The strongest territorial interests in Durham belonged to the Vanes of Raby, earls of Darlington, and to the church, headed by the bishop of Durham and the diocesan officials. The leading gentry families, though often divided by personal rivalries, tended to be Whig in politics. The Wearside and Tyneside shipping and commercial interest were important, but with many of the old landed families having a stake in the coal trade, protection of which was obligatory on all Durham Members, the frontier between land and trade was blurred.
By 1784 neither of the sitting Members, Sir Thomas Clavering of Axwell, originally returned an opponent of the Vanes, and Sir John Eden of Windlestone, a Northite, was very popular. Poor health had made Clavering a virtual non-attender, while Eden, who remained in opposition to Pitt after the defection in 1785 of his brother William Eden, later Lord Auckland, seems to have been widely disliked for personal reasons. The leading contender for the next vacancy was Ralph Milbanke, a Foxite Whig, son of Sir Ralph Milbanke of Halnaby, which lay just across the border with Yorkshire near Darlington. During his father’s lifetime he drew his income from the former Hedworth property at Chester-le-Street and Seaham, which contained coal mines and had come into the family through his mother. Although he was frustrated in 1780 and 1784 by Clavering’s tenacity, he built up powerful support among the leading Whig gentry, notably Sir Henry Liddell of Ravensworth, Gen. John Lambton of Lambton and his fellow Member for the city John Tempest of Wynyard, and George Baker of Elemore. There was a flurry early in 1786 when, with Clavering’s resignation again bruited, Gen. Lambton thought of putting up his eldest son, who had just come of age. Baker and Clavering himself seem to have been party to the scheme, but when Liddell made it clear that he and others would strenuously resist any attempt to smuggle in young Lambton, Clavering decided to stay put. Although Milbanke’s formidable and ambitious wife Judith picked a quarrel with Eden over his alleged endorsement of Lambton’s candidature, friendly relations between the families were later resumed. In 1787 Gen. Lambton stood down for his son in the city.
In April 1789, when it was known for certain that Clavering would retire at the next election, another challenger appeared in Rowland Burdon, a wealthy Newcastle banker, very popular in Durham, where he owned the Castle Eden estate near Hartlepool. His politics, like those of his father-in-law Charles Brandling, Member for Newcastle, were strongly Pittite, and although he boasted of extensive ‘independent’ support, he applied for and received government backing. Milbanke’s bid for the support of the and Earl of Darlington, an adherent of administration but a sworn personal enemy of Eden, was inconclusive. He nevertheless thought ‘the rage for Pittism is the only thing I have to fear’. Eden determined to stand his ground and hoped, somewhat forlornly, that Darlington would declare for him and Milbanke, and ‘the ministerialist find himself necessitated to decline’. Milbanke was urged to join with Eden but, while he acknowledged that he was ‘much stronger than one would have imagined’, he was mindful of Darlington’s hostility to the baronet and thought it wiser to ‘have it understood sotto voce that we are not inimical’.
to be friendly to me, but from the novelty of his situation I hardly think he feels his own power, or knows exactly how to use it ... his interest will be weakened by delay, because his power over those who hold of him by lease for lives is rather chimerical, and depends more upon the habit of looking up to the See, than any real advantage which his tenants may derive ... I think he would not be unwilling to come to an understanding with Lord Darlington, if his lordship would think proper to open himself on the subject. I have told them ... that their union was looked up to by the county as the great means of commanding its peace, and I am convinced that my two opponents would be much awed by the declaration on their parts, that they would not admit of two Members being returned to opposition.
A full-scale canvass began in June, by which time the bishop had declared for Burdon. In August Darlington indicated that he would support Burdon first and Milbanke second, ‘provided no junction should take place with Sir John Eden’. Burdon still feared that ‘notwithstanding their express declaration’, the ‘party which supports them will produce a virtual junction’, but the Milbankes, now confident of success, expected Eden to give up, as Judith commented, 11 Aug. 1789:
Some of the gentlemen are very averse to Burdon and wish if possible to support Sir John to prevent his coming in, but I hardly think they will accomplish it, nor do I believe Sir John can or will stand the expense of a contest, not at least without a certainty of success ... But their wish to oust Burdon obliges them to support Milbanke equally, so that we have the interest of each side, the Vanes wishing to oust Sir John.
PRO 30/8/118, ff. 9, 13, 15, 17, 19; Sidmouth mss, Hatsell to Addington, 17 Sept. [1789] Noels and Milbankes, 339-47, 352.
At the general election Eden, to the vexation of his brother, contested the issue, but early in the nine-day poll one observer, noting that the Vanes were ‘violent against him’, forecast that he would lose, largely ‘for want of employing agents to assist him in his canvass’.
Bishop Thurlow died in 1791 and was replaced by Shute Barrington (d.1826), a steadfast opponent of Catholic relief. On Darlington’s death in 1792 he was succeeded as 3rd Earl by his only son William Harry Vane, who later became alienated from Pitt and attached himself to the Carlton House group. There was no disturbance at the general election of 1796. On 7 Sept. 1801 Burdon announced that domestic considerations had persuaded him not to stand again. Sir Henry Vane Tempest of Long Newton, who had succeeded his uncle John Tempest in the Wynyard property and the Durham city seat in 1794, but had resigned it in 1800 for his Whig brother-in-law Michael Angelo Taylor, offered in Burdon’s place and Milbanke declared that he would stand again. Lord Hobart wondered if Lord Eldon, the lord chancellor, a Newcastle man who had bought an estate in south Durham in 1792, might be considering starting his son John Scott, currently Member for Boroughbridge, but Eldon, writing to his brother, vetoed the idea, partly because he was ‘a new man in the county’, but mainly because of the likely expense.
