Ripon

Borough

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790-1820, ed. R. Thorne, 1986
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Background Information

Right of Election:

in burgage holders

Number of voters:

146

Population:

(1801): 3,211

Elections

DateCandidate
21 June 1790SIR GEORGE ALLANSON WINN, Bt.
 WILLIAM LAURENCE
30 May 1796WILLIAM LAURENCE
 SIR GEORGE ALLANSON WINN, Bt.
28 Apr. 1798 JOHN HEATHCOTE II vice Allanson Winn (Lord Headley [I]), deceased
27 Oct. 1798 SIR JAMES GRAHAM, Bt., vice Laurence, deceased
10 July 1802SIR JAMES GRAHAM, Bt.
 JOHN HEATHCOTE II
4 Nov. 1806SIR JAMES GRAHAM, Bt.
 CHARLES WINN ALLANSON, Lord Headley [I]
9 May 1807HON. FREDERICK JOHN ROBINSON
 GEORGE GIPPS II
30 June 1810 ROBINSON re-elected after appointment to office
10 Oct. 1812HON. FREDERICK JOHN ROBINSON
 GEORGE GIPPS II
12 Nov. 1813 ROBINSON re-elected after appointment to office
3 Feb. 1818 ROBINSON re-elected after appointment to office
17 June 1818HON. FREDERICK JOHN ROBINSON
 GEORGE GIPPS II

Main Article

Ripon remained a close borough, the proprietors since 1781 being the heiresses of William Aislabie. His elder daughter, widow of Charles Allanson of Bramham Biggin, had the major share of his estate, and his younger daughter, the wife of William Laurence*, the rest.1 Until 1807, while he lived, Laurence arranged the returns and the two families nominated a Member each. Mrs Allanson brought in Sir George Allanson Winn (afterwards Lord Headley) and, during the minority of his heir, John Heathcote. Laurence returned himself, being apparently inaccessible to Treasury pressure when he was in opposition before the election of 1790, and on his death in 1798 his interest passed to his maiden daughter, Elizabeth Sophia, who preferred to spell her surname Lawrence.2 She returned Sir James Graham, a family friend and local landowner. In 1806, when Mrs Allanson brought in young Lord Headley as Graham’s colleague, the Marquess of Buckingham, the premier’s brother, wrote apropos of a cousin of Miss Lawrence’s: ‘Sir W[illiam] Young* tells me that Ripon will certainly not be sold and will certainly return two friends. He cannot interfere beyond a certain point as he hopes she will return his son.’3 In 1807 one nominee (Robinson) was a kinsman of both sisters and the other (Gipps) stepson of Miss Lawrence’s aunt Elizabeth (second wife of George Gipps I*).

On her death in 1808 Mrs Allanson left most of her estate to Miss Lawrence who remained sole patron until her death in 1845. She made no change in her nominees before 1820. She was a devout Anglican and Robinson was at pains to justify his support for Catholic relief to her in 1812, lest it should cost him his seat.4 His brother Lord Grantham and he were her ultimate heirs.

Author: Winifred Stokes

Notes

  • 1. PCC 222 Webster.
  • 2. PRO 30/8/196; PCC 607 Walpole.
  • 3. Fremantle mss, box 46, Buckingham to Fremantle [Nov. 1806].
  • 4. PCC 355 Ely; Gent. Mag. (1845), ii. 420; Add. 40862, f. 39.