Wells

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:

from about 60 to nearly 400

Elections

DateCandidateVotes
4 Feb. 1715THOMAS STRANGWAYS HORNER44
 MAURICE BERKELEY43
 William Coward22
 William Piers13
 COWARD and PIERS vice Horne and Berkeley, on petition, 30 May 1716 
27 June 1716THOMAS STRANGWAYS HORNER vice Coward, deceased221
 John Dodd95
 DODD vice Horner, on petition, 12 Apr. 1717 
14 Dec. 1719THOMAS EDWARDS vice Dodd, deceased 
 William Bridges 
23 Mar. 1722THOMAS EDWARDS235
 FRANCIS GWYN228
 George Hamilton147
 William Piers147
21 Aug. 1727THOMAS EDWARDS198
 EDWARD PRIDEAUX GWYN191
 William Piers102
 PIERS vice Gwyn, on petition, 18 Apr. 1729 
30 Apr. 1734GEORGE HAMILTON138
 THOMAS EDWARDS136
 William Piers126
 George Speke125
 PIERS and SPEKE vice Hamilton and Edwards, on petition, 25 Mar. 1735 
14 May 1741GEORGE SPEKE 
 FRANCIS GWYN 
29 June 1747GEORGE HAMILTON182
 FRANCIS GWYN152
 William Piers64
 George Speke62

Main Article

Elections at Wells were controlled by the corporation, a Tory body, who could manipulate the franchise by creating honorary freemen and through the power of the mayor as returning officer to decide who was entitled to vote. At every election but that of 1741, which was compromised, there was a contest on party lines, resulting in the return of the opposition candidates, followed by a petition from the unsuccessful government candidates, alleging partiality and malpractices on the part of the returning officer. Except in 1719, 1722, and 1747, when the sitting Members were allowed to retain their seats, the petitioners were seated by the use of the ministerial majority. In 1735, when William Piers and George Speke were awarded the seats, the Court, Edward Harley writes, ‘were so angry’ at losing divisions on the right of election at Wells that

they summoned their whole force and all their troops, being resolved to carry their Members though they had lost that city. Note Mr. Piers was never chose by this city, yet had been twice duly elected by the House of Commons.1

Author: Shirley Matthews

Notes

  • 1. Harly Diary, 25 Mar. 1735.