III. ELECTIONS OF THE SECOND PERIOD.
James I., 1603-1625.
There were five elections during this Reign, and six new Members came on the scene.
1604 Sir Thomas Waller and George Byng.
Sir Thomas Waller was the lieutenant of Dover Castle — one of the Kentish Wallers. The Corporation minutes record that " Sir Thomas Waller tendered the sum of j£,5 to be admitted a Freeman, which sum was re-delivered unto him in respect of his pains to be taken in and about the affairs of this Town in the next Parlia ment, and he was sworn." At the end of the first Session the Corporation minutes record appreciation of the new Member thus : — ' ' In regard to the great pains and charges that Sir Thomas Waller hath taken and sustained at the late Parliament, half a tun of wine shall be forthwith sent to the Castle for his provision, and likewise a great fair sugar loaf to be bestowed on his virtuous lady, for that the said Thomas Waller hath not demanded and hath refused to take any allowance towards the expenses of the said Parliament." Sir Thomas Waller was the father of William Waller, a General of the Parliamentary Forces, in the Civil War, who, for his victories, was called " William the Conqueror."
George Byng, a Jurat of the Corporation, according to custom was paid ; and, for a special reason, he was paid six shillings a day — twice as much as was paid in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. The Corporation minutes record the facts as follows: — " The said Mr. Byng to have sixe shillings by the day during the said Parliament, and to have the hire of his horse ryding and comyng home; and to be further considered at his return as by assent of Common Council shall be thought fit." In this year the Passing Tolls Act, which was granted only for short periods, expired, and the Corporation, who then, on the dissolution of Queen Elizabeth's temporary commission, had the affairs of the large new harbour in their sole control, were anxious to have that source of revenue continued. Those were the " affairs of the towne " about which Sir Thomas Waller was expected to take "great paynes " ; and the following minute of the Corporation indicate that Mr. Byng was expected to be busy too: — "It is agreed that a letter be written to Mr. Byng, to invite certain of the Burgesses of Parliament, who by him shall be thought meet, to a dinner or supper, whereby the rather to encourage them to be friendly to us touching the continuance of the statute of tonnage. And what money he shall thereby dispurse to be allowed out of the treasury of the towne." The supper had due effect.
1610 George Byng and Thomas Ellwood.
1613 Sir Robert Bruce and Sir George Fane.
Sir Robert Bruce was the Lieutenant of Dover Castle, nominated by the Lord Warden, in accordance with the custom by which, for some generations past, the one half of the repersentation of Dover in Parliament had been shared by the Lord Warden ; but on this occasion King James had asked the Lord Warden to induce the Corporation to allow the two Dover Members to be officially nominated in the interests of the Crown, to which appeal the Corporation consented, and Sir George Fane was chosen as the second Member.
1621 Sir Henry Mainwaring and Sir Richard Younge.
Sir Henry Mainwaring was the Lieutenant of the Castle ; and Sir Richard Younge was one of the hundred Knights created by James L on his accession.
1624 Sir Richard Younge and Sir Edward Cecil.
The election of these two Members on the nomination of the Duke of Buckingham, the Lord Warden, was carried by the Common Council without consulting the whole of the Freemen. The interference in elections by James I. had become so general that the House of Commons took the matter up, and the Dover Freemen had been aroused to look after their privileges. A petition from Dover was sent to the House of Commons, stating that the election of Younge and Cecil had been carried without the whole body of the Freemen being assembled. The House of Commons resolved " That the Freemen and Burgess inhabitants of Dover all ought to have had a voice in the election." A new writ was issued, with the result that the same Members were returned. It is not stated whether any other candidates were nominated to oppose them, but it is probable that there were not, as up to that date there is no record of any contested election at Dover. Sir Edward Cecil, at the time of his election, was the Lieutenant of the Castle.
Charles I., 1625-1649.
There were four Parliaments summoned in the regular order in this Reign, in the years 1625, 1626, 1628 and 1640.
1625 Sir John Hipplesley and Sir William Beecher.
Sir John Hipplesley was the Lieutenant of Dover Castle under the Duke of Buckingham, the Lord Warden. He represented Dover in three Parliaments, and towards the close of 1628 he vacated his office at the Castle.
Sir William Beecher was one of the many Knights created by James L, and he was chosen as a Crown nominee to represent Dover in Parliament, but he only sat in one Session.
