Tavistock

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 freeholders

Number of voters:

about 100

Elections

DateCandidate
24 Apr. 1754Richard Rigby
 Jeffrey French
10 Dec. 1754Richard Vernon vice French, deceased
30 Dec. 1755Rigby re-elected after appointment to office
1 Jan. 1760Rigby re-elected after appointment to office
28 Mar. 1761Richard Rigby
 Richard Neville Aldworth
23 Dec. 1762Rigby re-elected after appointment to office
22 Nov. 1763Richard Neville Neville (formerly Aldworth) re-elected after appointment to office
28 Jan. 1768Rigby re-elected after appointment to office
21 Mar. 1768Richard Rigby
 Richard Neville Neville
11 July 1768Rigby re-elected after appointment to office
8 Oct. 1774Richard Rigby
 Richard Fitzpatrick
9 Sept. 1780Richard Rigby
 Richard Fitzpatrick
18 Apr. 1783Fitzpatrick re-elected after appointment to office
3 Apr. 1784Richard Rigby
 Richard Fitzpatrick
24 Apr. 1788Lord John Russell vice Rigby, deceased

Main Article

Tavistock was a complete pocket borough of the Duke of Bedford. Richard Rigby, thanking the Duke for his election, wrote on as Apr. 1754:1

At Tavistock ... I saw more warmth and affection for you than you can imagine. There does not seem to be a single negative to your will in the whole town, nor would it be very safe in any one to offer it.

The same holds good throughout the period.

Author: Sir Lewis Namier

Notes

  • 1. Bedford mss 30, f. y38.