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The General Election of 1690*
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 January 2014
Extract
In recent years, the “party history” of William's and Anne's reigns has been the subject of renewed interest and controversy, centering especially on the structure of Augustan politics. But amidst the debate over the usefulness and validity of two-party or multi-party analyses, uncharted regions of the political terrain remain to be mapped. Not least among them is the electoral history of the 1690s, and the general election of 1690 is a leading case in point.
Historians from Boyer and Burnet down to the most recent student of the politics of William's reign, D. A. Rubini in his Court and Country 1688-1702, have commented briefly on this election, describing its conduct and characterizing its results primarily in terms of the rivalry of Whig and Tory. However, in his passing comments on the 1690 election, Rubini does challenge the received notion that the new Commons of March 1690 was “at least moderately Tory” in complexion. Noting that historians have failed hitherto to use the “black lists” published by supporters of the opposing groups during the campaign as a yardstick of its outcome, he goes on to suggest that the Whigs “did considerably better than has generally been supposed and the Tories less well.” His brief, but questioning remarks may perhaps serve, then, as a point of departure for a somewhat fuller account of the campaign and a more detailed analysis of the results of the election which returned the longest lived of William III's parliaments.
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- Research Article
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- Copyright
- Copyright © North American Conference of British Studies 1971
Footnotes
*
I should like to thank Professor J. H. Plumb for his advice in the preparation of this article.
References
1. For a review of this literature, see Horwitz, H., “The structure of parliamentary politics,” in Britain after the Glorious Revolution 1689-1714, ed. Holmes, G. (London, 1969)Google Scholar.
2. For the post-1700 elections, see Speck, W. A., Tory and Whig: the struggle in the constituencies 1701-1715 (London, 1970)Google Scholar.
3. Browning, A., Thomas Osborne earl of Danby and duke of Leeds 1632-1712 (Glasgow, 1944–1951), I, 466Google Scholar. Similar views were expressed, among others, by Boyer, Burnet, Macaulay, von Ranke and Feiling.
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5. This, White Kennett remarked, “sweetens many humours”; BM, to Rev. Blackwell, 8 Feb. 1690, Lansdowne MSS, 1013, f. 17.
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12. Shropshire R. O., Attingham MSS, 112/3; BM, Earl of Pembroke to Carmarthen, 21 March 1690, Egerton MSS, 3337, ff. 181-2; Claydon House, Bucks, J. Verney to Sir R. Verney, 18 Feb. 1690, Verney MSS. (I would like to thank Mr. R. Verney of Claydon House, Bucks, for permission to use and cite the Verney MSS, which I read on microfilm.)
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19. Among the Tory tracts and broadsides are Some queries concerning the election of members for the ensuing parliament (Wing, H833); A Letter concerning the disabling clauses lately offered to the House of Commons for regulating corporations (L1351); The present state and condition of the clergy, and Church of Scotland (Cambridge U. Lib., Selden 3.237 no. 2); An Answer to a paper entituled, A Letter to a friend, upon the dissolving of the late parliament (Huntington Library 244687); A Letter to a gentleman about the election of members for the county of Cambridge (BM, 1876 f. 19 no. 31); yi Letter to a friend in the country, giving an account of the proceedings of the election of parliament-men for the City of London (Cambridge, Selden 3.237 no. 18, dated 21 Feb. 1690 in text).
20. Among the Whig efforts were A Memento for all freeholders and electors of parliament men (M1657); A Word of advice unto all those that have a right to choose parliament-men (BM, 1876 f. 19 no. 6); Caution to the good people of England, about the choice of members for the ensuing parliament (C1563); A Letter to a friend, upon the dissolving of the late parliament (L1657); Some queries concerning the election of members for the ensuing parliament, together with a reply by way of query to the same (Huntington 63842); The True friends to corporations vindicated, in answer to A Letter concerning the disabling clauses (T2702); Advice to the citizens of London, and others, electors of members to serve in parliament (A650).
21. Apparently, this was a reprinting of a list which had been circulated in 1689. It appeared in A Letter to a friend, upon the dissolving of the late parliament, which was on sale as early as 14 Feb.; Claydon House, Bucks, Verney to R. Verney, 14 Feb. 1690, Verney MSS.
22. Published in Some queries concerning the election of members for the ensuing parliament, which was already on sale by 25 Feb.; Cambridge U. Lib., M. W. to [E. Bohun], 27 Feb. 1690, from Ipswich, Selden 3.237 no. 26. For the accuracy of these lists, see Browning, , Thomas Osborne, III, 164–72Google Scholar, where they are reprinted.
23. Claydon House, Bucks, J. Verney to Sir R. Verney, 18 Feb. 1690, Verney MSS.
24. Those Tory works were A Letter to a gentleman about the election of members for the county of Cambridge; A Letter to a friend in the country; and An Answer to a paper. The Whig ones were A Memento and Advice to the citizens of London.