1626 Sir John Hipplesley and John Pringle.
John Pringle was a Dover Jurat, probably the last who, on his merits as such, was chosen to represent Dover in Parliament.
1628 Sir John Hipplesley and Sir Edward Nicholas.
Sir Edward Nicholas, at the time of his election for Dover, was a Clerk in the ofTice of the Lord Warden. He rose by merit to be a principal Secretary of State, holding that office under Charles L and, after the Restoration, under Charles H., until 1663.
1640 (Spring) Sir Edward Boys and Sir Peter Heyman.
Sir Edward Boys was one of the Boys of Bonnington and Fredville. He succeeded Hipplesley as Lieutenant of Dover Ca.stle. He was then an adherent of Charles L, but in 1643, transferred his services to the Parliamentary Party, and was holding his place at the Castle at the time it was seized by the Parliamentarians.
Sir Peter Heyman, one of the early resisters of the innovations of Charles L, was a son of Peter Heyman, of Sellinge. He had previously been a Member for the County of Kent, and was one of those who hel]:)ed to hold the Speaker in his chair while the Declaration against Taxes unauthorised by Parliament was being drafted and signed.
1640 (November) Sir Edward Boys and Sir Peter Heyman.
1642 Benjamin Weston.
In the election of 1642 Sir Peter Heyman had left the scene, and Benjamin Weston took his place.
The Commonwealth, 1649-1660.
During the Commonwealth there were four elections at Dover. The Long Parliament continued until 1653. After that, Cromwell, by "an instrument of Government," re-arranged the seats on the i6th December, 1653, " to the end that the kingdom might be more equally represented." His arrangement gave England and Wales 395 Members, 262 to the counties and 133 to the cities and towns. Dover, like most of the other towns, under that scheme had but one Member, and only one was returned in the elections of 1654, 1656, and the January election of 1659. For the Parliament called in May, 1659, there was no election, as the surviving Members of the displaced Long Parliament were re-called. The election for the Convention Parliament in April, 1660, was still in the Commonwealth Period, but on that occasion two Members were again returned for Dover.
1654 William Cullen.
William Cullen, a Jurat, represented Dover from September, 1654, till January, 1656. He was Mayor of Dover four times during the Commonwealth.
1656 Major-General Thomas Kelsey.
Major-General Thomas Kelsey supported the proposal that Cromwell should assume the title of " King."
1658 John Dixwell.
John Dixwell was of the Kentish family that built the mansion of Broome Park.
1660 (April) Sir Ed. Montague and Major Arnold Breams.
These Members, who were avowed supporters of the Restoration, were elected to the Convention Parliament in April, 1660. The Interregnum was then near its end, and the above-named Members were known to be in favour of the restoration of the Monarchy. Sir Edward Montague had been an active General at sea under Cromwell. Pepys, who was his Secretary, makes frequent references to this Member in his famour Diary.
Major Arnold Breams, a wealthy Dover merchant, was of a Flemish family. His father, Jacob Breams, had settled at Sandwich about the beginning of the Stuart Period; but the new Harbour at Dover attracted him here, where he undertook the farming of the Customs. Arnold Breams came into the business in the beginning of the Reign of Charles I. He built a new Custom House at the Pier, and was a wealthy man when he was elected for Dover in 1660. He only sat in one Parliament, but he was rewarded by being knighted by Charles H. Retiring from business, he built himself a mansion on Bridge Hill, near Canterbury, where he died in his 86th year, in 1681.
Charles H., 1660-1685.
There were six elections at Dover in the Reign of Charles H., after the Restoration — three bye-elections and three General Elections. The Triennial Parlaiments Act, which had been nominally in existence during the Common wealth, was repealed in 1664.
1660 George Montague.
George Montague was the younger son of the Earl of Manchester. He was elected without opposition for Dover when Sir Edward Montague was raised to the Peerage as the Earl of Sandwich.
1661 George Montague and Sir Francis Vincent, Bart.
On the dissolution of Parliament in May, 1661, George Montague and Sir Francis Vincent were elected for Dover, Sir Francis being a new Member. He continued to represent Dover until his death in 1670, there being no dissolution during that period.
1670 Viscount Hinchingbroke.
Viscount Hinchingbroke, the eldest son of the Earl of Sandwich, was elected for Dover at a bye-election, 30th November, 1670, to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Sir Francis Vincent. Two years later he took his seat in the House of Lords, on the death of his father, the Earl of Sandwich.
