205:. (This interpretation was re-affirmed by the Commons following another disputed election in 1792.) This was, nevertheless, a restrictive franchise in a town that was not prosperous, and there were only 94 qualified voters in 1831. Indeed, during the 18th century the Duke of Newcastle deliberately restricted the number of voters to those on whose loyalties he could depend, and successfully resisted an election petition in 1761 which would have widened the electorate to include all inhabitants not receiving alms. (This would have enfranchised many poorer voters which the petitioner, defeated candidate
128:. The Cinque Ports were not under the jurisdiction of the counties in which they stood, and as a result were not represented in the earliest English parliaments because the boroughs were chosen by sheriffs from the towns within their counties. However, Seaford itself was not one of the seven Cinque Ports, and was summoned to send members to the Parliament of 1298 while they – including the much more important town of
221:. Oldfield, the contemporary historian of electoral abuses, was one of the agents engaged in this contest, and details its course at length. The excluded residents eventually won their right to be rated for scot and lot, and with it their votes, while non-resident honorary freemen created by the corporation were excluded, and the government influence thereafter was minimal.
178:
Like most small boroughs in the
Unreformed Parliament, Seaford came under the influence of a series of "patrons" (local magnates who were allowed to choose both the borough's MPs in return for favours to the town and the voters); but, as in the other cinque ports, there was also a powerful government
209:, hoped would be amenable to bribery.) Newcastle's control depended on his having a majority on the town corporation, which was responsible for rating inhabitants for scot and lot and therefore could exclude an inhabitant from voting simply by declaring him not liable to the local tax.
216:
in 1782 reduced the electorate to 24, leaving the majority finely balanced. Throughout the 1780s a struggle for control continued, fought out both through a series of election petitions in the House of
Commons and by legal action against the corporation at the
1323:
175:, a small town which had ceased to have much value as a port after the destruction of its harbour by storms at the end of the 16th century. At the time of the Reform Act in 1832, its population was just over 1,000, and the town contained 201 houses.
183:
officers. From before the end of the 17th century, the Pelham family could generally nominate one of the two MPs. However, the personal influence of the
Pelhams became so intertwined with government patronage during the administrations of
163:, implying that Seaford was to be regarded as a borough (the representatives of Cinque Ports were referred to as "barons" rather than "burgesses"), but Seaford was nevertheless treated subsequently as a cinque port constituency.
1378:
1424:
1419:
200:
of the town, but a decision of the House of
Commons after a disputed election in 1671 pronounced that the right to vote extended to "the populacy", which was taken in practice to mean all resident householders paying
232:, who used his influence to occupy one of the seats himself for many years; his elevation to the peerage as Lord Seaford in 1826 may have owed not a little to his commanding a seat in the House of Commons.
192:
that Namier argues that when
Newcastle went into opposition in 1762 the new government might easily have turned Seaford into a permanent "Treasury borough", had it made efforts to do so.
503:
452:
1414:
1295:
At the election of 1785, Parker and
Henderson were initially declared elected, but on petition the result was reversed and their opponents, Flood and Webster, took their seats
135:
Seaford continued to return MPs on an irregular basis for a century, by which time the seven Cinque Ports had also been enfranchised, but ceased to do so after 1399. In 1544,
139:
granted the town a charter as a port in its own right, separate from
Hastings, but it was another 97 years before its right to elect MPs was restored, by a resolution of the
1264:
1344:
Henry Stooks Smith, "The
Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847" (2nd edition, edited by FWS Craig – Chichester: Parliamentary Reference Publications, 1973)
363:
189:
1371:
1221:
438:
480:
1434:
666:
624:
152:
1449:
212:
After
Newcastle's death the Treasury initially gained complete control of Seaford, but the disfranchisement of the customs officers by
241:
1307:
76:
36:
1396:
875:
1233:
568:
45:
240:
Seaford was too small a borough to survive the Reform Act, and lost both its MPs. From 1832, the town was included in the
734:
694:
180:
148:
1141:
1107:
63:
1039:
554:
1362:
1282:
1090:
1010:
930:
229:
1146:
1112:
981:
935:
923:
901:
810:
796:
784:
765:
739:
713:
638:
610:
582:
517:
424:
288:
347:
1439:
884:
725:
356:
343:
947:
401:
1158:
838:
596:
531:
494:
124:, which was technically a separate category although in practice it was to all intents and purposes a
300:
143:
on 4 February 1641. This made it one of the last boroughs to be acquire the right to vote before the
1429:
1352:
1204:
1170:
847:
751:
121:
30:
1444:
779:
100:
1320:
Cobbett's
Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803
861:
156:
136:
125:
80:
1124:
993:
959:
339:
172:
84:
8:
1022:
197:
1226:
1209:
1192:
1175:
1163:
1129:
1095:
1078:
1061:
1056:
1044:
1027:
1015:
998:
976:
964:
952:
906:
889:
410:
372:
225:
1327:
161:"shall be restored to that its ancient Privilege of sending Burgesses to Parliament"
1308:
Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 2)
326:
317:
218:
144:
540:
466:
388:
381:
281:
140:
92:
132:
of which Seaford was theoretically a subordinate part – remained unrepresented.
