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NOTES AND QUERIES. [12 s. vn. OCT. 2, 1020.

even than these veterans are to be numbered, Lord Eversley, who, as Mr. G. J. Shaw- Lefevre was earliest returned in 1863 ; Sir George Trevelyan, Sir William Hart-Dyke, and Lord Claud Hamilton, who came in when Lord Palmerston dissolved Parlia- ment in 1865 ; and Lord Chaplin and Lord George Hamilton, who first entered when Disraeli went to the country in 1868 ; while Mr. Arthur James Balfour, first elected to Parliament for Hertford at the dissolution of 1874, had his succession broken at that of 1906, though only for the very few weeks before he was returned for his present seat, the City of London. ALFRED ROBBINS.

A list of ' Fathers of the House of Com- mons ' from the end of the seventeenth century will be found in The Times for Sept. 9, 1907, in a letter from Mr. Alfred Beaven. The names which presumably have to be added to that list are those of Mr. Thomas Burt (Morpeth, 1.874-1918), who succeeded Sir Henry Campbell-Banner - man as "Father " in 1908, and Mr. T. P. O'Connor, who succeeded on Mr. Burt's retirement in 1918. GERALD LODER.

[At our correspondent's suggestion we repro- duce Mr. Beaven 's letter to The Times:

To the Editor of The Times.

SIR, -I have never seen a list of Fatners of the House of Commons previous to 1832, and of those that I have seen professing to give the succession from 1832 none are correct, the name of Mr. T. P. Williams being always omitted.

The following list, which carries back the succession to the Revolution, may perhaps be of interest. I think its accuracy can be guaranteed, except for the doubtful point mentioned in the note.

I have placed in brackets the years during which the persons named served continuously in Parliament. I have not taken account of breaches of continuity, even in the cases where a member has exchanged one seat for another in the course of a Parliament, when the shrrt interval between resigning the former and being elected for the latter corresponds to that between acceptance of office and re -election to a new Parliament. Mr. J. G. Talbot, who like Sir H. Campbell- Bannerman entered Parliament at the general election of 1868, and whose return, is dated two days earlier than that of Sir Henry, loses the position of Father only by a rigorous application of this principle. The same principle excludes Lord George Caven- dish (afterwards first Earl of Burlington), who sat from 1775 to 1831 with the exception of the brief interval between vacating his seat for Derby in December, 1796, and being elected for the county in January, 1797, and Mr. Henry Bankes, who sat continuously from 1780 till only five weeks before the death of Sir John Aubrey (then Father of the House) in 1826, vacated his seat for Corfe Castle at that date after forty-six years' service, and was chosen for Dorset.

If the position of "Father " were attributed 5 to the member for the time being whose original election dated back the furthest, the succession would be very different. Sir F. S. Powell would now be regarded as the " Father " (which seems to me more in accordance with the fitness of things than the accepted usage), and the list would include, amongst others, Lord Palmerston, and Mr. Gladstone. Yours faithfully,

Leamington. ALFRED B. BEAVEN.

(1654-1701) *Sir John Fagg.

(1659-1702) Thomas Turgis.

(1661-1704) *Sir Christopher Musgrave.

(1673-1713) Thomas Strangways. f(1679-1716) Sir Richard Onslow (afterward

Lord Onslow).

I (1679-March, 1718) General Erie. l(1679-Dec., 1718) * Edward Vaughan.

(1685-1724) * Richard Vaughan.

(1689-1729) *Lord William Powlett.

(1694-1730) *Sir Justinian Isham. ("(1695-1738) *Sir Charles Turner. - (1695-Feb., 1747) *Sir Roger Bradshaigh. 1 1695- June, 1747) Edward Ashe.

(1701-1748) *Thomas Cartwright.

(1705-1749) * Richard Shuttleworth.

(1707-1762) *Philips Gybbon.

(1713-1768) Sir John Rushout.

(1721-1781) *William Aislabie.

(1733-1782) Charles FitzRoy Scudamore. ( (1741-1784) Earl Nugent. I (1741-1784) Sir Charles Frederick. ~| (1741-1790) Right Hon. Welbore Ellis (again: in Parliament 1791-94).

(1746-1796) William Drake.

(1759-1806) Sir Philip Stephens.

(1761-1815) *Clement Tudway.

(1768-1826) *Sir John Aubrey.

1788-1832 Samuel Smith.

1790-1847 * George Byng.

1799-1850 * Right Hon. Charles W. W. Wynn. f 1806-1861 *George Granville Harcourt. \ 1806-1862 *Sir Charles Burrell.

1812-1867 *Hon. Henry C. Lowther.

1820-1868 Colonel T. Peers Williams.

1825-1873 * Right Hon. H. T. Lowry Corry.

1828-1874 Hon. George C. W. Forester (after- wards Lord Forester).

1830-1890 "Christopher R. M. Talbot.

1835-1898 * Right Hon. Charles P. Villiers.

1853-1899 *Sir John Mowbray.

1857-1901 *William W. B. Beach.

1864-Jan. 6, 1906 Sir Michael Hicks Beach (now Viscount St. Aldwyn).

1865- Jan. 8. 1906 Sir William Hart Dyke.

1867-1907 * Right Hon. George H. Finch.

1868 Sir Henry Campbell- Bannerman.

Both T. Cartwright and C. W. W. Wynn entered Parliament earlier than the dates here given, which are those of continuous service.

Those marked * died members of the House of Commons.

(Note. The name of Thomas Turgis is open to doubt. Gatton was represented by Thomas Turgis from 1659 to 1704, but it is possible that, the name represents two persons in immediate succession to each other.)