1673 Thomas Papillon.
Thomas Papillon was chosen Member for Dover at a bye-election, to fill a vacancy caused by Viscount Hinching broke succeeeding his father as Earl of Sandwich. That election was contested, the other candidate being Sir Edward Sprague. Sir Edward Sprague was the Court candidate, and special efforts were made in his favour. A poll was taken on the ist February, when Papillon had a majority of the votes, but that election was declared informal owing to a mistake in issuing the writ. Meanwhile, a number of new Freemen were created, and a poll was taken on behalf of the same candidates on the nth of February. The poll on the old Hst was: — Papillon, 137; Sprague, 106. The Mayor then commenced to call the new Freemen, and the old ones cried, "No Faggots!" The Lieutenant of the Castle intervened, and stated that if the Mayor was not allowed to proceed he should send for the soldiers. Of the fifty-two new Freemen, forty-seven appeared and voted for Sprague, making his poll 153, when the Mayor declared Admiral Sir Edward Sprague duly elected. Mr. Papillon petitoned the House of Commons against the return, but before the petition could be dealt with Admiral Sprague lost his life in a Naval action, and the House of Commons without the issue of another writ, declared Thomas Papillon duly elected. Thomas Papillon and the before-mentioned George Montague continued to represent Dover until the dissolution of 1678.
1679 Thomas Papillon and William Stokes.
The two Members above-named were returned at a contested General Election in 1679, the other two candidates being Colonel John Strode, the Lieutenant of Dover Castle, and Admiral Teddiman, a Dover man, who at that time held the post of Dover Admiral. The contest was keen, and the votes polled were: — Papillon, 201; Stokes, 193; Teddiman, 121; and Strode, 114. Captain Willam Stokes was the Mayor, but, owing to being a candidate, the Deputy Mayor was the Returning Officer ; and he put the names of Thomas Papillon and Colonel Strode in the return, it being assumed at that time that the Lord Warden had the right to nominate one of the Members. The House of Commons, however, on a petition, gave the seats to Papillon and Stokes. Captain William Stokes, a Dover man. held a commission in the Navy during the Commonwealth as Captain of the " Naseby," the ship in which Charles IL arrived at Dover at the Restoration, but during the voyage across the Channel the name of the ship was changed to "Charles." Sir Edward Montague, who was in command of the Fleet at that time, according to Pepys, remarked, " I do not like Captain Stokes." However, the Freemen of Dover liked him, for, in addition to electing him as their Member for Parliament, they chose him seven times as Mayor.
1681 Thomas Papillon and Captain William Stokes.
These two Members were again elected to the Parlia ment convened in 1681 ; but as the Parliament met at Oxford neither of the Dover Members attended.
James II., 1685-1689.
There were two elections in this Reign, one immediately after the Accession of James II., and one after his abdica tion, before William III. accepted the Crown. Some reckon the latter to have been in an interregnum, but it was really a part of the Reign of James II.
1685 Admiral Herbert and William Chapman.
Admiral Arthur Herbert, who was returned to Parlia r;ent by Dover in 1685, was one of the Herberts of Cherbury, Shropshire.
William Chapman, the other Member for Dover, elected in 1685, was a Dover lawyer, who was employed to obtain the new Charter of Charles II. in 1682, for which his bill amounted to ^£141 19s. 8d.
1689 Thomas Papillon and Sir Basil Dixwell.
Thomas Papillon has already been mentioned, but it should be here further added that, in 1685, Thomas Papillon was elected Sheriff of London, and, happening to be in litigation with the Lord Mayor, he directed a writ to be served on his Lordship ; but by some mistake the Lord Mayor was arrested, which led to an action at law, in which Mr. Papillon was fined ;^i 0,000. To avoid this judgment, he fled to Holland, vrhere he remained until the abdication of James II. When William of Orange was invited to accept the British Crown, Mr. Papillon was again returned to Parliament for Dover, and continued to represent the Borough until 1699. Under William III., he was Chief Commissioner for the victualling of the Navy. Mr. Papillon had a seat at Acrise, where his mortal remains rest, but his death took place in London on 5th May, 1702, soon after which, by a bequest made in his Will, Papillon's Charity for Dover Freemen was founded.
