Page:VCH Norfolk 2.djvu/563

 POLITICAL HISTORY The amours of George II once more gave the county a left-handed alliance with royalty, his first mistress, Mrs. Howard, afterwards countess of Suffolk, being a daughter of Sir Henry Hobart of Blickling — whose brother was rewarded for his sister's dishonour by being made Lord Hobart and earl of Buckingham. The king's second mistress, the Walmoden, was created countess of Yarmouth. Mr. Rye has in his collection a MS. which has never been printed, giving the following interesting account of the Norwich election of 30 August, 1 727 : This day was the election of Members of Parliament for this City ; About ten o'clock Waller Bacon and Robt BritifFe Esqres, went from the hall in St. Andrew's to the Hall in ye Market at the Head of about 1400 Gentlemen, Clergymen, Freeholders and Freemen ; At the Hall they were declared by the Sheriffs and the united voices of great numbers of people ; But a poll being demanded for Richd Berney and Miles Branthwait Esqres (and Cheques being ordered as usual) they went to polling. The Business was managed with Temper for some time, but the Mob of the different Parties at length began to affront one another, and tho' I was a spectator in the Market-place most of the time I cannot say which side began first ; which I suppose is ever hard to be determined in Cases of great and sudden Tumult. After the mixed Multitudes had commenced the Fray by throwing dirt, oyster shells, stones or whatever else their Fury could lay hold on, a warm Engagement ensued among ye Staff-men, who laid on all that stood in ye way with passion and violence, and it was with much difficulty and Danger that the Sheriffs got the Proclamation read to quell and disperse them. One of ye Sheriffs (Mr. Yestes) said in my hearing that some of the mob cry'ed out Kill the Sheriffs. D — n 'em kill 'em and then we shall get the Election ; This Disturbance caused some delay and Interruption in ye Business, but they grew more cool again in a little time and continued voting till about Nine o'clock at night, when the polls were thrown up and were as here described : Robert Britiffe, Esq. 1628. Waller Bacon, Esq. 1542. M. Branthwait, Esq. 1265. Richd Berney, Esq. 1 188. It was secretly resented by many of the Whig party, that Mr. Berney should oppose the old Members in this choice, For he had lately been made Recorder of this City and principally by their Interest. They could not forbear thinking yt some of ye ole Leaven of the Tories still lodg'd in him, whose party he had formerly been of, but seem'd to have abandon'd them for some time past. It was indeed expected yt Mr. Lombe of Melton would have stood Candidate, for he had treated such of the Freemen as would go to his House with a generous hospitality. But ye Party (the Tories) whose Interest he rely'd on merely deserted him at ye Last and put up those others in his stead. This ill usage he complained of in a Letter he sent Mr Britiffe the night before the Election, and resented it so much, that he promis'd him and Mr Bacon his vote, and what Interest he could then make for them against the other side. No doubt it was in anticipation of the election of 1734 that Robert Walpole himself came down to Norwich, and was made a freeman and presented the city with a splendid silver mace.^ The members elected for the city were Horatio Walpole and Walter Bacon. Another memorable election took place the same year, when Sir Edmund Bacon and William Wodehouse were returned for the county, beating Robert Coke ^ and William Morden (ancestor of the Suffields), by 3,224 and 3,153 against 3,081 and 3,147. This election is said to have cost Walpole jr6o,ooo, and what the late voters got to secure a majority of six must be left to imagination. The Walpole interest in the county did not cease with Robert Walpole's death, for until 1826 a Walpole was nearly always sitting for Lynn. Their half of the pocket borough of Castle Rising was of course ' Blomefield, op. cit. iii, 448. ' He W.1S son of Thomas Coke of Holkham, had sat for Norfolk in 1722, and was created Viscount Coke of Holkham and earl of Leicester in 1728 and 1744. Dying without issue, his estates went to his tister's son Wenham Roberts, who took the name of Coke, and was father of Thomas William Coke, the agriculturist, better known as ' Coke of Norfolk.' 2 521 66