Both seats at Heytesbury were controlled by William Ashe I, the lord of the manor, who owned most of the burgages and also appointed the returning officer, his bailiff. Generally the borough was used to provide for his own family. Ashe returned himself, his sons Edward and William II, his brother-in-law, Sir Edward Ernle, 3rd Bt., and his son-in-law Pierce A’Court: all were Whigs. Occasionally an outside Whig was nominated.
An unprepossessing sight, Bedwyn consisted of ‘two streets: one on a descent from east to west, with several scattered houses in it like a vill; the other crosses it from north to south’.
In 1690 the two outgoing Members for Downton, Sir Charles Raleigh of Rectory House and Maurice Bocland of Standlynch, were returned unopposed. Two other principal families resided in the locality, but neither was in a position to pose any electoral threat, Sir James Ashe, 2nd Bt., being a minor, and Sir Charles Eyre† by now a judge. By 1695, however, this situation had changed. Ashe had reached his majority and was being propelled by his widowed mother in the direction of a parliamentary seat, the family being actively involved, it would appear, in the business of accumulating burgages.
Devizes was still one of the most important centres of the Wiltshire woollen industry, its prosperity impressing Celia Fiennes and Defoe. The ‘clothing interest’ was of considerable significance in elections, both in terms of individual wealth and numbers of voters, a fact that accounts for the presence of London merchants alongside townsmen and country gentlemen as parliamentary candidates. There was also a substantial Dissenting population, with the Baptists particularly prominent, which was the foundation of the Whig faction in the corporation.
A small market town, Cricklade attracted candidates mainly from among the neighbouring gentry, in Gloucestershire as well as Wiltshire, but also from time to time, and especially towards the latter end of this period, some Londoners with local associations.
A number of neighbouring landed families enjoyed influence at Chippenham, among them the Bayntuns of Spye Park, the Longs of Draycot Cerne, the Montagus of Lackham, the Pophams of Littlecote, and to a lesser extent the Spekes of Hazelbury. Sir Edward Hungerford’s* once powerful interest had been divided by 1690, with the sale of Sheldon and Corsham to Richard Kent and Rowden to another branch of the Longs. Of these two, Kent proved the stronger: one of the outgoing Members, he was re-elected unopposed in 1690, along with Alexander Popham of Littlecote.
The ‘burgesses’ of Calne (i.e. members of the corporation), about 34 in number at the beginning of this period, were responsible for ‘electing’ new recruits, who were afterwards sworn by the steward of the crown manor of Ogbourne St. George, and also provided from their own ranks the two guild stewards, usually in rotation. These were the returning officers at parliamentary elections, though they were themselves allowed a vote with the other burgesses at the poll.
Wilton was a pocket borough of the Earl of Pembroke. However, it required care and attention. In September 1783 Lord Pembroke wrote that it stood upon a ‘very ticklish and slender’ foundation,Pembroke Pprs. ii. 233. but the creation of a batch of new burgesses next month confirmed the Herbert supremacy. In the earlier part of the century most of the burgesses were local men in modest positions (several could not sign their names in the corporation’s minute books). It became Herbert practice to pack the corporation with relatives and friends, who were more reliable.
At the beginning of the 18th century the chief interest was in the St. John family, seated three miles from the borough at Lydiard Tregoze. But following Bolingbroke’s flight to France in 1715 this interest declined, and on his return was not wholly restored.
Salisbury was a dignified, independent borough, with a corporation consisting largely of small gentry and substantial tradesmen. Bribery was unknown, and even canvassing was carried on discreetly. It was considered an honour to represent the borough, and its Members were invariably local men.
