<p>William Handcock, who had represented the borough on his family interest since 1783, became sole proprietor at the Union, after buying out Sir Richard Bligh St. George, 2nd Bt., whose family had returned the other Member previously and had opposed the Union.<fn>PRO 30/9/13, pt. 2, Irish borough list.</fn> He requested sole patronage of Athlone from government in 1801, claiming that the corporation ‘belonged’ to him, and subsequently he referred to it as ‘exclusively mine’.<fn>Add. 35729, f.