Clitheroe

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 burgage holders

Number of voters:

102

Elections

DateCandidateVotes
7 Feb. 1715THOMAS LISTER71
 THOMAS PARKER45
 EDWARD HARVEY45
  Double return, Parker and Harvey. HARVEY declared elected, 30 Mar. 1715 
26 Mar. 1722THOMAS LISTER 
 NATHANIEL CURZON 
 John Monckton, Visct. Galway 
 James Haldane 
23 Aug. 1727THOMAS LISTER 
 JOHN MONCKTON, Visct. Galway 
30 Apr. 1734THOMAS LISTER 
 WILLIAM CURZON 
8 May 1741THOMAS LISTER 
 WILLIAM CURZON 
29 Oct. 1745THOMAS LISTER, jun. vice Thomas Lister, deceased 
1 July 1747SIR NATHANIEL CURZON 
 THOMAS LISTER 
2 Feb. 1748NATHANIEL CURZON vice Sir Nathaniel Curzon, chose to sit for Derbyshire 

Main Article

In 1715 Thomas Lister, a Tory, whose family had represented Clitheroe since the early seventeenth century, headed the poll, two other Tories, Thomas Parker, whose cousin, Christopher Parker, had represented Clitheroe 1708-13, and Edward Harvey, who had been put up by his kinsman, Ralph, 2nd Duke of Montagu, lord of the honour of Clitheroe, tying for the second seat. Harvey was declared elected by the House of Commons after Parker had refused to contest the return before the elections committee.1 In 1722 two Tories, Lister and Curzon, brothers-in-law and co-heirs through their wives of Sir Ralph Assheton, M.P. Clitheroe 1660-2 and 1678-80, defeated two Whigs, James Haldane and John Monckton, Viscount Galway[I].2 Shortly afterwards, Lister and Curzon jointly purchased 37 burgages from Monckton and Haldane, which gave them, together with their separate holdings, 57 out of the 102 burgages. In 1727, as part of the agreement between Monckton and Curzon relating to the purchase of the burgages, Monckton was returned with Lister.3 Thereafter the Listers and Curzons shared the representation without opposition.

Author: Eveline Cruickshanks

Notes

  • 1. CJ, xviii. 29, 34.
  • 2. Duchess of Kendal to Sunderland, 21 Mar. 1722, Sunderland (Blenheim) mss.
  • 3. An Answer to the Apology for the conduct of Thomas Lister respecting the borough of Clitheroe.