1187:
1073:
213:
104:
88:
91:, prone by size to undue influence by a patron, it was disenfranchised in the
1425:
Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom disestablished in 1832
1408:
824:
680:
652:
206:
107:
in 1827 – though only Canning was Prime Minister while representing Seaford.
95:. It was notable for having returned three Prime Ministers as its members –
1277:
1259:
708:
202:
185:
96:
1420:
Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1641
918:
305:
293:
129:
179:
interest, since a large number of the voters were employed as
1349:
Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol I
1283:
The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1754–1790
159:, came later. The Commons resolution stated that Seaford
1265:
The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III
1332:
The Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland
115:
1415:
Parliamentary constituencies in East Sussex (historic)
166:
1339:
Parliamentary Representation 1832 – England and Wales
253:Seaford was re-enfranchised by Parliament in 1640
196:The right to vote was at first restricted to the
1406:
1268:(2nd edition – London: St Martin's Press, 1957)
1379:Constituency represented by the prime minister
99:, who represented the town from 1717 to 1722,
224:In the early 19th century the patrons were
1334:(London: Baldwin, Cradock & Joy, 1816)
1341:(New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
1316:(London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
247:
171:The borough consisted of the parish of
1435:Cinque ports parliament constituencies
1407:
325:Parker not recorded as sitting after
71:The UK parliamentary constituency of
116:Enfranchisement and re-establishment
167:Boundaries, franchise and patronage
155:, enfranchised during the reign of
13:
14:
1461:
1450:William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
338:Seaford was unrepresented in the
1363:Parliament of the United Kingdom
1312:D Brunton & D H Pennington,
387:Not represented in the restored
1322:(London: Thomas Hansard, 1808)
350:Parliaments of the Protectorate
16:Historical British Constituency
1314:Members of the Long Parliament
1289:
1271:
1252:
1:
1301:
235:
7:
10:
1466:
695:Sir William Ashburnham, Bt
110:
1385:
1383:20 April – 8 August 1827
1376:
1368:
1361:
1237:
1162:
1157:
1155:
1108:Sir Charles Cockerell, Bt
1094:
1089:
1087:
1060:
1055:
1053:
1014:
1009:
1007:
980:
975:
973:
951:
946:
944:
888:
883:
881:
842:
837:
835:
800:
795:
793:
755:
750:
748:
729:
724:
722:
684:
679:
677:
572:
567:
565:
535:
530:
528:
507:
502:
500:
428:
423:
421:
405:
400:
398:
385:
336:
323:
314:
59:
51:
43:
28:
23:
1353:Royal Historical Society
1205:Augustus Frederick Ellis
1171:Augustus Frederick Ellis
122:Cinque Port constituency
77:Cinque Port constituency
31:cinque Port constituency
1372:Newport (Isle of Wight)
1347:Frederic A Youngs, jr,
