in quality and quantity to permit a more detailed constituency account than is usually possible for this period. With an estimated population of over 10,000,VCH York, 122. it was the second city of the realm, and its representatives sat in the House of Commons, with those of London, next to the Privy Councillors.Neale, Commons, 365. For all this, it cannot be said to have added to the stature of the Elizabethan House of Commons.

A borough by prescription, Thirsk’s government comprised a bailiff, elected annually, and, at the beginning of the sixteenth century and probably later, two constables. Returns were made by the burgesses and ‘boroughmen’.