25. These were Some queries … together with a reply and The True friends to corporations vindicated.
26. Claydon House, Bucks, 18 Feb. 1690, Verney MSS.
27. Longleat House, R. Wakefield to Weymouth, 22 Feb. 1690, Thynne Correspondence 24, f. 154; A Letter to a gentleman about the election of members for the county of Cambridge.
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32. Claydon House, Bucks, Dr. W. Denton to Sir R. Verney, 17 March 1690, Verney MSS.
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34. E.g., Northamptonshire R.O.; to Mr. Whitfield, 22 Feb. 1690, Isham MSS, 1436a. Cambridge U. Lib., to John Strype, 15 Feb. 1690, Add. MSS, 5, no. 193.
35. See The Tryal of skill, performed in Essex, at the election of Colonel Mildmay and Sir Francis Masham (Gl); The Dutiful sons' complaint to their mother the Church of England, concerning the late elections (D2908).
36. Claydon House, Bucks, J. Verney to Sir R. Verney, 18 Feb. 1690, Verney MSS.
37. A Letter to a friend in the country.
38. For known cases of unopposed elections, see App. I. C. For Yorkshire, see BM, J. Kaye to Mayor Massey, 6 Feb. 1690, Stowe MSS, 746, f. 124; BM, G. Pritchett to Carmarthen, 19 Feb. 1690, Egerton MSS, 3337, f. 168; other constituencies where there is positive evidence that M.P.s. of divergent views were re-turned unopposed are Lancashire and Amersham: Hewitson, A. (ed.), The Diary of Thomas Bellingham (Preston, 1908), p. 106Google Scholar; Claydon House, Bucks, Sir R. Verney to E. Verney, 15 Feb. 1690, Verney MSS.
39. William Salt Lib., Stafford, 14 March 1690, Plas Newyd MSS, box 16b.
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42. App. I, B. For Wendover, see Claydon House, Bucks, Sir R Verney to E. Verney, 23 Feb. 1690, Verney MSS.
43. Liverpool R.O., diary of Sir W. Aston, 13 March 1690, 923/MD/173.
44. Cambridge U. Lib., M. W. to E. Bohun, postmarked 5 March 1690, Selden 3.237 no. 31.
45. Ibid., W. G. to [E. Bohun], 7 March 1690, no. 34. See also Bodleian Library, C. T. to Dr. Paman, postmarked 5 March 1690, Tanner MSS, 27, f. 110.
46. Claydon House, Bucks, A. Nicholas to Sir R. Verney, 11 March 1690, Verney MSS.
47. Bodleian Library, E. Warcupp to H. Jones, 3 March 1690, Rawlinson Letters 48, f. 98; See also Bodleian Library, A Letter from a Person of Honour at London in answer to his friend in Oxford-shire, MSS, Top. Oxon 4b, no. 2.
48. Clark, A. (ed.), The Life and times of Anthony Wood (Oxford, 1891–1900), III, 325Google Scholar. Other constituencies where these issues were raised include Buckingham, Essex, Harwich, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Middlesex, Westminster, Somerset, Staffordshire, Stafford, Tamworth, Worcestershire, York, Dover and Radnorshire.
49. Bodleian Library, R. Taylor to A. Charlett, 5 and 17 March 1690, Ballard MSS, 35, ff. 50 and 53.
50. Longleat House, Thynne Corr., vol. 13, f. 249, 20 March 1690.
51. Cf. Calendar of State Papers Domestic 1689-1690, p. 528.
52. Browning, , Thomas Osborne, III, 164–72Google Scholar. Browning's annotation needs correction in one case; the Thomas Freke who sat for Cricklade in 1689 was not returned in 1690 for Dorset, but at a bye-election for Melcombe Regis in May 1691. In addition, it should be noted that the “Commonwealthmen” Thomas Trenchard and John Howe were only seated on petition, while the “Commonwealthmen” Henry Powle and Anthony Rowe along with the “Jacobite” Sir Robert Nappier were returned but unseated on petition. The figures given in the text are after the determination of double returns and petitions. Cf. Rubini, , Court and Country, p. 39Google Scholar.
53. Browning, , Thomas Osborne, III, 164–72Google Scholar, and n. 52 above.
54. App. II.
55. Berkshire R.O., Trumbull Add. MSS, 102, unfoliated. (I am grateful to the marquess of Downshire for permission to use these manuscripts.)
56. William to earl of Portland, 10 March 1690 (new style), in Correspondence van Willem III en van Hans Willem Bentinck (the Hague, 1927–1937), I, 140Google Scholar; BM, Stowe MSS, V. R. to T. Hutton, 6 March 1690, 746, f. 125; van Citters' report of 28 March (n.s.), quoted in Macaulay, T., History of England (Boston, 1900), VI, 286Google Scholar.
57. Bodleian Library, Somers to J. Locke, 18 March 1690, Locke MSS, C18, ff. 153-4.
58. Historical Manuscript Commission, Portland MSS, III, 446Google Scholar.