Vane Tempest, who was thought to have vacated the city because his marriage to the Countess of Antrim had given him hopes of obtaining an Irish peerage, had an unsavoury reputation and there was resentment of his attempt to secure the county seat while his brother-in-law continued to sit for Durham. Burdon, who had been a staunch defender of the coal trade and done much to advance the county’s commercial prosperity, was very popular and there was an attempt by leaders of the coal and shipping interests, through public meetings at South Shields and Sunderland, to persuade him to change his mind about retiring. The church interest too wished him to continue, and Judith Milbanke claimed that Bishop Barrington ‘has a personal enmity to Sir Henry and I know is endeavouring to persuade Burdon to come forward again’, but on 2 Nov. 1801 Burdon announced his unchanged determination to step down.
Burdon’s bank failed in 1803, and although he retained his popularity and was pressed by his friends, including Bishop Barrington, to stand again in 1806, he had to retire. Darlington, a supporter of the ‘Talents’, informed Lord Grenville, 16 Oct., that the Prince of Wales, who was visiting Raby, had told him of the impending dissolution:
in this county, where there is, I fear, a very weighty interest inimical to the present government, I feel that I shall have considerable difficulty to fight against, but I have already made an earnest request ... to Sir J. Eden ... to come forward, who I have no doubt would be unanimously elected with Sir Ralph Milbanke, and in case of his refusal I much fear that it will be difficult to find a supporter of government.
Eden was also pressed to stand by Charles Grey, the Foreign secretary, but he declined. Cuthbert Ellison of Hebburn was willing to offer, but he made way for Milbanke’s friend Sir Thomas Henry Liddell, owner of Ravensworth and its coal since 1791, a supporter of the ‘Talents’ who, like Eden, had refused to stand in place of Burdon in 1801. Opponents of the ministry alleged that the Prince was behind Liddell’s candidature and that he and Milbanke had been ‘expressly nominated after dinner at Raby’. Vane Tempest was in Ireland and a story was put about that he meant to stand for Antrim, but he hastened to Wynyard with the intention of starting for Durham.
In 1807 Milbanke and Liddell offered again, but encountered a ‘No Popery’ cry which, coupled with the shipping interest’s hostility to the late ministry’s American intercourse bill, produced another movement to drum up support for Burdon, who duly came forward. Both Whigs published addresses asserting their loyalty to the protestant establishment, but Liddell, said by Eden to have delayed his canvass ‘under the notion that it was impossible Mr Burdon could be brought forward’, soon realized that he could not afford a contest. Burdon was criticized for standing while many of his creditors remained unpaid, and when Milbanke let it be known that the cost of a contest was beyond him, Liddell and Burdon and their leading supporters agreed to withdraw in favour of Ellison as a generally acceptable compromise candidate, though it was said that he was a ‘decided’ friend of the Portland ministry. When their arrangement was confirmed at the county meeting, 20 May, there was ‘general and ardent’ dissent and Vane Tempest ‘availed himself of the moment of disgust’ to decry it as a plot ‘calculated to rob the county of its elective franchise’ and to go to the poll against Ellison with electoral independence as his watchword. Milbanke and Ellison united and the ‘No Popery’ cry disappeared, but it was reported that many of Milbanke’s supporters, rather than vote for Ellison, deserted and plumped for Vane Tempest. Ellison gave up after three days.
Failing health and financial problems increasingly beset Milbanke and in August 1811 Eden’s nephew predicted that although he was making every effort to retain his seat, he would have to give way to Vane Tempest and a new contender, Darlington’s eldest son Lord Barnard. Darlington, who remained loyal to the Whigs after the Regent abandoned them, duly put up Barnard in 1812. It was reported that Milbanke was under pressure from his wife to contest the seat, despite the almost certain prospect of defeat and financial ruin, but he eventually decided to retire.
On Vane Tempest’s death in August 1813 William Henry Lambton’s eldest son, who had recently come of age, offered himself. His uncle Ralph, Member for the city, told Whitbread, 3 Aug., that his prospects were uncertain, ‘as I don’t think they will approve of his being in for the county and I for the city, and also on account of his politics’, which were those of an advanced Whig. Next day Charles Bigge told Grey that Lambton might well succeed ‘for want of an opponent’, for ‘the church will scarcely attempt to bring forward Burdon again’, and Matthew Russell, heir to the Brancepeth estate and currently sitting for Saltash, seemed ‘very indifferent’ to the vacancy and ‘probably will not spend money’. Brougham reported to Grey from Durham, 17 Aug.:
It is still thought by many that Russell will come forward. The government and Tories have been going about to everybody to offer but all have hitherto declined. Both Sir John Eden’s sons were asked and refused. What is odd enough, almost all those whom they have asked are Whigs or Whiggish. It is supposed that it will only be a seat for this Parliament if Lambton gets it.
Three days later, George Eden told his father that Lambton ‘is far from popular and great exertions are made to find another candidate, but I believe that he will come in’.
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