According to Oldfield, the corporation had arrogated to themselves the right of election, ‘without any opposition from the inhabitants’,1 and Christchurch was in effect a corporation borough. For most of this period it was controlled by Edward Hooper, M.P. for Christchurch 1735-48 and commissioner of customs 1748-93, who returned his cousin, James Harris, and generally placed the other seat at the disposal of Administration. About 1789 George Rose, secretary to the Treasury, who had purchased an estate in Hampshire, succeeded in obtaining control over one seat.