1761 British general election
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The 1761 British general election returned members to serve in the
However, with the Tories disintegrating, as a result of the end of their proscription providing them with new opportunities for personal advancement, and the loyalty they felt to the new king causing them to drift apart, there was little incentive for Newcastle's supporters to stay together. What little survived of Whig ideology was not compelling enough to maintain the party's coherence, and they split into a number of feuding factions led by aristocratic magnates, contributing to the political instability that would last until 1770.
With only 48 constituencies contested, the election was one of the least contested in British history.
Summary of the constituencies
The constituencies used were the same throughout the existence of the Parliament of Great Britain.
Monmouthshire (One County constituency with two members and one single member Borough constituency) is included in Wales in these tables. Sources for this period may include the county in England.
Table 1: Constituencies and Members, by type and country[1]
Country | BC | CC | UC | Total C | BMP | CMP | UMP | Total Members |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
England | 202 | 39 | 2 | 243 | 404 | 78 | 4 | 486 |
Wales | 13 | 13 | 0 | 26 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
Scotland | 15 | 30 | 0 | 45 | 15 | 30 | 0 | 45 |
Total | 230 | 82 | 2 | 314 | 432 | 122 | 4 | 558 |
Table 2: Number of seats per constituency, by type and country
Country | BC×1 | BC×2 | BC×4 | CC×1 | CC×2 | UC×2 | Total C |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
England | 4 | 196 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 2 | 243 |
Wales | 13 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 26 |
Scotland | 15 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 45 |
Total | 32 | 196 | 2 | 42 | 40 | 2 | 314 |
Dates of election
The general election was held between 25 March 1761 and 5 May 1761.[2]
At this period elections did not take place at the same time in every constituency. The returning officer in each county or
Results
Seats summary
Perception of corruption
On the eve of the general election Horace Walpole wrote to Horace Mann:[3]
Whatever mysteries or clouds there are, will probably develop themselves as soon as the elections are over, and the Parliament fixed, which now engrosses all conversation and all purses ; for the expense is incredible. West Indians, conquerors, nabobs, and admirals, attack every borough ; there are no fewer than nine candidates at Andover. The change in a Parliament used to be computed at between sixty and seventy; now it is believed there will be an hundred and fifty new members. Corruption now stands upon its own legs no money is issued from the Treasury ; there are no parties, no pretence of grievances, and yet venality is grosser than ever! The borough of Sudbury has gone so far as to advertise for a chapman ! We have been as victorious as the Romans, and are as corrupt : I don't know how soon the Praetorian militia will set the empire to sale.
This had been used in a number of history books.[4] The historian Lewis Namier refuted this in an essay on the 1761 General Election.[5] His argument was that the number of new MPs in 1747 and 1754 were about the same as 1761, that the 48 contested constituencies out of 315 in total was smaller than 1754, the price of seats - although higher than 1754 - was explained by the higher chance of a full seven tear term and that the numbers of admirals fell while the other "new men" rose only slightly.
See also
References
- ^ British Historical Facts 1760–1830, by Chris Cook and John Stevenson (The Macmillan Press 1980)
- ^ Footnote to Table 5.02 British Electoral Facts 1832–1999, compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher (Ashgate Publishing Ltd 2000).
- ^ Letter 736, 3rd March 1761, Full text of "The letters of Horace Walpole, fourth earl of Orford
- ^ Page 158, Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition - London: St Martin's Press, 1957)
- ^ Pages 158 to 172, Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition - London: St Martin's Press, 1957)