Huntingdon

Borough

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1715-1754, ed. R. Sedgwick, 1970
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Background Information

Right of Election:

in the freemen and inhabitant householders paying scot and lot

Number of voters:

about 160

Elections

DateCandidateVotes
27 Jan. 1715EDWARD RICHARD MONTAGU, Visct. Hinchingbrooke 
 SIDNEY WORTLEY MONTAGU 
22 Mar. 1722EDWARD WORTLEY 
 ROGER HANDASYDE 
23 Aug. 1727EDWARD WORTLEY 
 ROGER HANDASYDE 
25 Apr. 1734ROGER HANDASYDE 
 EDWARD MONTAGU 
8 May 1741EDWARD MONTAGU90
 WILLS HILL89
 Roger Handasyde70
 Albert Nesbitt58
29 Dec. 1741ALBERT NESBIT vice Hill, chose to sit for Warwick 
29 June 1747EDWARD MONTAGU 
 KELLAND COURTENAY 
10 Mar. 1748JOHN MONTAGU vice Courtenay, deceased 

Main Article

Huntingdon was dominated by the earls of Sandwich, who lived at Hinchingbrooke within the town, nominating both Members, usually without opposition. The only contest that occurred between 1715 and 1754 was in 1741, when the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who on coming of age in 1739 had joined the Opposition, put up two anti-government candidates, Wills Hill and Edward Montagu, against two government candidates, Roger Handasyde and Albert Nesbitt. Lord Sandwich is described as exerting himself in the election

with great vigour and success. He got his two men elected and threw out General Handasyde who has had a long and established interest there. He gained his point by mere good management ... To keep some of his men, who had promised him their votes but were not very steady, out of the way of temptation — for no less than £300 a man was at last offered — he sent them out upon various pretences a-travelling about England from one fine house to another, so well guarded that none of the opposite party could possibly come at them ... I never saw anyone so engaging and affable towards the common people.1

Hill, however, chose to sit for Warwick, where he had also been returned, and at the ensuing by-election Sandwich appears to have been unable to prevent Nesbitt from being returned unopposed.

In 1747 Sandwich, though now a member of the Government, was unable or reluctant to turn out his kinsman, Edward Montagu, a persistent opponent of all Administrations, and unwilling to bring in Nesbitt, on the ground that this would injure his interest.2 He accordingly brought in Edward Montagu again, and filled the other seat by his brother-in-law, Kelland Courtenay, transferring Nesbitt to Mitchell, where he was returned on Courtenay’s interest. After the election Edward Montagu wrote: ‘My Lord Sandwich is entire master both of this town and county. He has so riveted his interest that I believe nobody will venture to oppose as long as he lives.’3

Author: R. S. Lea

Notes

  • 1. HMC 12th Rep. IX, 204.
  • 2. See MONTAGU, Edward, and NESBITT, Albert.
  • 3. E. J. Climenson, Elizabeth Montagu, i. 240; see MONTAGU, John.