931:Sir Godfrey Webster, Bt
1239:Constituency abolished
902:Sir John Henderson, Bt
103:from 1747 to 1754 and
101:William Pitt the Elder
248:Members of Parliament
126:parliamentary borough
81:parliamentary borough
1440:Seaford, East Sussex
1337:J Holladay Philbin,
1286:(London: HMSO, 1964)
1125:George Watson-Taylor
994:Richard Paul Jodrell
960:Richard Paul Jodrell
885:Sir Peter Parker, Bt
726:Sir William Gage, Bt
340:Barebones Parliament
188:and his brother the
85:Seaford, East Sussex
1280:& John Brooke,
541:Sir Nicholas Pelham
467:Sir Nicholas Pelham
316:Gerard excluded in
1393:Title next held by
862:Christopher D'Oyly
833:13 September 1780
639:Sir William Thomas
611:Sir William Thomas
583:Sir William Thomas
518:Sir William Thomas
425:Sir William Thomas
230:Charles Rose Ellis
181:customs and excise
93:Reform Act of 1832
1403:
1402:
1328:T. H. B. Oldfield
1244:
1243:
1199:5 September 1827
1142:George Agar-Ellis
797:The Viscount Gage
766:William Hall Gage
709:Hon. Henry Pelham
591:31 December 1698
461:23 February 1671
447:10 February 1671
301:Sir Thomas Parker
244:county division.
190:Duke of Newcastle
69:
68:
1457:
1369:Preceded by
1359:
1358:
1296:
1293:
1287:
1275:
1269:
1256:
1068:31 October 1806
1040:Richard Sullivan
856:4 December 1780
735:Sir Philip Yorke
619:27 January 1702
439:Francis Gratwick
257:
256:
219:quarter sessions
145:Great Reform Act
39:
37:House of Commons
21:
20:
1465:
1464:
1460:
1459:
1458:
1456:
1455:
1454:
1430:Rotten boroughs
1405:
1404:
1394:
1391:
1382:
1374:
1304:
1299:
1294:
1290:
1276:
1272:
1257:
1253:
1159:John Fitzgerald
597:William Campion
569:William Lowndes
532:William Campion
481:Herbert Stapley
402:Sir Thomas Dyke
306:Parliamentarian
294:Parliamentarian
250:
238:
195:
169:
141:Long Parliament
118:
113:
79:, similar to a
34:
33:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1463:
1453:
1452:
1447:
1445:George Canning
1442:
1437:
1432:
1427:
1422:
1417:
1401:
1400:
1392:
1389:
1384:
1375:
1370:
1366:
1365:
1357:
1356:
1345:
1342:
1335:
1325:
1317:
1310:
1303:
1300:
1298:
1297:
1288:
1270:
1250:
1242:
1241:
1236:
1230:
1229:
1224:
1219:
1217:
1213:
1212:
1207:
1202:
1200:
1196:
1195:
1190:
1188:George Canning
1185:
1183:
1182:20 April 1827
1179:
1178:
1173:
1168:
1166:
1161:
1156:
1154:
1150:
1149:
1144:
1139:
1137:
1133:
1132:
1127:
1122:
1120:
1116:
1115:
1110:
1105:
1103:
1099:
1098:
1093:
1088:
1086:
1082:
1081:
1076:
1074:George Hibbert
1071:
1069:
1065:
1064:
1059:
1054:
1052:
1048:
1047:
1042:
1037:
1035:
1031:
1030:
1025:
1020:
1018:
1013:
1008:
1006:
1002:
1001:
996:
991:
989:
985:
984:
979:
974:
972:
968:
967:
962:
957:
955:
950:
945:
943:
939:
938:
933:
928:
926:
921:
916:
914:
910:
909:
904:
899:
897:
893:
892:
887:
882:
880:
878:
873:
871:
867:
866:
864:
859:
857:
853:
852:
850:
845:
843:
841:
836:
834:
830:
829:
827:
822:
820:
816:
815:
813:
808:
806:
802:
801:
