Camelford (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Camelford was a rotten borough
in Cornwall
which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons
in the English
and later British Parliament from 1552 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.
, a market town in northern Cornwall, and part of the surrounding Lanteglos-by-Camelford parish. Like most of the Cornish boroughs
enfranchised or re-enfranchised during the Tudor period
, it was a rotten borough from the start.
The right to vote was disputed in the 18th century, but according to a judgment of 1796, belonged to those "free burgesses" who were resident householders paying scot and lot
. The number of voters varied as new free burgesses were created, but was estimated to be 31 in 1831. Free burgesses were made only by nomination of the "patron", who owned all the houses in the borough, and the voters always voted in accordance with the patron's instructions.
The patronage, and the borough, changed hands several times. In the 1760s, before the exclusive voting rights of the free burgesses were established, the elections were managed by Charles Phillips for the government, and Camelford was considered a secure Treasury Borough (one where ministers could nominate the MPs as a form of patronage). Later the power of the patron became more complete, and in 1812 The Duke of Bedford
was able to sell it for £32,000, forcing its MP, Henry Brougham
, to find a new seat as his radical politics were unacceptable to the new owner. From 1814 until the Great Reform Act, the owner was the Earl of Darlington
(later Marquess and Duke of Cleveland).
Cleveland was forced to secure his influence by regular payments to the voters, making Camelford one of the most notorious examples of corruption that were cited at the time of the Reform Act. In 1819, after two successive elections had been declared void and all the candidates disqualified for "treating", the writ was suspended, temporarily depriving the borough of its representation, although this only lasted until a new Parliament was summoned the following year. The Morning Chronicle noted in 1830 that "Everyone has heard of what Camelford cost the Marquess of Cleveland till the arrangement with the Marquess of Hertford. The Members who were returned for the marquess paid the voters in £1 notes enclosed in a deal box marked 'China'."
In 1831, the borough had an estimated population of 597, and 110 houses.
Notes
Rotten borough
A "rotten", "decayed" or pocket borough was a parliamentary borough or constituency in the United Kingdom that had a very small electorate and could be used by a patron to gain undue and unrepresentative influence within Parliament....
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in the English
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
and later British Parliament from 1552 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.
History
The borough consisted of the town of CamelfordCamelford
Camelford is a town and civil parish in north Cornwall, United Kingdom, situated in the River Camel valley northwest of Bodmin Moor. The town is approximately ten miles north of Bodmin and is governed by Camelford Town Council....
, a market town in northern Cornwall, and part of the surrounding Lanteglos-by-Camelford parish. Like most of the Cornish boroughs
Cornish rotten boroughs
The Cornish rotten boroughs were one of the most striking anomalies of the Unreformed House of Commons in the Parliament that ruled Britain before the Reform Act of 1832...
enfranchised or re-enfranchised during the Tudor period
Tudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
, it was a rotten borough from the start.
The right to vote was disputed in the 18th century, but according to a judgment of 1796, belonged to those "free burgesses" who were resident householders paying scot and lot
Scot and lot
Scot and lot is a phrase common in the records of English medieval boroughs, applied to householders who were assessed for a tax paid to the borough for local or national purposes.They were usually members of a merchant guild.Before the Reform Act 1832, those who paid scot and bore...
. The number of voters varied as new free burgesses were created, but was estimated to be 31 in 1831. Free burgesses were made only by nomination of the "patron", who owned all the houses in the borough, and the voters always voted in accordance with the patron's instructions.
The patronage, and the borough, changed hands several times. In the 1760s, before the exclusive voting rights of the free burgesses were established, the elections were managed by Charles Phillips for the government, and Camelford was considered a secure Treasury Borough (one where ministers could nominate the MPs as a form of patronage). Later the power of the patron became more complete, and in 1812 The Duke of Bedford
John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford
John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford KG, PC, LLD, FSA , known as Lord John Russell until 1802, was a British Whig politician and notably served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the Ministry of All the Talents...
was able to sell it for £32,000, forcing its MP, Henry Brougham
Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux
Henry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux was a British statesman who became Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.As a young lawyer in Scotland Brougham helped to found the Edinburgh Review in 1802 and contributed many articles to it. He went to London, and was called to the English bar in...
, to find a new seat as his radical politics were unacceptable to the new owner. From 1814 until the Great Reform Act, the owner was the Earl of Darlington
William Vane, 1st Duke of Cleveland
William Henry Vane, 1st Duke of Cleveland, KG was a British peer.He was born in 1766, the son of the 2nd Earl of Darlington, and was baptised at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace...
(later Marquess and Duke of Cleveland).
