MASTERMAN, William (1722-86), of Trinity House, nr. Lostwithiel, Cornw.

Masterman was admitted attorney in London, 4 July 1745, became partner of William Luke who had extensive business connexions in the West country, especially with the Edgcumbe family, and succeeded him as head of the firm in 1750. His practice probably involved much business concerned with the law of parliamentary elections, on which he later wrote a handbook.HMC 5th Rep. 257. Through his relationship with Thomas Jones he became associated in the electoral management of the Edgcumbe boroughs, handling the arrangements for Bossiney in 1768;Cory Carpenter to Lady Bute, 1 Jan., 15 Mar. 1768, Wharncliffe mss, Sheffield City Lib.took his place as election agent on his death in July 1774; and negotiated with the Treasury about the disposal of Edgcumbe’s boroughs at the general election the following October.Laprade, 26. He apparently ceased to act for him before 1780. In 1774 he drew up the new charter for Saltash and became Government agent for the borough, receiving for its management occasional payments from the secret service funds.I. R. Christie, ‘Private Patronage versus Government Influence’, EHR, lxxi. 251-2. In 1780 he retired from practice and was returned on his own interest at Bodmin. He supported North’s Administration; voted 18 Feb. 1783 for Shelburne’s peace preliminaries; and, 27 Nov. 1783, for Fox’s East India bill. He went over to Pitt before the general election of 1784,Laprade, 124. when he lost his seat to the wealthy Foxite candidate, Sir John Morshead.

He died c.31 July 1786.