Borough

At George I’s accession the chief interest at Ludgershall was that of the Webbs of Biddesden, in the parish of Ludgershall. In 1715 the candidates were General John Richmond Webb, his brother, Thomas, and another Tory, John Ivory Talbot. General Webb was returned with Talbot, against whom Thomas petitioned on the ground that he had a majority of legal votes but that the bailiff had been prevailed upon to return Talbot. The petition was withdrawn.CJ, xviii. 37, 425-6. In 1722, when all three candidates were Webbs, the general and his son, Borlase, defeated Thomas.

Hindon was a notoriously venal borough. The chief interest was that of the Calthorpes of Elvetham, who as lessees of the manor of Hindon from the bishop of Winchester nominated the returning officer. Until 1734 all Members were elected as supporters of the Administration.

From the reign of Charles II till 1772 Heytesbury was completely controlled by the Ashe family and their successors the A’Courts, who owned most of the burgages and as lords of the manor appointed the returning officer. The seats were held by successive owners of the borough, Edward Ashe (for 52 years), William Ashe and Pierce A’Court Ashe; the other was usually given to close relatives. Except in 1722, when there was a negligible opposition, all Members were returned unopposed. All the Members were government supporters.J. A. Cannon, ‘Borough of Heytesbury in 18th Cent.’, Wilts.

The principal interest at Great Bedwyn at the accession of George I was in the Bruce family, who owned the Tottenham Park estate in Savernake forest, carrying with it the appointment of the returning officer. This ancient home of the Seymours, afterwards dukes of Somerset, had passed by marriage in 1676 to Thomas Bruce, M.P., 2nd Earl of Ailesbury, a Jacobite, who was exiled in 1697. His interest, till his death in exile in 1741, was managed by his son Lord Bruce, M.P., afterwards the 3rd Earl, in favour of Tory candidates.

In 1715 the principal burgage owners were the Eyres of Brickworth and Anthony Duncombe, afterwards Lord Feversham. Another interest was vested in the Ashes of Heytesbury who, as lessees of the manor of Downton from the bishop of Winchester, appointed the returning officer. All these interests were pro-Administration.

The franchise at Devizes was vested in the corporation, ‘a narrow self co-opting oligarchy’,Namier, ‘Charles Garth and his connexions’, in EHR, liv. 446-7. representing the leading local clothiers. In 1715 the Members returned were Josiah Diston, a cloth merchant, M.P. Devizes 1706-10, and Francis Eyles, another merchant with estates near the borough, which his father had represented.

Owing to the nature of the local franchise Cricklade was an independent borough, subject to no predominant interest, but usually returning neighbouring landowners. From 1713 to 1747 one of the seats was held by Sir Thomas Reade, a wealthy placeman; the other was contested between government candidates and the Gores, Tories till they went over to the government in 1744, who owned the manor of Cricklade, carrying with it the appointment of the returning officer. Out of seven election petitions between 1721 and 1741, six were based on the returning officer’s alleged misconduct and partiality.

At the accession of George I Chippenham was an open borough, with the Whig and Tory interests fairly evenly balanced. In 1715 and 1727 ministerial supporters were returned, but in 1722 and 1734 the Government secured only one seat, which was lost at a by-election in 1737 to an opposition Whig, Edward Bayntun Rolt, of Spye Park, four miles from the town, an estate carrying with it the most important interest in the borough.

The principal interest in the borough lay in the Ducketts, who owned the manors of Calne and Calstone, usually returning one Member. Another interest was attached to the prebend manor of Calne, leased by the Stiles family till 1747, when they sold it to the Northeys. Two other neighbouring landowners, Sir Orlando Bridgeman of Bowood and Walter Hungerford of Studley, also had some influence.

At George I’s accession the chief interests at Appleby were those of the Tory earls of Thanet, who owned Appleby castle, and of two Whig Westmorland families, the Lowthers, Viscounts Lonsdale, and the Sandfords of Howgill castle. On 9 Oct. 1714 the bishop of Carlisle wrote to James Lowther: