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Ripon
Borough
Available from Boydell and Brewer
Background Information
Right of Election:
in burgage holders
Number of voters:
146
Population:
(1801): 3,211
Elections
Date | Candidate |
---|---|
21 June 1790 | SIR GEORGE ALLANSON WINN, Bt. |
WILLIAM LAURENCE | |
30 May 1796 | WILLIAM LAURENCE |
SIR GEORGE ALLANSON WINN, Bt. | |
28 Apr. 1798 | JOHN HEATHCOTE II vice Allanson Winn (Lord Headley [I]), deceased |
27 Oct. 1798 | SIR JAMES GRAHAM, Bt., vice Laurence, deceased |
10 July 1802 | SIR JAMES GRAHAM, Bt. |
JOHN HEATHCOTE II | |
4 Nov. 1806 | SIR JAMES GRAHAM, Bt. |
CHARLES WINN ALLANSON, Lord Headley [I] | |
9 May 1807 | HON. FREDERICK JOHN ROBINSON |
GEORGE GIPPS II | |
30 June 1810 | ROBINSON re-elected after appointment to office |
10 Oct. 1812 | HON. FREDERICK JOHN ROBINSON |
GEORGE GIPPS II | |
12 Nov. 1813 | ROBINSON re-elected after appointment to office |
3 Feb. 1818 | ROBINSON re-elected after appointment to office |
17 June 1818 | HON. FREDERICK JOHN ROBINSON |
GEORGE GIPPS II |
Main Article
Ripon remained a close borough, the proprietors since 1781 being the heiresses of William Aislabie†. His elder daughter, widow of Charles Allanson of Bramham Biggin, had the major share of his estate, and his younger daughter, the wife of William Laurence*, the rest.1 Until 1807, while he lived, Laurence arranged the returns and the two families nominated a Member each. Mrs Allanson brought in Sir George Allanson Winn (afterwards Lord Headley) and, during the minority of his heir, John Heathcote. Laurence returned himself, being apparently inaccessible to Treasury pressure when he was in opposition before the election of 1790, and on his death in 1798 his interest passed to his maiden daughter, Elizabeth Sophia, who preferred to spell her surname Lawrence.2 She returned Sir James Graham, a family friend and local landowner. In 1806, when Mrs Allanson brought in young Lord Headley as Graham’s colleague, the Marquess of Buckingham, the premier’s brother, wrote apropos of a cousin of Miss Lawrence’s: ‘Sir W[illiam] Young* tells me that Ripon will certainly not be sold and will certainly return two friends. He cannot interfere beyond a certain point as he hopes she will return his son.’3 In 1807 one nominee (Robinson) was a kinsman of both sisters and the other (Gipps) stepson of Miss Lawrence’s aunt Elizabeth (second wife of George Gipps I*).
On her death in 1808 Mrs Allanson left most of her estate to Miss Lawrence who remained sole patron until her death in 1845. She made no change in her nominees before 1820. She was a devout Anglican and Robinson was at pains to justify his support for Catholic relief to her in 1812, lest it should cost him his seat.4 His brother Lord Grantham and he were her ultimate heirs.