Calne

Double Member Borough

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

Right of Election:

in the corporation

Number of voters:

25

Elections

DateCandidate
16 Apr. 1754William Northey
 Thomas Duckett
12 July 1757George Hay vice Duckett, vacated his seat
28 Mar. 1761Thomas Duckett
 Daniel Bull
29 Dec. 1762Thomas Fitzmaurice vice Bull, vacated his seat
22 Apr. 1766John Calcraft vice Duckett, deceased
22 Mar. 1768Thomas Fitzmaurice
 John Dunning
7 Oct. 1774John Dunning
 Isaac Barré
11 Sept. 1780John Dunning
 Isaac Barré
5 Apr. 1782James Townshend vice Dunning, appointed to office
 Barré re-elected after appointment to office
19 July 1782Barré re-elected after appointment to office
2 Apr. 1784Isaac Barré
 James Townshend
20 Aug. 1787Joseph Jekyll vice Townshend, deceased

Main Article

In 1754 the leading interests at Calne were in Thomas Duckett, who owned the manor of Calne and Calstone, and William Northey, who owned the prebend manor of Calne. In January 1754 John, 1st Earl of Shelburne, acquired Bowood and with it a foothold in the borough, which he and his son proceeded to extend during the next ten years. In 1761 William, 2nd Earl of Shelburne, bought the estate of Bremhill for £57,000; in 1763 the manor of Calne and Calstone for £28,000; and in 1765 the prebend manor for £12,000. By now he had secured complete control of the borough, but his purchases of farms and estates around Calne continued throughout this period.1

Author: John Brooke

Notes

  • 1. Lansdowne mss.