Herefordshire

Double Member County

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

Number of voters:

about 4,000

Elections

DateCandidateVotes
24 Apr. 1754Velters Cornewall2561
 Edward Harley, Lord Harley2531
 Robert Price1143
5 May 1755Sir John Morgan vice Harley, called to the Upper House 
15 Apr. 1761Sir John Morgan 
 Velters Cornewall 
18 May 1767Thomas Foley jun. vice Morgan, deceased 
6 Apr. 1768Thomas Foley sen. 
 Thomas Foley jun. 
12 Oct. 1774Thomas Foley sen.2450
 Sir George Cornewall1971
 Thomas Harley1631
22 May 1776Thomas Harley vice Foley, called to the Upper House1685
 James Walwyn1188
18 Sept. 1780Thomas Harley 
 Sir George Cornewall 
14 Apr. 1784Thomas Harley 
 Sir George Cornewall 

Main Article

The leading interests in Herefordshire were in the Harleys, Earls of Oxford, the Foleys of Stoke Edith, and the Cornewalls of Moccas Court. United, they dominated the county, as in 1754. The elections of 1774 and 1776 were struggles for supremacy between themselves. Thomas Harley, defeated in 1774 by a Foley and a Cornewall, was successful in 1776 against a candidate not of either family but having the support of both.

Author: J. A. Cannon

Notes