Cleveland was forced to secure his influence by regular payments to the voters, making Camelford one of the most notorious examples of corruption that were cited at the time of the Reform Act. In 1819, after two successive elections had been declared void and all the candidates disqualified for "treating", the writ was suspended, temporarily depriving the borough of its representation, although this only lasted until a new Parliament was summoned the following year. The Morning Chronicle noted in 1830 that "Everyone has heard of what Camelford cost the Marquess of Cleveland till the arrangement with the Marquess of Hertford. The Members who were returned for the marquess paid the voters in £1 notes enclosed in a deal box marked 'China'."
In 1831, the borough had an estimated population of 597, and 110 houses.
1553-1640
| Parliament | First member | Second member | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Parliament of 1553 | John Huyke | Nicholas St John | |
| Second Parliament of 1553 | Francis Roscarock | Ambrose Gilbes | |
| Parliament of 1554 | Thomas Arundell | George Stafford | |
| Parliament of 1554-1555 | Francis Roscarock | Clement Tyfferd | |
| Parliament of 1555 | William Carryl | George Tadlow | |
| Parliament of 1558 | Thomas Prideaux | William St Aubyn | |
| Parliament of 1559 | John Smith | ? | |
| Parliament of 1563-1567 | William Patridge | Drewin Drury | |
| Parliament of 1571 | Nicholas Prideaux | Edward Williams | |
| Parliament of 1572-1581 | John Giffard | George Grenville, junior | |
| Parliament of 1584-1585 | Richard Trefusis | Emanuel Chamond | |
| Parliament of 1586-1587 | Geoffrey Gate | ||
| Parliament of 1588-1589 | Arthur Gorges Arthur Gorges Sir Arthur Gorges , was a sea captain, poet, translator and courtier.-Early life:He was born the son of Sir William Gorges of Charlton and his wife Winifred Budockshede, heiress to the manor of Budockshede.Sir William Gorges died in Dec 1584, in the Tower of London: he was knighted in Ireland in... |
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| Parliament of 1593 | Humphrey Mitchell | Richard Leech | |
| Parliament of 1597-1598 | Jerome Horsey Jerome Horsey Sir Jerome Horsey , of Great Kimble, Buckinghamshire, was an English explorer, diplomat and politician in the 16th and 17th centuries.... |
Henry Carnesewe | |
| Parliament of 1601 | William Carnesew | Anthony Turpin Anthony Turpin Anthony Turpin was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1601 and 1611.In 1601, Turpin was elected Member of Parliament for Camelford. He was re-elected MP for Camelford in 1604.... |
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| Parliament of 1604-1611 | John Good | ||
| Addled Parliament (1614) Addled Parliament The Addled Parliament was the second Parliament of England of the reign of James I of England , which sat between 5 April and 7 June 1614... |
George Cotton | Robert Naunton Robert Naunton Sir Robert Naunton was an English writer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1606 and 1626.-Life:... |
|
| Parliament of 1621-1622 | Sir Henry Carey Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth Henry Carey, 2nd Earl of Monmouth was an English nobleman and translator born in Bolton, Lancashire, England to Robert Carey, 1st Earl of Monmouth and Elizabeth Trevannion. On 6 November 1652 Henry married Martha Cranfield daughter of Lionel Cranfield, 1st Earl of Middlesex and Elizabeth Shepard... |
Edward Carr | |
| Happy Parliament (1624-1625) Happy Parliament The Happy Parliament was the fourth and last Parliament of England of the reign of King James I, sitting from 19 February 1624 to 24 May 1624 and then from 2 November 1624 to 16 February 1625... |
Sir Francis Cottington | Edward Hare | |
| Useless Parliament (1625) Useless Parliament The Useless Parliament was the first Parliament of England of the reign of King Charles I, sitting only from June until August 1625. It gained its name because it transacted no significant business, making it 'useless' from the king's point of view... |
Sir Henry Hungate | Thomas Cotteel | |
| Parliament of 1625-1626 | Edward Lyndley | Sir Thomas Monk | |
| Parliament of 1628-1629 | Francis Crossing | Evan Edwards | |
| No Parliament summoned 1629-1640 | |||
1640-1832
| Year | First member | First party | Second member | Second party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1640 Short Parliament The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks.... |
Piers Edgcumbe | Royalist | Edward Reade | |||
| November 1640 Long Parliament The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and... |
William Glanville | Royalist | ||||
| January 1644 | Edgcumbe and Glanville disabled from sitting - both seats vacant | |||||
| 1647 | William Say William Say William Say was an English Member of Parliament and one of the regicides of King Charles I.Say was educated at University College, Oxford and the Middle Temple before being called to the Bar in 1631... |
Gregory Clement Gregory Clement Gregory Clement was an English Member of Parliament and one of the regicides of King Charles I.Clement was the son of John Clement, a merchant and one time Mayor of Plymouth. After working in India for the British East India Company, Clement returned to London and on outbreak of the Civil War... (?) |
