The Salisbury corporation, an independent body, always returned Members with strong local connexions. There was no bribery but gifts for the good of the city were accepted. From 1721 Anthony Duncombe, later Lord Feversham, Whig, and from 1741 Sir Edward Bouverie, Tory, established interests.
Old Sarum was an ancient but entirely depopulated borough, the site of which was bought in 1692 by Governor Thomas Pitt, who ‘ploughed and sowed’ the castle area. The few burgages lay in the meadows to the south of the castle alongside the Roman road running to the Avon ford. Elections were held at the parliamentary tree, which stood till 1905 in the ‘electing acre’ nearly half-way to the river on the north-west side of the road.VCH Wilts, vi. 66-67, citing electoral map of Old Sarum, c.
In the early eighteenth century the principal interests at Marlborough were in Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, Whig, and the Bruce family of Tottenham Park and Savernake, Tories. The Bruces had succeeded to the ancestral Wiltshire estates of the Seymours by marriage in 1676; the Duke owned Marlborough Castle. The franchise was in the corporation, a close body, recruited by co-option.
The Members for Malmesbury were returned on the recommendation of the high steward, elected annually by the corporation. In 1715 this office was held by Lord Wharton, who brought in his former secretary, Joseph Addison, with another Whig, Sir John Rushout. At the general election of 1722 it was held by his son, the Duke of Wharton, whose candidates, Rushout and Lord Hillsborough, were unseated on petition in favour of Giles Earle and John Fermor, both followers of the Duke of Argyll, high steward from 1722 to 1741.
Hindon was a notoriously venal borough. The chief interest was that of the Calthorpes of Elvetham, who as lessees of the manor of Hindon from the bishop of Winchester nominated the returning officer. Until 1734 all Members were elected as supporters of the Administration.
From the reign of Charles II till 1772 Heytesbury was completely controlled by the Ashe family and their successors the A’Courts, who owned most of the burgages and as lords of the manor appointed the returning officer. The seats were held by successive owners of the borough, Edward Ashe (for 52 years), William Ashe and Pierce A’Court Ashe; the other was usually given to close relatives. Except in 1722, when there was a negligible opposition, all Members were returned unopposed. All the Members were government supporters.J. A. Cannon, ‘Borough of Heytesbury in 18th Cent.’, Wilts.
The principal interest at Great Bedwyn at the accession of George I was in the Bruce family, who owned the Tottenham Park estate in Savernake forest, carrying with it the appointment of the returning officer. This ancient home of the Seymours, afterwards dukes of Somerset, had passed by marriage in 1676 to Thomas Bruce, M.P., 2nd Earl of Ailesbury, a Jacobite, who was exiled in 1697. His interest, till his death in exile in 1741, was managed by his son Lord Bruce, M.P., afterwards the 3rd Earl, in favour of Tory candidates.
In 1715 the principal burgage owners were the Eyres of Brickworth and Anthony Duncombe, afterwards Lord Feversham. Another interest was vested in the Ashes of Heytesbury who, as lessees of the manor of Downton from the bishop of Winchester, appointed the returning officer. All these interests were pro-Administration.
The franchise at Devizes was vested in the corporation, ‘a narrow self co-opting oligarchy’,Namier, ‘Charles Garth and his connexions’, in EHR, liv. 446-7. representing the leading local clothiers. In 1715 the Members returned were Josiah Diston, a cloth merchant, M.P. Devizes 1706-10, and Francis Eyles, another merchant with estates near the borough, which his father had represented.
Owing to the nature of the local franchise Cricklade was an independent borough, subject to no predominant interest, but usually returning neighbouring landowners. From 1713 to 1747 one of the seats was held by Sir Thomas Reade, a wealthy placeman; the other was contested between government candidates and the Gores, Tories till they went over to the government in 1744, who owned the manor of Cricklade, carrying with it the appointment of the returning officer. Out of seven election petitions between 1721 and 1741, six were based on the returning officer’s alleged misconduct and partiality.
