Wilton

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 the ‘corporation’, though the mayor was entitled to create burgesses

Number of voters:

over 20

Population:

(1801): 2,144

Elections

DateCandidate
21 June 1790GEORGE AUGUSTUS HERBERT, Lord Herbert
 RICHARD FITZWILLIAM, Visct. Fitzwilliam
15 Feb. 1794 PHILIP GOLDSWORTHY vice Herbert, called to the Upper House
28 May 1796RICHARD FITZWILLIAM, Visct. Fitzwilliam
 PHILIP GOLDSWORTHY
12 Feb. 1801 JOHN SPENCER vice Goldsworthy deceased
9 July 1802RICHARD FITZWILLIAM, Visct. Fitzwilliam
 JOHN SPENCER
24 May 1804 RALPH SHELDON vice Spencer, appointed to office
24 Feb. 1806 HON. CHARLES HERBERT vice Fitzwilliam, vacated his seat
31 Oct. 1806HON. CHARLES HERBERT
 RALPH SHELDON
8 May 1807CHARLES HERBERT
 RALPH SHELDON
9 Oct. 1807CHARLES HERBERT
 RALPH SHELDON
11 Nov. 1816JAMES EDWARD HARRIS, Visct. FitzHarris, vice Herbert deceased
19 June 1818JAMES EDWARD HARRIS, Visct. FitzHarris
 RALPH SHELDON

Main Article

Wilton was a pocket borough of the 10th and 11th Earls of Pembroke, who used it to return relatives or close friends of the family, of which the corporation was likewise composed. A potentially embarrassing situation arose in 1789, when William Gerard Hamilton* offended his patron by joining opposition over the Regency and still expected to be confirmed in his seat, but it was resolved by a firm refusal to yield and Hamilton found a seat elsewhere.

Author: R. G. Thorne

Notes