Sir Basil Dixwell was Lieutenant of Dover Castle, and his residence was at Broome Prak, Barham. He represented Dover in Parliament from 1689 to 1690, and from 1695 to 1700.
William III., 1689-1702.
In this period there were four elections at Dover, and four of the eight Members were new men.
1690 Thomas Papillon and James Chadwick.
At the election at which the two above-named were returned, on the 6th March, 1690, there were three candi dates — the old Member, Thomas Papillon, and two new men, James Chadwick and Sir Charles Hedges.
James Chadwick was the son of the Rev. Valentine Chadwick, Rector of Great Chart.
1698 Sir Basil Dixwell and Captain Matthew Aylmer.
At this election there were three candidates, the third being Mr. Philip Papillon, son of the late Member, Mr, Thomas Papillon, but he was not successful.
The new Member, Captain Aylmer, was a Captain in the Navy when first elected, but he held the seat until 17 13, and, meanwhile, he attained the rank of Admiral.
1700 Captain Aylmer and Sir Charles Hedges.
Sir Charles Hedges came to Dover with the prestige attaching to a Minister of State. In 1690 he was unsuc cessful; in 1700 he gained a seat. During the year he sat for Dover he was the spokesman of the Government in the House of Commons un foreign policy; but in the General Election of 1701 he was rejected at Dover.
1701 Captain Aylmer and Philip Papillon.
Philip Papillon was the eldest son of Thomas Papillon, who had been dead five years when his son was elected at Dover.
Queen Anne, 1702-17 14.
In the Reign of Queen Anne there were five elections
at Dover.
1702 Captain Aylmer and Philip Papillon.
1705 Captain Aylmer and Philip Papillon.
1708 Admiral Aylmer and Philip Papillon.
1710 Admiral Aylmer and Philip Papillon.
1713 Philip Papillon and Sir William Hardres.
Sir William Hardres, of Hardres Court, Kent, was the son of Sir Richard Hardres, who was created a Baronet by Charles I. Sir William Hardres, being a Tory, lost his seat on the Accession of George I., who transferred the Court influence to the Whigs.
George I., 1714-1727.
Owing to the disturbed state of the nation when George, the first King of the House of Hanover ascended the throne, it was thought expedient to give Parliaments a longer duration, and the Septennial Act was passed. From the fourth year of the Reign of Edward HI. it had been the law, although not always the practice, to hold Parliaments annually, until 1641, when the Triennial Act was passed. The change to Septennial Parliaments, enacted in 17 16, continued to be the law until 191 1, when the legal life of a Parliament was reduced to five years. In the Reign of George I., a period of thirteen years, there were but two Parliamentary elections.
1715 Admiral Aylmer and Philip Papillon.
In the first General Election under George I. there was no contest at Dover. In the previous election of 17 13, the electors of Dover divided their affections between that staunch Kentish Tory, Sir William Hardres, and Mr. Philip Papillon, a Whig. The new King having let it be known that none but Whigs would find favour at his Court, like the Vicar of Bray, the electors of Dover were ready to sing — " When George in pudding time came o'er, And moderate men looked big, sir, I turned a cat-in-pan once more. And I became a Whig, sir! "
1722 The Hon. George Berkeley and Henry Furnesse.
The Hon. George Berkeley was the youngest son of the Earl of Berkeley, and his mother was one of the Sackville family, and Lionel Sackville, Duke of Dorset, being then Lord Warden, his influence provided George Berkeley with a seat for Dover.
Henry Furnesse was the owner of Waldershare, and while he was Me.nber for Dover he opened a free school for the sons of Freemen. He retired in 1734.
George II., 1727-1760.
In this Reign there were five General Elections, and five new Members were introduced.
1728 The Hon. George Berkeley and Henry Furnesse.
These two Members were re-elected unopposed, and continued to represent the Borough until 1734, when they both retired.
1734 David Papillon and Thomas Revell.
David Papillon was elected for Dover in 1734, and retired in 1741 to take the office of Commissioner of Excise, to which office he was appointed by the influence of Lord Hardwicke. When he offered himself to the Dover electors, in 1734, he released Zion Chapel, Qiieen Street, from a mortgage loan which his father had advanced when he repre sented Dover.
Thomas Revell held the post of agent victualler in the Dover Victualling Office at the Maison Dieu, and, being a Crown nominee at this election, he influenced the voters by having 800 oxen slaughtered for victualling the ships, and, by the authority of the Crown, gave the offal to the poor of Dover. He was re-elected in 1747, and died while repre senting the Borough in 1752.
