Seaford

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 populacy', which in 1761 was held to mean in inhabitants paying scot and lot

Number of voters:

51 in 1722; 72 in 1747

Elections

DateCandidateVotes
29 Jan. 1715GEORGE NAYLOR 
 SIR WILLIAM ASHBURNHAM 
28 Feb. 1717HENRY PELHAM vice Ashburnham, appointed to office 
7 June 1720PELHAM re-elected after appointment to office 
10 Apr. 1721PELHAM re-elected after appointment to office 
20 Mar. 1722SIR WILLIAM GAGE 
 SIR PHILIP YORKE 
5 Feb. 1724YORKE re-elected after appointment to office 
19 Aug. 1727SIR WILLIAM GAGE 
 SIR PHILIP YORKE 
25 Jan. 1734WILLIAM HAY vice Yorke, appointed to office 
1 May 1734SIR WILLIAM GAGE 
 WILLIAM HAY 
22 May 1738HAY re-elected after appointment to office 
11 May 1741SIR WILLIAM GAGE 
 WILLIAM HAY 
9 May 1744WILLIAM HALL GAGE vice Sir William Gage, deceased 
29 June 1747WILLIAM PITT49
 WILLIAM HAY49
 William Hall Gage23
 Charles Sackville, Earl of Middlesex19

Main Article

In practice the right of election at Seaford, a decayed port, was confined to inhabitants paying scot and lot,1 though this was not confirmed by the House of Commons till 1761. From 1715 Members were returned on the recommendation of the Duke of Newcastle, whose estate of Bishopstone adjoined the town and who controlled the local Treasury patronage. In 1722 the voters, numbering 51, signed a letter to Sir William Gage and Sir Philip Yorke, stating that:

We, the bailiff, jurats, freemen, and inhabitants of the corporation and borough of Seaford, at the request of the Duke of Newcastle, do assure you that we do unanimously agree to choose you for our representatives at the ensuing Parliament in case you offer your services.2

From 1722 to 1747 one of the seats was filled by members of the Gage family, who had a natural interest in Seaford from their neighbouring estate of Firle. But in 1747 Newcastle refused to recommend William Gage,3 who since his election in 1744 had followed the Prince of Wales into opposition. At the only contested election of the period Gage and Lord Middlesex, standing jointly with the Prince’s support, were defeated by Newcastle’s candidates, William Pitt and William Hay, on whose behalf Newcastle personally intervened, canvassing the voters and sitting next to the returning officer at the poll. A petition, based on Newcastle’s contravention of the standing House of Commons resolution against interference by peers in elections, was rejected by 247 to 96.

Author: Romney R. Sedgwick

Notes

  • 1. T. Hurdis to Newcastle, 24 June 1747, Add. 32711, f. 499.
  • 2. 10 Mar. 1722, Add. 35584, f. 249.
  • 3. A. Stone to T. Hurdis, 16 June 1747, Add. 32711, f. 287.