York was a large independent borough, returning wealthy Yorkshire landowners, usually with civic connexions. Outstanding among these were the Robinsons of Newby and the Thompsons of Marston, who between them virtually monopolized one of the York seats from the Restoration to Walpole’s fall. The corporation and the archbishop had a considerable influence. Contested elections were very expensive: in 1746 Sir Thomas Robinson, on being invited to put up for York on his family’s interest

thought it by no means advisable to stand a contested election in so mercenary a town; that Mr. [Edward] Thompson had hurt himself and family very much by it; and that it must cost anyone who appeared there as a candidate a great sum.1

From 1715 to 1734 all the Members were Whigs, except Sir William Milner, who soon went over to the Government. In 1734, the year of the great Yorkshire election, the Tories put up a wealthy West Riding baronet, Sir John Kaye, who was returned unopposed with Edward Thompson, the other Whig candidate, Milner, retiring before the poll. In 1741 Kaye stood jointly with a second Tory candidate, Godfrey Wentworth, but Thompson, though opposed by the corporation, headed the poll after a ruinously expensive contest, with Wentworth second. On Thompson’s death in 1742 a meeting of freemen, called by the lord mayor, invited Kaye to stand again, but he refused on grounds of health, recommending another wealthy Tory, George Fox, who was returned unopposed, thus giving the Tories both seats.

In 1747 two Whigs, Henry Ibbetson and William Thornton, offered at the last moment to stand against Wentworth and Fox, provided that ‘the gentlemen of the county in the Whig interest will subscribe to the expenses’.2 Ibbetson also wrote to Newcastle asking if ‘the ministry will think proper to support me with £2,000’.3 There was little response to the appeal for a subscription and Ibbetson did not feel that the terms of Newcastle’s interim reply justified him in facing a contested election, ‘lest the expense attending it might lay the foundation of the ruin of my family, as the like misfortune befell Mr. Thompson, which was still recent in our memories’.4 Before the final ministerial decision, which was favourable, arrived, a compromise had been concluded under which Ibbetson and Wentworth agreed to withdraw, leaving the representation to be shared by Thornton and Fox.5