1741 Lord George Sackville and Thomas Revell.
Lord George Sackville was introduced at Dover by his father, the Duke of Dorset, who was the Constable of Dover Castle and Warden of the Cinque Ports. He continued to hold his seat until the Reign of George III. This Member was useful to the constituency in various ways. He and his father, the Constable of Dover Casrle, were instrumental in having barracks built on the south side of the Keep Yard to accommodate 1,000 men; and Lord George Sackville, as Colonel of the 20th Regiment of Foot, marched in with his men to occupy them in 1747. Through this Member's influence ;^5oo was raised to repair the Guildhall, in July, 1753. The portrait of the Duke of Dorset, the father of this Member, which now hangs in the Council Chamber, was given as a memento of that occasion.
1747 Lord George Sackville and Thomas Revell.
1752 William Clayley.
William Clayley, at a bye-election, in 1752, was chosen in the room of Thomas Revell, Agent Victualler of Dover, deceased. He was re-elected in 1754; and in the following year vacated his office on taking a place as an Excise Officer.
1754 Lord George Sackville and William Clayley.
At this General Election these two Members were re-elected unopposed.
1755 Peter Burrell.
Peter Burrell was the owner of Kelsey's Manor, Becken ham. There is at Beckenham Church a beautiful alms dish, on which is engraved, " The gift of Petre Burrell, Esq., A.D. 1734." He died the year after his election for Dover.
1756 Hugh Vallance Jones.
At a bye-election Hugh Valance Jones, barrister, a nephew of Lord Hardwicke, was elected in May, 1756, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. Burrell. Mr. Jones presented to the Corporation ;£ioo to repair the Court Hall. In 1760 he accepted office in the Irish Revenue Oflice, vacating his seat.
1760 Dr. Edward Simpson.
At this bye-election. Dr. Edward Simpson, who was chosen in the room of Mr. H. V. Jones, was a son of Prebendary Simpson, of Pluckley.
George III., 1760-1820.
In this Reign there were eleven General Elections and five bye-elections at Dover. There were fourteen new men elected.
1761 Sir Joseph Yorke, C.B., and Dr. Simpson.
Sir Joseph Yorke, C.B., the third son of Lord Chan cellor Hardwicke, was elected for Dover at the General Election of 1761. He was a Major-General, and held his seat for Dover thirteen years.
1762 The Marquis of Lome.
The Marquis of Lome, the eldest son of the Duke of Argyle, was chosen for Do\er in January, 1762, at a bye election, in the room of Dr. Edward Simpson ; and vacated the seat in December, 1766, when raised to the Peerage as Baron Sundridge.
1766 George Bindley.
George Bindley, chosen at a bye-election in 1766, in the room of the Marquis of Lome, resigned his seat for Dover in 1768. His daughter married Mr. James Noth, of Sandgate, brother of Sir Henry Noth, Bart., who took the surname of Vavasour.
1768 Sir Joseph Yorke and Viscount Villiers.
George Bussey VilUers, commonly called Viscount Villiers, was the son of the Earl of Jersey. He was the Lord Chamberlain; and after he had held the Dover seat for rather more than a year, he was transferred to the House of Lords on the death of his father.
1769 Sir Pym Hales, Bart.
Sir Pym Hales was elected for Dover at a bye-election in 1769, as the successor of Viscount Villiers. Sir Pym was the representative of the Bekesbourne branch of the Hales family. He was not elected for Dover without keen opposition, for at that bye-election John Trevanion presented himself for the first time as a candidate. Trevanion not only fought hard during the contest, but, after defeat at the poll, he petitioned the House of Commons to reverse the decision because the majority for Hales had been largely made up of non-resident Freemen. The House of Commons held that non-resident Freemen had the right to vote, so Sir Pym Hales retained the seat.
1773 Thomas Barrett.
Thomas Barrett, commonly known as Thomas Barrett of Lee, had an estate in the parish of Ickham, near Wingham. His mansion there, originally Lee Priory, was purchased in 1676 by his ancestor, Sir Paul Barrett, Serjeant-at-Law. Later the house became the property of Sir Egerton Brydges, who set up a printing press in the Priory, where were printed a few books, which Bibliophiles class as rarities.
