# Grampound (UK Parliament constituency)

50°17′53″N 4°54′00″W﻿ / ﻿50.298°N 4.900°W﻿ / 50.298; -4.900
Grampound in Cornwall was a borough constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1826. It was represented by two Members of Parliament.

## History

Grampound's market was on a Saturday and the town had a glove factory. Grampound was created a Borough by a charter of King Edward VI with a Mayor, eight Aldermen, a Recorder, and a Town Clerk. In 1547 it sent members to Parliament for the first time, one of a number of rotten boroughs in Cornwall established during the Tudor period.

### Boundaries

The constituency was a Parliamentary borough in Cornwall, covering Grampound, a market town 8 miles (13 km) from Truro on the River Fal.

### Franchise

The franchise for the borough was in the hands of Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen and any Freemen created by the council. In 1816, T. H. B. Oldfield wrote that there were 42 voters in all. Given that the borough had 80 houses, this meant that the franchise was extended well into the working class.
While several patrons (including the Earls of Mount Edgcumbe, Lord Eliot, Sir Christopher Hawkins and Basil Cochrane) attempted to exert their influence over the choice of members to serve Grampound, the electors were more interested in the monetary value of their vote. Oldfield wrote "The freemen of this borough have been known to boast of receiving three hundred guineas a man for their votes at one election." The voters were used to getting regular payments through the year and received special payments for events like sickness and funerals, with one historian comparing the arrangement to "general free insurance". So notorious and unmanageable did the borough become that Grampound became a byword for electoral corruption, and Edward Porritt noted its use was continuing in 1903.

### Disfranchisement for corruption

Finally, after the return of two members in the 1818 general election was overturned by a petition alleging gross bribery, Lord John Russell moved to disfranchise Grampound and to transfer the two members to a new Parliamentary Borough of Leeds. The usual treatment for a borough which had perpetual bribery (as practiced in New Shoreham in 1770, Cricklade in 1782, Aylesbury in 1804 and East Retford in 1828) was to expand its boundaries and franchise into an area free of corruption but that was not possible in Grampound where the neighbouring towns were also parliamentary boroughs and increasing the electorate would simply increase the pool of potential bribed voters.
After a delay caused by the accession of King George IV and the scandal of Queen Caroline's return and the Pains and Penalties Bill 1820, Russell introduced a Bill in January 1821. The suggestion of Leeds as a new borough met with resistance because of the large number of working class voters who would be enfranchised, and when an amendment to raise the qualification was passed, Russell withdrew his Bill; however, the mover of the amendment introduced his own. The House of Lords amended the Bill to give the two members instead to the county of Yorkshire, an amendment accepted and which eventually went into law. Grampound was disfranchised by the Disfranchisement of Grampound (No. 2) Act 1821 (1 & 2 Geo. 4. c. 47), with royal assent on 8 June 1821.
The two members who had been returned in the 1820 general election, John Innes and Alexander Robertson, retained their seats under the Act until the end of the Parliament, with a provision that if they should die or resign their seats, then replacements would be elected by the Yorkshire constituency rather than Grampound. They both retained their seats until the dissolution of Parliament in 1826, whereupon their constituency ceased to exist.

## Members of Parliament
### 1547–1629

| Parliament | First member | Second member |
| Parliament of 1547 | Henry Knollys | Peter Sainthill |
| First Parliament of 1553 | Thomas Nicolls | Egidius Wilson |
| Second Parliament of 1553 | Sir Thomas Smith | Sir William Smythwick |
| Parliament of 1554 | Richard Chappell | Sir Thomas Cornwallis |
| Parliament of 1554–1555 | Robert Vaughan | George Tedlowe |
| Parliament of 1555 | Richard Chappell | John Harris |
| Parliament of 1558 | Thomas Herle | Robert Rychers |
| Parliament of 1559 | Sir John Radcliffe | Ralph Couch |
| Parliament of 1562 | Sir John Pollard | Christopher Perne |
| 1566 | Perne declared lunatic, replaced by John Dodmer | Perne declared lunatic, replaced by John Dodmer |
| Parliament of 1571 | Edward Clere | John Hussey |
| Parliament of 1572–1581 | Edmund Slyfield | John Hussey |
| Parliament of 1584–1585 | William Stoughton | Charles Trevanion |
| Parliament of 1586–1587 | Thomas Cromwell | John Herbert |
| Parliament of 1588–1589 | Thomas Cromwell | Richard Sayer |
| Parliament of 1593 | Richard Edgecumbe | Edward Jones |
| Parliament of 1597–1598 | Sir John Leigh | Robert Newdigate |
| Parliament of 1601 | Sir John Gray | John Astell |
| Parliament of 1604–1611 | William Noy | (Sir) Francis Barnham |
| Addled Parliament (1614) | Thomas St Aubyn | (Sir) Francis Barnham |
| Parliament of 1621–1622 | John Hampden | Sir Robert Carey |
| Happy Parliament (1624–1625) | John Mohun | Richard Edgcumbe |
| Useless Parliament (1625) | John Mohun | Sir Samuel Rolle |
| Parliament of 1625–1626 | Edward Thomas | Thomas St Aubyn |
| Parliament of 1628–1629 | Lord Carey | Sir Robert Pye |
| No Parliament summoned 1629–1640 |||

