Markham Spofforth
Markham Spofforth (14 March 1825 – 26 January 1907) was a British solicitor and political agent. He was Principal Agent of the Conservative Party from 1859 to 1870. A close adviser to Benjamin Disraeli, he rebuilt the Conservative Party's system of agents in the constituencies, which had been destroyed in the party split of 1846. He resigned as Principal Agent in 1870, plagued by accusations of electoral corruption, and was succeeded by John Eldon Gorst. At Disraeli's instigation, Spofforth was appointed a Senior Taxing Master in Chancery in 1876.