Wareham

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 freeholders and inhabitants paying scot and lot

Number of voters:

about 120

Population:

(1801): 1,627

Elections

DateCandidate
21 June 1790LORD ROBERT SPENCER
 RICHARD SMITH
27 May 1796LORD ROBERT SPENCER
 CHARLES ROSE ELLIS
1 Nov. 1796 SIR GODFREY VASSALL, Bt., vice Ellis, chose to sit for Seaford
1 Mar. 1799 JOSEPH CHAPLIN HANKEY vice Spencer, vacated his seat
16 June 1800 JOHN CALCRAFT vice Webster (formerly Vassall), deceased
6 July 1802JOHN CALCRAFT
 ANDREW STRAHAN
20 Feb. 1806 CALCRAFT re-elected after appointment to office
3 Nov. 1806JONATHAN RAINE
 ANDREW STRAHAN
7 May 1807SIR GRANBY THOMAS CALCRAFT
 HON. JOHN WILLIAM WARD
20 Apr. 1808 SIR SAMUEL ROMILLY vice Calcraft, vacated his seat
10 Oct. 1812ROBERT GORDON
 THEODORE HENRY BROADHEAD
17 June 1818JOHN CALCRAFT
 THOMAS DENMAN

Main Article

John Calcraft of Rempstone, whose father had obtained entire command of Wareham by 1768, remained unchallenged patron throughout the period. Even fellow Whigs were paying guests: Romilly in 1808 was expected to pay £3,000 and to attend his election.1 In 1812 Whig hopes that Calcraft would reserve a seat for one of them, entertained particularly by Henry Brougham*, were disappointed when he brought in two ‘purchasers’.2 In 1818 he sold a seat to the Whig grandees for Denman’s benefit.

Author: R. G. Thorne

Notes

  • 1. Mems, ii. 243-4.
  • 2. Add. 51545, Holland to Grey, 21 Oct.; Brougham mss, Brougham to Grey [18 Aug.], [Oct.], [4], [22 Oct.] 1812.