Steyning

Double Member Borough

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Background Information

Right of Election:

in inhabitants paying scot and lot

Number of voters:

about 100

Elections

DateCandidateVotes
15 Apr. 1754Hitch Younge 
 Alexander Hume 
10 Feb. 1759Frazer Honywood vice Younge, deceased 
28 Mar. 17611Frazer Honywood90
 John Thomlinson88
 George Medley3
9 Feb. 1764Richard Fuller vice Honywood, deceased 
12 Feb. 1767Sir John Filmer vice Thomlinson, deceased 
18 Mar. 1768Sir John Filmer 
 Thomas Edwards Freeman 
8 Oct. 1774Thomas Edwards Freeman 
 Filmer Honywood 
12 Sept. 1780Sir Thomas George Skipwith 
 Filmer Honywood 
28 Nov. 1780John Bullock vice Honywood, chose to sit for Kent 
1 Apr. 1784Sir John Honywood 
 Richard Howard 
9 Aug. 1785Thomas Edwards Freemen vice Honywood, vacated his seat 
17 Apr. 1788Sir John Honywood vice Freeman, deceased 

Main Article

On 6 Feb. 1767 Thomas Steele, sen., recorder of Chichester, wrote to the Duke of Newcastle about Steyning:2

The state of the borough is this. There are 102 in number who claim a right of voting, but not more than 90 whose claim will bear a scrutiny. Out of this number Sir John Honywood has 40 tenants who at present are all disposed to stand by him, and about six or seven others who are full as closely attached to him as any of his tenants. This gives him nearly or quite a majority of the 90 real votes. The rest are all a rope of sand and may be had by anybody.

The Honywoods throughout this period controlled one, and sometimes two, seats at Steyning; and usually returned members of their family or close friends.

Author: John Brooke

Notes

  • 1. See MEDLEY, George.
  • 2. Add. 32980, f. 55.