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Knaresborough
Double Member Borough
Available from Boydell and Brewer
Background Information
Right of Election:
in burgage holders
Number of voters:
about 100
Elections
Date | Candidate |
---|---|
18 Apr. 1754 | Richard Arundell |
Sir Henry Slingsby | |
14 Feb. 1758 | Robert Walsingham vice Arundell, deceased |
30 Mar. 1761 | Lord John Cavendish |
Sir Henry Slingsby | |
3 Feb. 1763 | Sir Anthony Thomas Abdy vice Slingsby, deceased |
30 Dec. 1765 | Lord John Cavendish re-elected after appointment to office |
Sir Anthony Thomas Abdy re-elected after appointment to office | |
18 Mar. 1768 | Robert Walsingham |
Sir Anthony Thomas Abdy | |
10 Oct. 1774 | Robert Walsingham |
Sir Anthony Thomas Abdy | |
19 Apr. 1775 | Lord George Augustus Henry Cavendish vice Abdy, deceased |
11 Sept. 1780 | Robert Walsingham |
Frederick Ponsonby, Visct. Duncannon | |
3 July 1781 | James Hare vice Walsingham, deceased |
4 Apr. 1782 | Duncannon re-elected after appointment to office |
15 Apr. 1783 | Duncannon re-elected after appointment to office |
2 Apr. 1784 | Frederick Ponsonby, Visct. Duncannon |
James Hare | |
Sir John Coghill | |
Bacon Frank |
Main Article
About 1750 Knaresborough was controlled by Lord Burlington and Sir Henry Slingsby. Burlington died on 3 Dec. 1753, and his interest in the borough passed to his widow. Their daughter and heir, Charlotte, had married William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire; who wrote to Lady Burlington on 13 Mar. 1756, soon after succeeding to the title:1
You are so very good to me that I do not know how to express my gratitude sufficiently, especially with regard to Knaresborough, for which I am most infinitely obliged to your Ladyship. As you are so kind as to offer me to recommend to it, I will turn it in my thoughts and will talk to you upon the subject when I have the pleasure of seeing your Ladyship.
Lady Burlington died on 21 Sept. 1758, and the interest passed under Devonshire’s control.
The Slingsbys, who owned a good deal of property in Knaresborough, first represented the borough in 1625. On the death of Sir Henry Slingsby in 1763, his burgages were acquired by the Duke of Devonshire, who henceforth controlled both seats.2
The only challenge to the Devonshire interest came in 1784 from Sir John Coghill, a local landowner, and Bacon Frank of Campsall, near Doncaster, a country gentleman. It was not a political contest, for Frank was a follower of Lord Fitzwilliam, Devonshire’s political ally. Coghill and Frank stood on the right of the resident householders. After their defeat they petitioned, claiming that they had received a majority of qualified votes;3 but the petition was withdrawn without being heard by the House.