1774 John Henniker and John Trevanion.
Two new Members were chosen in this General Election.
John Henniker came of an ancient family, of which Peter de Henniker was a Lieutenant of Dover Castle in the Reign of Edward H.
John Trevanion 's name is given to a street in St. James's parish, in which stood his mansion. He took up his residence in Dover in the middle of the Eighteenth Century, and, as already mentioned, he fought for a Dover seat in Parliament in 1769. In 1774 he was successful, and he continued to appear as a candidate in Dover elections, successfully and otherwise, until 1806, when he was finally defeated. When he first courted the constituency he promised that if he were elected he would build and maintain a free school for Dover boys, and he kept his word. After 1806 he retired. He died in 1810, and was buried in St. James's Church.
1780 John Henniker and John Trevanion.
1784 Robert Preston and James Luttrell.
In the General Election of 1784 there was a great struggle between William Pitt, the Prime Minister, and his political opponents. There was a great fight at Dover. The two sitting Members were discarded, and two new men, strangers to Dover, but supporters of Pitt, were returned.
Robert Preston, of Woodford, Essex, one of the Elder Brethren of Trinity House, holding Naval rank as Captain, was elected for Dover in 1784. Later he inherited a baronetcy. It is interesting to mention that this Member for Dover was the real founder of the celebrated whitebait dinners which Ministers of State used to attend at Greenwich from the days of Pitt down to rhe time of Disraeli and Gladstone. Mr. Preston had a fishing cottage at Dangeham Lake, on the Thames, where, once a year, a few political friends used to meet to fish and eat whitebait. Year by year the gatherings increased, and included George Rose, the Secretary of the Treasury, and William Pitt, the Prime Minister. As the company grew larger it became necessary to forsake the cottage, and the whil'ebait dinners were transferred to a tavern at Greenwich, their character becoming more political than convivial.
James Luttrell, Captain Preston's colleague in the Dover election of 1784, came of a well-known political family. Soon after his election he vacated the seat by accepting office.
1784 John Trevanion.
In this bye-election Trevanion won back his seat from Luttrell.
1790 Charles S. Pybus and John Trevanion.
In this election there were three candidates : — Charles Small Pybus, who had 701 votes; John Trevanion, who had 550; and the unsuccessful candidate, Mr. Bentick, 307. The retiring Member, Captain Preston, did not seek re-election.
Charles Small Pybus was a grandson of Captain Bryan Pybus, who had been the Commander of H.M. Packet, " Eagle," on the Dover Station.
1791 Charles Small Pybus.
This was a bye-election which occurred owing to Mr. Pybus accepting office as one of the Lords of the Admiralty. He was returned unopposed.
1796 Charles Small Pybus and John Trevanion.
These two sitting Members were re-elected.
1797 Charles Small Pybus.
The election of 1797 was owing to Mr. Pybus accepting office as one of the Lords of the Treasury. He was opposed on that occasion by Richard Heaton Solly, of St. Margaret's-at-Cliffe. Mr. Solly was not a Freeman of Dover, but as a considerable number of Freemen voted for him at the opening of the poll, the Corporation held a special meeting and granted him the Freedom; but as soon as that was done Mr. Solly withdrew his opposition, saying he had got all that he wanted; whereupon Mr. Pybus was declared duly elected. Mr. Solly was exceedingly eccentric, and the only reasonable explanation of his action was that he was " out for a lark."
1802 John Trevanion and Spencer Smith.
In this election there were three candidates. The poll was open three days, the votes recorded being: — Trevanion, 666; Smith, 534; and Huskinson (a new man), 466.
Spencer Smith was the son of John Smith, the owner of the curious castellated residence called " Smith's Folly," which stood on the shore between the Castle Cliff and the Castle Jetty ; and he was the brother of Admiral Sir Sydney Smith.
1806 Charles Jenkinson and John Jackson.
There were three candidates in this election, the two above-named and John Trevanion, who this time was finally beaten, he having, during a political campaign of thirty-nine years at Dover, had four defeats and six victories.
Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson was half-brother of Robert Banks Jenkinson, Earl of Liverpool. His brother, R. H. Jenkinson, was the Lieutenant of Dover Castle, and he presented to the Dover Corporation a handsome oak table, which used to stand in the hall of the Constable's Tower, and now is in the Dover Council Chamber.