799:
794:
792:
788:
787:
782:
777:
775:
771:
770:
768:
763:
761:
757:
756:
754:
749:
747:
743:
742:
737:
732:
730:
728:
723:
721:
717:
716:
711:
706:
704:
700:
699:
697:
692:
690:
686:
685:
683:
678:
676:
672:
671:
669:
664:
662:
658:
657:
655:
650:
648:
644:
643:
641:
636:
634:
630:
629:
627:
622:
620:
616:
615:
613:
608:
606:
602:
601:
599:
594:
592:
588:
587:
585:
580:
578:
574:
573:
571:
566:
564:
560:
559:
557:
552:
550:
546:
545:
543:
538:
536:
534:
529:
527:
523:
522:
520:
515:
513:
509:
508:
506:
501:
499:
497:
495:Edward Montagu
492:
490:
486:
485:
483:
478:
476:
472:
471:
469:
464:
462:
458:
457:
455:
450:
448:
444:
443:
441:
436:
434:
430:
429:
427:
422:
420:
416:
415:
413:
408:
406:
404:
399:
397:
393:
392:
384:
378:
377:
375:
370:
368:
366:
364:William Spence
361:
359:
353:
352:
335:
331:
330:
322:
313:
312:December 1648
309:
308:
303:
298:
296:
291:
289:Francis Gerard
286:
284:
278:
277:
274:
271:
269:
266:
263:
261:
249:
246:
242:Eastern Sussex
237:
234:
168:
165:
120:Seaford was a
117:
114:
112:
109:
105:George Canning
89:rotten borough
67:
66:
61:
57:
56:
53:
49:
48:
41:
40:
26:
25:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1462:
1451:
1448:
1446:
1443:
1441:
1438:
1436:
1433:
1431:
1428:
1426:
1423:
1421:
1418:
1416:
1413:
1412:
1410:
1399:
1398:
1388:
1381:
1380:
1373:
1367:
1364:
1360:
1354:
1350:
1346:
1343:
1340:
1336:
1333:
1329:
1326:
1324:
1321:
1318:
1315:
1311:
1309:
1306:
1305:
1292:
1285:
1284:
1279:
1274:
1267:
1266:
1261:
1255:
1251:
1249:
1248:
1240:
1235:
1232:
1231:
1228:
1225:
1223:
1220:
1218:
1215:
1214:
1211:
1208:
1206:
1203:
1201:
1198:
1197:
1194:
1191:
1189:
1186:
1184:
1181:
1180:
1177:
1174:
1172:
1169:
1167:
1165:
1160:
1152:
1151:
1148:
1145:
1143:
1140:
1138:
1135:
1134:
1131:
1128:
1126:
1123:
1121:
1118:
1117:
1114:
1111:
1109:
1106:
1104:
1101:
1100:
1097:
1092:
1091:Charles Ellis
1084:
1083:
1080:
1077:
1075:
1072:
1070:
1067:
1066:
1063:
1058:
1051:28 July 1806
1050:
1049:
1046:
1043:
1041:
1038:
1036:
1033:
1032:
1029:
1026:
1024:
1021:
1019:
1017:
1012:
1011:Charles Ellis
1004:
1003:
1000:
997:
995:
992:
990:
987:
986:
983:
978:
977:John Tarleton
970:
969:
966:
963:
961:
958:
956:
954:
949:
941:
940:
937:
934:
932:
929:
927:
925:
922:
920:
917:
915:
912:
911:
908:
905:
903:
900:
898:
895:
894:
891:
886:
879:
877:
874:
872:
869:
868:
865:
863:
860:
858:
855:
854:
851:
849:
848:John Robinson
846:
844:
840:
832:
831:
828:
826:
825:George Medley
823:
821:
818:
817:
814:
812:
811:James Peachey
809:
807:
804:
803:
798:
790:
789:
786:
783:
781:
778:
776:
773:
772:
769:
767:
764:
762:
759:
758:
753:
745:
744:
741:
738:
736:
733:
731:
727:
719:
718:
715:
712:
710:
707:
705:
702:
701:
698:
696:
693:
691:
688:
687:
682:
681:George Naylor
674:
673:
670:
668:
667:Thomas Chowne
665:
663:
660:
659:
656:
654:
653:George Naylor
651:
649:
646:
645:
642:
640:
637:
635:
633:21 July 1702
