Bramber

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 burgage holders paying scot and lot

Number of voters:

36

Elections

DateCandidateVotes
15 Apr. 1754George Cholmondeley, Visct. Malpas 
 Nathaniel Newnham 
25 Mar. 1761Andrew Archer 
 William Fitzherbert 
4 Dec. 1761Edward Turnour Garth Turnour, Baron Winterton, vice Archer, chose to sit for Coventry 
4 May 1762George Venables Vernon vice Fitzherbert, vacated his seat 
16 Mar. 1768Edward Turnour garth Turnour, Baron Winterton18
 Charles Lowndes18
 Thomas Thoroton16
 Charles Ambler16
 THOROTON and AMBLER vice Winterton and Lowndes, on petition, 14 Feb. 1769 
8 Oct. 1774Sir Henry Gough 
 Thomas Thoroton 
8 Sept. 1780Sir Henry Gough 
 Thomas Thoroton 
2 Feb. 1782Henry Fitzroy Stanhope vice Thoroton, vacated his seat 
31 Mar. 1784Sir Henry Gough 
 Daniel Pulteney 
15 Dec. 1788Robert Hobart vice Pulteney, appointed to office 

Main Article

In 1754 Bramber was controlled by the Gough family of Edgbaston, Warwickshire. They owned 20 burgages, 13 belonged to Lord Windsor, and 3 were independently owned. The Gough interest was leased to Lord Archer; who at the general elections of 1754 and 1761 nominated the candidates, selected by arrangement with Administration, while Sir Henry Gough managed the borough.

In 1767 Lord Granby purchased the 13 Windsor burgages, and two others; and at the general election of 1768 set up two candidates in opposition to the Gough interest. Sir Henry Gough had secured the nomination of returning officer, and the result of the election was a foregone conclusion. But Granby’s candidates petitioned; and since Granby was a member of the Cabinet they had the support of Administration, and were seated by a party vote in the Commons.

Shortly before the general election of 1774 a compromise was concluded whereby the Manners and the Gough interests henceforth returned one Member each.

Author: John Brooke

Notes

M. Cramp, ‘Parlty. Rep. Five Suss. Boroughs’ (Manchester Univ. M.A. thesis).