Yarmouth I.o.W.

At George I’s accession the chief interests at Yarmouth were in two local landowners, Anthony Morgan, a Whig, and Henry Holmes, a Tory. In 1715 Holmes and another Tory, Sir Robert Raymond, defeated Morgan and another Whig, Sir Theodore Janssen, who petitioned on the ground that 27 of their opponents’ voters were unqualified, under a by-law passed by the corporation in 1670 providing that no new members should be admitted unless the mayor and five other members, known as chief burgesses, were present. The sitting members contended that the by-law was void, not having been made by a majority of the common council; but the House held that it was valid and awarded the seats to the petitioners.1CJ, xviii. 532-4. After this, Morgan gained control of both seats for the Administration. In 1741 Thomas Holmes became government manager for the Isle of Wight boroughs, gradually filling the Yarmouth corporation with his friends and relations.2Jenkinson Pprs. 128. Thereafter the corporation admitted no more freemen, Yarmouth becoming virtually a corporation borough.