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| May 1652 | Clement expelled - his seat left vacant | |||||
| 1653 | Camelford was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament Barebones Parliament Barebone's Parliament, also known as the Little Parliament, the Nominated Assembly and the Parliament of Saints, came into being on 4 July 1653, and was the last attempt of the English Commonwealth to find a stable political form before the installation of Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector... and the First First Protectorate Parliament The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the House.... and Second Second Protectorate Parliament The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons... Parliaments of the Protectorate |
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| January 1659 Third Protectorate Parliament The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons... |
John Maynard John Maynard (MP) Sir John Maynard KS was an English lawyer and politician, prominent under the reigns of Charles I, the Commonwealth, Charles II, James II and William III.-Origins and education:... |
William Bradden | ||||
| May 1659 Rump Parliament The Rump Parliament is the name of the English Parliament after Colonel Pride purged the Long Parliament on 6 December 1648 of those members hostile to the Grandees' intention to try King Charles I for high treason.... |
William Say William Say William Say was an English Member of Parliament and one of the regicides of King Charles I.Say was educated at University College, Oxford and the Middle Temple before being called to the Bar in 1631... |
One seat vacant | ||||
| April 1660 | Peter Killigrew Sir Peter Killigrew, 2nd Baronet Sir Peter Killigrew, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660.Killigrew was the son of Sir Peter Killigrew, who was commonly known as Sir Peter the Post, because of his great diligence in conveying messages to King Charles I during the English Civil War.In... |
Samuel Trelawny Samuel Trelawny Samuel Trelawny was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1659 and 1666.Trelawny was the eldest surviving son of Robert Trelawny and was baptised on 31 March 1630. His father was a merchant of Ham and MP for Plymouth... |
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| June 1660 | Thomas Vivian | William Cotton | ||||
| 1661 | Thomas Coventry Thomas Coventry, 1st Earl of Coventry Thomas Coventry, 1st Earl of Coventry , known as the Hon. Thomas Coventry from 1640 to 1687 and as the Lord Coventry from 1687 to 1697, was an English politician.... |
Charles Roscarrock | ||||
| 1665 | (Sir) William Godolphin William Godolphin (diplomat) Sir William Godolphin was an English diplomat and Member of Parliament.Godolphin was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, gaining the degrees of Master of Arts in 1661 and Doctor of Civil Law in 1663... |
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| February 1679 | Sir James Smyth James Smyth (MP) Sir James Smyth was an English Member of Parliament. The Smyths were a prominent family in Exeter and he married a Cornish heiress... |
William Harbord | ||||
| April 1679 | Robert Russell | |||||
| April 1685 | Humphrey Langford | Nicholas Courtney | ||||
| September 1685 | Sir Charles Scarborough Charles Scarborough Sir Charles Scarborough MP FRS FRCP was an English physician and mathematician.Scarborough was born in St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, London in 1615, the son of Edmund Scarburgh, and was sent to St... |
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| 1689 | Ambrose Manaton | Henry Manaton Henry Manaton Henry Manaton was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1689 and 1713.Manaton was the son of Henry Manaton of Trecarrell and his second wife Jane Mapowder, daughter of Narcissus Mapowder of Holsworthy Devon... |
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| 1695 | Robert Molesworth Robert Molesworth, 1st Viscount Molesworth Robert Molesworth, 1st Viscount Molesworth PC came of an old Northamptonshire family. He married Letitia Coote, daughter of Richard Coote, 1st Lord Coote of Coloony and Mary St. George.His father Robert Robert Molesworth, 1st Viscount Molesworth PC (7 September 1656 – 22 May 1725) came of an old... |
Whig | ||||
| 1696 | Sidney Wortley Montagu | |||||
| 1698 | Henry Manaton Henry Manaton Henry Manaton was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1689 and 1713.Manaton was the son of Henry Manaton of Trecarrell and his second wife Jane Mapowder, daughter of Narcissus Mapowder of Holsworthy Devon... |
Dennys Glynn | ||||
| 1704 | William Pole | |||||
| 1705 | Henry Pinnell | |||||
| 1708 | Richard Munden | John Manley | ||||
| 1710 | Bernard Granville | Jasper Radcliffe | ||||
| March 1711 | Henry Manaton Henry Manaton Henry Manaton was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1689 and 1713.Manaton was the son of Henry Manaton of Trecarrell and his second wife Jane Mapowder, daughter of Narcissus Mapowder of Holsworthy Devon... |
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| May 1711 | Paul Orchard | |||||
| 1712 | Sir Bourchier Wrey | |||||
