Go To Section
Cumberland
County
Available from Boydell and Brewer
Background Information
Number of voters:
about 4,000
Elections
Date | Candidate |
---|---|
8 Feb. 1715 | JAMES LOWTHER |
GILFRID LAWSON | |
16 Apr. 1722 | SIR CHRISTOPHER MUSGRAVE |
GILFRID LAWSON | |
James Lowther | |
21 Aug. 1727 | JAMES LOWTHER |
GILFRID LAWSON | |
15 May 1734 | SIR JAMES LOWTHER |
SIR JOSEPH PENNINGTON | |
21 May 1741 | SIR JAMES LOWTHER |
SIR JOSEPH PENNINGTON | |
8 Jan. 1745 | SIR JOHN PENNINGTON vice Sir Joseph Pennington, deceased |
21 July 1747 | SIR JAMES LOWTHER |
SIR JOHN PENNINGTON |
Main Article
Cumberland politics were dominated by three Whig families, who owned the principal baronies: the Lowthers, Viscounts Lonsdale, the Howards, earls of Carlisle, and the Seymours, dukes of Somerset. Each of these families had its own sphere of influence, the Lowthers normally recommending at least one Member for the county, the Howards one for Carlisle, and the Seymours one for Cockermouth. In the county elections Sir William Lowther shared the representation with a Tory, Gilfrid Lawson, from 1708 to 1734, except in 1722, when Sir Christopher Musgrave, another Tory, joined Lawson to oust Lowther in the last contested election for 46 years. The Lowther-Lawson compromise was revived in 1727, but in 1733 Lord Carlisle showed signs of intending to put up his son, Lord Morpeth, for the county at the next general election. On this Lord Lonsdale suggested to Sir William Lowther that they should assist Lawson to keep out Morpeth. He pointed out that Lawson, having ‘broke with all other considerable people in the county’,
was willing to keep upon good terms with us to whom he knew he must owe his election if he was chose. This was just the very thing I had in mind to have, for he was in possession of the county and as the terms we were on with him were rather private than public, the bringing him in could not be called bringing in two upon the same interest (which would have created envy), but was in effect doing so.
In the event Morpeth did not stand, while Lawson retired, giving his interest to Sir Joseph Pennington, a connexion of the Lowthers. Thenceforth the Lowthers controlled both seats, replacing Pennington at his death by his son without the customary county meeting to approve the candidates, which for some years was discontinued.1
Author: Romney R. Sedgwick
Notes
- 1. This account is based on B. Bonsall, Sir Jas. Lowther and Cumb. and Westmld. Elections.