Borough

The city of Westminster, composed of the parishes of St. Margaret and St. Martin-in-the-Fields, was beginning to lose its separate identity in the Elizabethan period: a continuous line of buildings along the Strand connected it with London. Many of its inhabitants were employed in the royal services or in various government offices. Municipal development had been limited, the dean and chapter of the collegiate church of St. Peter having inherited from the abbots the civil as well as ecclesiastical government of the city and its liberties.

The market town of Stamford, incorporated in 1462, was governed by an alderman and 12 comburgesses, assisted by 12 capital burgesses. Election procedure in the Elizabethan period remains obscure, but two of the four surviving returns contain the names of the alderman and of more than a score of burgesses—perhaps the members of the council. Only one name, that of Francis Harington in 1572, appears to have been inserted in a different hand. The surviving returns are those concerning 1559, 1572, 1597 and 1601 Parliaments.

The early municipal history of ‘the Queen’s Majesty’s town and borough of Great Grimsby’—the phrase comes from the 1584 election return—is uncertain. The surviving returns show that the MPs were chosen by the mayor and burgesses with their ‘whole and mutual assents and consents, voices and agreements’ but it is impossible to say how many were present at the elections.

The city of Lincoln, with a population of more than 2,000 in the middle of the sixteenth century, was a county in itself. It was governed by a mayor and 12 aldermen, constituting a self-perpetuating body usually known as the ‘inner chamber’: most of its members were merchants. There was also a common council of ‘discreet and honest persons’, chosen by the aldermen. The city had a recorder, usually elected from the local gentry, and two sheriffs.

By the beginning of this period Boston was in decline, the townsmen a ‘factious people imbued with a puritan spirit’. Its charter of 1545 provided for a mayor, 12 aldermen, 18 common councilmen, a recorder, town clerk and other officials. The recordership was honorary, a deputy performing the duties of the office. Sir William Cecil was recorder throughout this period until his death in 1598, when he was succeeded by his son Thomas, 2nd Lord Burghley.

In this period Grantham was governed by an alderman and 12 comburgesses. There was also a recordership held for much of the Elizabethan period by the Thorold family, who lived nearby. In a letter dated 1581 Anthony Thorold implied that he had held the position for many years and his father before him.

A place of considerable importance in the sixteenth century and ‘one of the ancientest and greatest towns’ belonging to the duchy of Lancaster—the description dates from 1587—Leicester was governed in Elizabeth’s reign by a close oligarchic corporation consisting of the mayor and aldermen (known as the 24) and 48 councilmen or comburgesses. The latter body, selected by the mayor and 24 from ‘the most wise and sad commons only’, represented the commonalty in municipal and parliamentary elections; they could be replaced ‘as often as seems necessary’.

Wigan is said to have received charters in 1560 and 1585, but details of these have been lost. Other evidence shows that a mayor, two bailiffs and a number of burgesses were elected annually for the town and borough, which also had five aldermen. During this period Wigan showed no independence in its choice of MPs. Elections were dominated by the Gerard family, the most important local landowners, the 3rd Earl of Derby and the duchy of Lancaster.

Liverpool was governed during this period by a mayor, two bailiffs, 12 aldermen and a number of burgesses. Returns at parliamentary elections were made by the mayor and bailiffs, with the assent and consent of aldermen, burgesses and commoners. At the beginning of the reign Sir Ambrose Cave, chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, apparently assumed that both seats at Liverpool were his for the taking.

Newton—‘a little poor market’ Leland called it—first sent Members to Parliament in 1559. No authority has been found for its enfranchisement, but its first Members were not challenged in the House. The 1559 return is to testify that we, the free men of the borough of Thomas Langton, knight, baron of Newton ...