### 1640–1821

| Election | First member | First party | Second member | Second party |
| April 1640 | William Coryton | | John Trevanion | Royalist |
| November 1640 | William Coryton | | James Campbell | Parliamentarian |
| 1640 | Sir John Trevor | Parliamentarian | James Campbell | Parliamentarian |
| December 1648 | Sir John Trevor | Parliamentarian | Campbell excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant | Campbell excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant |
| 1653 | Grampound was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Grampound was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Grampound was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate | Grampound was unrepresented in the Barebones Parliament and the First and Second Parliaments of the Protectorate |
| January 1659 | Thomas Herle | | Robert Scawen | |
| May 1659 | Sir John Trevor | | One seat vacant | One seat vacant |
| April 1660 | Thomas Herle | | Hugh Boscawen | |
| October 1660 | John Tanner | | Hugh Boscawen | |
| 1661 | John Tanner | | Charles Trevanion | |
| February 1679 | Sir Joseph Tredenham | Tory | Charles Trevanion | |
| August 1679 | John Tanner | | Nicholas Herle | |
| 1685 | Sir Joseph Tredenham | Tory | Robert Foley | |
| 1689 | Edward Herle | | John Tanner | |
| 1690 | Walter Vincent | | John Tanner | |
| 1692 | John Buller | | John Tanner | |
| 1695 | Hugh Fortescue | | John Tanner | |
| 1698 | Sir William Scawen | | John Tanner | |
| 1699 | Sir William Scawen | | Francis Scobell | |
| 1702 | James Craggs | Whig | Francis Scobell | |
| 1708 | James Craggs | Whig | Thomas Scawen | |
| 1710 | James Craggs | Whig | Thomas Coke | |
| 1713 | Andrew Quick | | Thomas Coke | |
| 1715 | Hon. John West | | Charles Cooke | |
| 1721 | Hon. John West | | Richard West | |
| 1722 | Marquess of Hartington | Whig | Humphry Morice | Whig |
| 1727 | Philip Hawkins | | Humphry Morice | Whig |
| 1732 | Philip Hawkins | | Isaac le Heup | |
| 1734 | Philip Hawkins | | Thomas Hales | Whig |
| 1739 | Thomas Trefusis | | Thomas Hales | Whig |
| 1741 | Daniel Boone | | William Banks | |
| 1747 | Lord George Bentinck | | Thomas Hawkins | |
| 1754 | Merrick Burrell | | Simon Fanshawe | |
| 1768 | Grey Cooper | | Charles Wolfran Cornwall | |
| 1774 | Hon. Sir Joseph Yorke | Whig | Richard Neville | |
| 1780 | Sir John Ramsden, Bt | | Thomas Lucas | |
| 1784 | Hon. John Somers Cocks | | Francis Baring | Whig |
| 1790 | Thomas Wallace | | Jeremiah Crutchley | |
| 1796 | Bryan Edwards | | Robert Sewell | |
| 1800 | Sir Christopher Hawkins | Tory | Robert Sewell | |
| 1802 | Sir Christopher Hawkins | Tory | Benjamin Hobhouse | |
| 1806 | Sir Christopher Hawkins | Tory | Henry Fawcett | |
| 1807 | Hon. Andrew Cochrane-Johnstone | | Hon. George Cochrane | |
| March 1808 | Robert Williams | | John Teed | |
| May 1808 | William Holmes | Tory | Hon. George Cochrane | |
| 1812 | William Holmes | Tory | Hon. Andrew Cochrane-Johnstone | |
| 1812 | John Teed | | Hon. Andrew Cochrane-Johnstone | |
| 1814 | John Teed | | Ebenezer John Collett | |
| 1818 | John Innes | | Alexander Robertson | |
* Constituency disenfranchised for corruption (1821)

