In 1660 New Romney returned Sir Norton Knatchbull, who had represented the port in the Long Parliament, and his son John, presumably unopposed. But in 1661 the younger Knatchbull had to make way for the court nominee, Sir Charles Berkeley. After Berkeley’s elevation to the peerage Henry Brouncker, groom of the bedchamber to the Duke of York, was nominated by his master, the lord warden.
Throughout the Cavalier Parliament (except for its first six months), and again under James II, Hythe was represented by two placemen. Nevertheless, by the end of the period it had shaken itself free from domination by the Government without falling under the sway of any of the neighbouring magnate families, such as the Derings. In this process Edward Hales I played a leading, though not always successful, part.
Hastings returned an Ashburnham at every general election in the period except 1681. In 1660 the corporation politely rejected the Admiralty candidate, the Hon. Edward Montagu, in favour of Denny Ashburnham, head of a cadet branch of the family, and Nicholas Delves, a London merchant of local origin who was the mayor’s brother. In 1661 Ashburnham was re-elected with Edmund Waller, the lord warden’s nominee. Neither stood for the Exclusion Parliaments.
Throughout the period Dover, the largest of the Cinque Ports, displayed remarkable independence of the government interest. In 1660 Edward Montagu I was entrusted with the writ; but the gallant admiral’s return was by no means plain sailing. The jurats expressed delight at the honour intended for the borough, but could not conceal that ‘some less considerate persons may be somewhat pre-engaged’. His chief rival was Arnold Braemes, a local gentleman who had been an active Cavalier, but eventually they seem to have agreed to join their interests.
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’.