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Devizes
Borough
Available from Boydell and Brewer
Background Information
Right of Election:
in the corporation
Number of voters:
32
Elections
Date | Candidate | Votes |
---|---|---|
24 Jan. 1715 | JOSIAH DISTON | |
FRANCIS EYLES | ||
8 Feb. 1721 | BENJAMIN HASKINS STILES vice Eyles, expelled the House | |
23 Mar. 1722 | BENJAMIN HASKINS STILES | 32 |
JOSEPH EYLES | 30 | |
Josiah Diston | ||
18 Aug. 1727 | BENJAMIN HASKINS STILES | |
FRANCIS EYLES jun. | ||
27 Apr. 1734 | SIR JOSEPH EYLES | |
FRANCIS EYLES jun. | ||
26 Feb. 1740 | JOHN GARTH vice Sir Joseph Eyles, deceased | |
6 May 1741 | FRANCIS EYLES | |
JOHN GARTH | ||
23 July 1742 | GEORGE LEE vice Eyles, appointed to office | |
1 July 1747 | JOHN GARTH | |
WILLIAM WILLY |
Main Article
The franchise at Devizes was vested in the corporation, ‘a narrow self co-opting oligarchy’,1 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. From 1721 both seats were held by the Eyles family and their relation by marriage, Benjamin Haskins Stiles, till 1740, when a vacancy caused by the death of Sir Joseph Eyles was filled by John Garth, recorder of Devizes. The Eyles interest came to an end in 1742, when Francis Eyles resigned his seat to provide one for George Lee, a member of the Government. From 1747 the borough was represented by Garth and William Willy, a clothier, till their deaths in 1764-5. All the Members returned were government supporters.
Author: R. S. Lea
Notes
- 1. Namier, ‘Charles Garth and his connexions’, in EHR, liv. 446-7.