John Jackson was a Parliamentary representative of Dover from 1806 to 1826, and during that period was created a baronet.
1807 Charles Jenkinson and John Jackson.
At this General Election the two sitting Members were re-elected. There was a third candidate named Pierrepoint, who was defeated.
1812 Charles Jenkinson and John Jackson.
In this General Election the above-named were re-elected unopposed.
i8i8 Sir John Jackson and Edward Bootle Wilbraham.
Mr. Edward Bootle Wilbraham had been in Parliament twenty-three years before he was elected for Dover in i8i8. The local connection which attracted him to Dover was his marriage with Miss Mary Elizabeth Taylor, daughter of the Rev. Edward Taylor, of Bifrons, Patrixbourne. Mr. Wil brahams retained his seat for Dover until 1828, when he was raised to the Peerage as Baron Skelmersdale.
George IV., 1820-1830.
In this Reign there were three General Elections and two bye-elections at Dover.
1820 Edward Bootle Wilbraham and Joseph Butterworth.
The dissolution of Parliament causing this General Election followed the death of George III A vacancy caused by the retirement of Sir John Jackson was filled by the election of Mr. Joseph Butterworth. He and Mr. Wil braham were returned unopposed.
Mr. Joseph Butterworth was the son of a Baptist minister at Coventry, but he began his business life in London as a clerk, winning the favour of his employer, who, at his death, left him a sum of money, with which he entered into business as a law stationer. He made a considerable fortune, and was returned to Parliament by his native Borough of Coventry in 181 8; in 1820 he offered himself at Dover, and was returned unopposed. After representing Dover six years, another General Election came, in which he lost his seat, and, may be said to have also lost his life, for it was owing to standing bareheaded when canvassing that he caught a chill, and died a few weeks after the election. He was a Wesleyan Methodist, and on the day of his funeral, which took place in the City Road Chapel, London, a memorial service was held in the old Wesleyan Chapel at Buckland, Dover.
1826 Edward B. Wilbraham and Charles Poulett Thomson.
In this election, following the dissolution of Parliament in 1826, there were rumours of many candidates, and six were nominated. It proved to be a great contest, the polling extending over five days, and the final result was as follows : — Wilbraham, 1,175; Thomson, 746; John Halcomb, 628; Joseph Butterworth, 198; George Finch, 13; and Michael Kingsford, 8. It was in this prolonged contest that Mr. Butterworth caught the chill which proved fatal.
Charles Poulett Thomson was twenty-five years old when he first contested Dover, and, with the vanity of a young man, he had his election address, together with his portrait, printed on white silk for distribution amongst the townspeople. Fifty years ago this election trophy, well framed and glazed, adorned the walls of many houses in Dover. He held his seat for Dover until 1832, when he was re-elected, but was also elected for Manchester, for which place he took his seat. He went to the House of Lords as Baron Sydenham, which peerage is now extinct. 1828 William Henry Trant.
This bye-election took place in February, 1828, to fill a vacancy caused by the elevation of Mr. Edward Bootle Wilbraham to the peerage as Baron Skelmersdale. The candidates were John Halcomb and William Henry Trant, the latter heading the poll.
William Henry Trant was the second son of Dominick Trant, of Dunkettle, County Cork.
William IV., 1830- 1837.
In this reign there were two General Elections and one bye-election.
1830 John Rae Reid and Charles Poulett Thomson.
The dissolution of Parliament on this occasion was caused by the death of George IV.
Sir John Rae Reid was the son of Mr. Thomas Reid, of Ewell Grove, Surrey, a London merchant, who had been Chairman of the Court of East India Directors, and created a baronet, to which dignity his son, John Rae Reid, had succeeded. Sir John was a Governor of the Bank of England, and a staunch Tory. Elected for Dover in 1830, he lost his seat in 1831, but was again elected in 1832, and held it with great popularity until the dissolution of 1847, when he retired.
1830 Charles Poulett Thomson.
This was a bye-election in which Mr. C. P. Thomson was returned unopposed, on being appointed President of the Board of Trade.
1831 Charles P. Thomson and Capt. R. H. Stanhope R.N.
This dissolution took place in June, 1831, owing to the
Ministry having been left in a minority in a division on the Reform Bill. The two Members above-named were in favour of the Bill, and were returned unopposed.
Captain R. H. Stanhope, R.N., was a member of the well known Kentish family of that name.