| 1713 | James Nicholls | |||||
| 1715 | James Montagu | Richard Coffin | ||||
| 1722 | The Earl of Drogheda | William Sloper William Sloper William Sloper was a British Member of Parliament. He represented Great Bedwyn , as the second member, 1715-1722 and 1727-1741. He was the first member 1741-1756.... |
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| 1727 | Thomas Hales Sir Thomas Hales, 3rd Baronet Sir Thomas Hales, 3rd Baronet , of Beakesbourne in Kent, was an English courtier and Member of Parliament.Hales was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Hales, 2nd Baronet, of Brymore, and was educated at Oriel College, Oxford... |
Whig | John Pitt | |||
| 1734 | Sir Thomas Lyttelton Sir Thomas Lyttelton, 4th Baronet Sir Thomas Lyttelton, 4th Baronet was the eldest son of Sir Charles Lyttelton, 3rd Baronet and inherited the family estates in Frankley, Halesowen, Hagley, and Upper Arley on his death in 1716.... |
James Cholmondeley | ||||
| 1741 | The Earl of Inchiquin William O'Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin William McWilliam O'Brien, 4th Earl of Inchiquin, KB, PC was an Irish peer and politician.-Background:O'Brien was the eldest son of William O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Inchiquin and his wife, Mary , sister of the 1st Earl of Jersey, and inherited his father's titles in 1719.-Political career:Inchiquin... |
Charles Montagu | ||||
| 1747 | The Earl of Londonderry | Samuel Martin Samuel Martin (Secretary to the Treasury) Samuel Martin was a British politician and administrator.-Family:He was the son of Samuel Martin, the leading plantation owner on the West Indies island of Antigua, where he was born, and eldest half-brother of Sir Henry Martin, 1st Baronet , for many years naval commissioner at Portsmouth and... |
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| 1754 | John Lade | |||||
| 1759 | Bartholomew Burton | |||||
| 1768 | Charles Phillips | William Wilson | ||||
| 1774 | John Amyand | Francis Herne | ||||
| 1776 | Sir Ralph Payne Ralph Payne, 1st Baron Lavington Ralph Payne, 1st Baron Lavington KB PC was a British politician and Governor of the Leeward Islands.-Early life and education:... |
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| 1780 | John Pardoe | James Macpherson James Macpherson James Macpherson was a Scottish writer, poet, literary collector and politician, known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of poems.-Early life:... |
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| April 1784 | Jonathan Phillips | |||||
| July 1784 | Sir Samuel Hannay, Bt | |||||
| 1791 | William Smith William Smith (abolitionist) William Smith was a leading independent British politician, sitting as Member of Parliament for more than one constituency. He was an English Dissenter and was instrumental in bringing political rights to that religious minority... |
Whig | ||||
| March 1796 | Lord William Bentinck Lord William Bentinck Lieutenant-General Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck GCB, GCH, PC , known as Lord William Bentinck, was a British soldier and statesman... |
Whig | ||||
| May 1796 | William Joseph Denison | John Angerstein John Angerstein (MP) John Angerstein was an English Whig politician from Blackheath.He was one of the three people nominated in November 1829 to be the High Sheriff of Kent in 1830,but the King appointed Edward Rice.... |
Whig | |||
| 1802 | Robert Adair | Whig | John Fonblanque | Whig | ||
| 1806 | Viscount Maitland James Maitland, 9th Earl of Lauderdale James Maitland, 9th Earl of Lauderdale , styled Viscount Maitland between 1789 and 1839, was a British peer and Whig politician.-Background and education:... |
Whig | ||||
| 1807 | Lord Henry Petty Henry Petty-FitzMaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne KG, PC, FRS , known as Lord Henry Petty from 1784 to 1809 and then as The Earl of Kerry to 1818, was a British statesman... |
Whig | ||||
| 1810 | Henry Brougham Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux Henry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux was a British statesman who became Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.As a young lawyer in Scotland Brougham helped to found the Edinburgh Review in 1802 and contributed many articles to it. He went to London, and was called to the English bar in... |
Whig | ||||
| 1812 | William Leader | Samuel Scott | ||||
| 1818 | Mark Milbank | Whig | John Bushby Maitland | Whig | ||
| 1819 | John Stewart | Tory | Lewis Allsopp | Tory | ||
| 1819 | Camelford's representation suspended 1819-1820 | |||||
| 1820 | Mark Milbank | Whig | Earl of Yarmouth Francis Seymour-Conway, 3rd Marquess of Hertford Francis Charles Seymour-Conway, 3rd Marquess of Hertford KG, GCH PC , styled Viscount Beauchamp between 1793 and 1794 and Earl of Yarmouth between 1794 and 1822, was a British Tory politician and art collector.... |
Tory | ||
| 1822 | Sheldon Cradock | Whig | ||||
| 1832 United Kingdom general election, 1832 -Seats summary:-Parties and leaders at the general election:The Earl Grey had been Prime Minister since 22 November 1830. His was the first predominantly Whig administration since the Ministry of all the Talents in 1806-1807.... |
Constituency abolished | |||||
Notes