632:
631:
628:
626:
625:Thomas Chowne
623:
621:
618:
617:
614:
612:
609:
607:
604:
603:
600:
598:
595:
593:
590:
589:
586:
584:
581:
579:
577:23 July 1698
576:
575:
570:
562:
561:
558:
556:
553:
551:
548:
547:
544:
542:
539:
537:
533:
525:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
510:
505:
504:Edward Selwyn
498:
496:
493:
491:
488:
487:
484:
482:
479:
477:
474:
473:
470:
468:
465:
463:
460:
459:
456:
454:
453:Robert Morley
451:
449:
446:
445:
442:
440:
437:
435:
432:
431:
426:
418:
417:
414:
412:
411:George Parker
409:
407:
403:
395:
394:
391:
390:
383:
380:
379:
376:
374:
373:George Parker
371:
369:
367:
365:
362:
360:
358:
355:
354:
351:
349:
345:
341:
333:
332:
329:
328:
327:Pride's Purge
321:
320:– seat vacant
319:
318:Pride's Purge
311:
310:
307:
304:
302:
299:
297:
295:
292:
290:
287:
285:
283:
280:
279:
276:Second party
275:
273:Second member
272:
270:
267:
264:
262:
259:
258:
255:
254:
245:
243:
233:
231:
227:
222:
220:
215:
210:
208:
207:George Medley
204:
199:
193:
191:
187:
182:
176:
174:
164:
162:
158:
154:
150:
146:
142:
138:
133:
131:
127:
123:
108:
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
82:
78:
74:
65:
62:
58:
54:
50:
47:
42:
38:
32:
27:
22:
19:
1395:
1386:
1377:
1348:
1338:
1331:
1319:
1313:
1291:
1281:
1278:Lewis Namier
1273:
1263:
1260:Lewis Namier
1254:
1246:
1245:
1238:
1222:William Lyon
1023:George Ellis
948:John Sargent
876:Henry Nevill
780:William Pitt
555:Henry Pelham
386:
357:January 1659
337:
324:
315:
265:First member
252:
251:
239:
223:
211:
203:scot and lot
194:
186:Henry Pelham
177:
170:
160:
134:
119:
97:Henry Pelham
72:
70:
18:
919:Henry Flood
839:John Durand
752:William Hay
396:April 1660
268:First party
214:Crewe's Act
60:Replaced by
1409:Categories
1390:until 1834
1302:References
1258:Page 139,
1057:John Leach
226:John Leach
157:Charles II
137:Henry VIII
1351:(London:
236:Abolition
1397:Tamworth
382:May 1659
342:and the
130:Hastings
35:for the
1355:, 1979)
198:freemen
173:Seaford
147:– only
111:History
73:Seaford
29:Former
24:Seaford
1387:Vacant
896:1785
348:Second
153:Durham
149:Newark
75:was a
1247:Notes
1216:1831
1153:1826
1136:1820
1119:1818
1102:1816
1085:1812
1034:1802
1005:1796
988:1794
971:1792
942:1790
913:1786
870:1784
819:1768
805:1755
791:1754
774:1747
760:1744
746:1734
720:1722
703:1717
689:1715
675:1713
661:1710
647:1706
605:1701
563:1695
549:1690
526:1689
512:1685
489:1681
475:1679
433:1670
419:1661
344:First
334:1653
83:, in
64:Lewes
52:Seats
44:1641–
1234:1832
1227:Tory
1210:Tory
1193:Tory
1176:Tory
1164:Tory
1147:Whig
1130:Tory
1113:Whig
1096:Tory
1079:Tory
1062:Tory
1045:Tory
1028:Tory
1016:Tory
999:Tory
982:Whig
965:Tory
953:Tory
936:Whig
924:Whig
907:Tory
890:Tory
785:Whig
740:Whig
714:Whig
389:Rump
346:and
282:1641
260:Year
228:and
151:and
87:. A
46:1832
55:Two
1411::
1330:,
1262:,
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