## Elections

As with most boroughs in the unreformed House of Commons, Grampound was uncontested at most elections. The only contested elections after 1660 were:
* 1741: The sitting members, Thomas Hales and Thomas Trefusis, (who were supporters of Robert Walpole) were challenged by Daniel Boone and William Banks. Hales and Trefusis were supported by Richard Edgcumbe who was managing the Cornish Boroughs for the Government and controlled the Grampound corporation, but Boone and Banks arranged for an alternate Mayor to be elected and indemnified the Sheriff of the County against any legal expenses if he delivered the writs for the election to their Mayor and was sued. They secured their election by 27 votes to 23, while an alternative poll by the original Mayor returned Hales and Trefusis with 35 votes to 17 for their opponents. However, Hales and Trefusis declined to press their challenge through an election petition.
General election 1741: Grampound (2 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| N/A | Daniel Boone | 27 | 27% | N/A |
| N/A | William Banks | 27 | 27% | N/A |
| N/A | Thomas Hales | 23 | 23% | N/A |
| N/A | Thomas Trefusis | 23 | 23% | N/A |
* 1754: Sir John St Aubyn, Bt and Francis Beauchamp were proposed as candidates apparently without their knowledge by local malcontent voters who wanted to raise the level of their bribery. They secured 13 votes to 31 for Merrick Burrell and Simon Fanshawe, who were government candidates.
General election 1754: Grampound (2 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| N/A | Merrick Burrell | 31 | 35% | N/A |
| N/A | Simon Fanshawe | 31 | 35% | N/A |
| N/A | John St Aubyn | 13 | 15% | N/A |
| N/A | Francis Beauchamp | 13 | 15% | N/A |
General election 1796: Grampound (2 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| N/A | Bryan Edwards | 12 | 33% | N/A |
| N/A | Robert Sewell | 12 | 33% | N/A |
| N/A | Lord Grey of Groby | 6 | 17% | N/A |
| N/A | Jeremiah Crutchley | 6 | 17% | N/A |
General election 1807: Grampound (2 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| N/A | Andrew Cochrane-Johnstone | 27 | 33% | N/A |
| N/A | George Frederick Augustus Cochrane | 27 | 33% | N/A |
| N/A | Robert Williams | 14 | 17% | N/A |
| N/A | Henry Baring | 13 | 16% | N/A |
* Election declared void, 7 March 1808
* 1808: Robert Williams (1767–1847) and John Teed 14; George Cochrane and William Holmes 13 by first returning officer. Cochrane and Holmes 27; Williams and Teed 14 by second returning officer. Williams and Teed seated on petition, 10 May 1808.
By-Election 1808: Grampound :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| N/A | Robert Williams | 14 | 26% | N/A |
| N/A | John Teed | 14 | 26% | N/A |
| N/A | George Frederick Augustus Cochrane | 13 | 24% | N/A |
| N/A | William Holmes | 13 | 24% | N/A |
General election 1812: Grampound (2 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| N/A | John Teed | 55 | 47% | N/A |
| N/A | Andrew Cochrane-Johnstone | 34 | 29% | N/A |
| N/A | Charles Trelawny Brereton | 28 | 24% | N/A |
| N/A | William Holmes | 0 | 16% | N/A |
| N/A | William Congreve | 0 | 16% | N/A |
* Andrew Cochrane-Johnstone expelled for committing stock fraud
By-Election 1814: Grampound :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | N/A | Ebenezer John Collett | 45 | 90% | N/A |
| | N/A | George Conway Montagu | 5 | 10% | N/A |
General election 1818: Grampound (2 seats) :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| N/A | John Innes (MP) | 36 | 34% | N/A |
| N/A | Alexander Robertson | 36 | 34% | N/A |
| N/A | John Teed | 11 | 10% | N/A |
| N/A | Ebenezer John Collett | 11 | 10% | N/A |
| N/A | Benjamin Shaw | 11 | 10% | N/A |
| N/A | William Allen | 1 | 1% | N/A |