Great Yarmouth

Borough

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1715-1754, ed. R. Sedgwick, 1970
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Background Information

Right of Election:

in the freemen

Number of voters:

about 700

Elections

DateCandidateVotes
27 Jan. 1715GEORGE ENGLAND 
 HORATIO TOWNSHEND 
22 Mar. 1722CHARLES TOWNSHEND456
 HORATIO WALPOLE440
 Sir John Holland94
 George England77
11 June 1723WILLIAM TOWNSHEND vice Charles Townshend, called to the Upper House 
22 Aug. 1727HORATIO WALPOLE425
 WILLIAM TOWNSHEND424
 John Fuller294
 John Jermy275
14 May 1730WALPOLE re-elected after appointment to office403
 — Elles113
2 May 1734WILLIAM TOWNSHEND500
 EDWARD WALPOLE422
 Cotton Simond131
14 Feb. 1738ROGER TOWNSHEND vice William Townshend, deceased 
4 May 1741ROGER TOWNSHEND400
 EDWARD WALPOLE391
 Hewling Luson104
 Richard Fuller97
30 June 1747EDWARD WALPOLE 
 CHARLES TOWNSHEND 
19 June 1749TOWNSHEND re-elected after appointment to office 

Main Article

Except in 1715, when one Tory was returned, the representation of Yarmouth was monopolized by the Townshends and Walpoles, each family providing one Member. When in 1732 Sir Robert Walpole notified the mayor of Yarmouth that he proposed to put up his son, Edward, vice his brother, ‘old’ Horace, at the next general election, the corporation unanimously expressed their thanks for this ‘extraordinary favour’.1 But the frequent contests showed the existence of a strong Tory element which, in the opinion of a Walpole observer, in 1743, was the natural bent of the majority of the people, and has for many years been kept under by art, difficulty, and expense.2 However, in 1747 the mayor of Yarmouth, Samuel Killett, was able to report that

our Members will be elected without opposition and at very little expense. The town in general are very sensible of the obligations we owe to them and their noble families.3

A few days later Edward Walpole asked for the reversion of the post of naval officer at Barbados for Killett, ‘the person to whom I think my Lord Townshend and my brother Orford chiefly owe their present support at Yarmouth’.4

Author: Romney R. Sedgwick

Notes

  • 1. C. J. Palmer, Great Yarmouth, ii. 216.
  • 2. J. Fowle to ‘old’ Horace Walpole, 15 Sept. 1743, Walpole (Wolterton) mss.
  • 3. To Ld. Orford, 4 June 1747, Cholmondeley (Houghton) mss.
  • 4. To Newcastle, 19 June 1747, Add. 32711, f.418.