A HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX 



the freeholders of Middlesex returned Burdett by a considerable majority.* 5 * 

 He sat for nearly two years, during which legal proceedings were taken 

 for nullifying his election. In 1804 his election was declared void. 

 There was a new contest between Burdett and Mainwaring's son, 455 which 

 the latter won by five votes. This decision was amended in Burdett's 

 favour the following year, but in 1806 Burdett was finally excluded, 

 Mr. William Mellish (Mr. G. B. Mainwaring having withdrawn) and 

 Mr. George Byng being returned after a sixteen days' poll. 45 * Mr. William 

 Mellish, who was now elected, represented Middlesex for several years. 

 During the election of 1 8 1 8 he was spoken of by The Times as ' a thick 

 and thin man for the government and a jolly, comely, hereditary 

 Protestant.' 455 



Mr. George Byng of Wrotham Park, a descendant of Admiral Byng, 

 was first returned for Middlesex in the Whig interest in ijqo.* He 

 represented the county without intermission for fifty-six years, and was 

 the father of the House of Commons when he died in i847. 457 The 

 Reform Bill of 1832 created three metropolitan boroughs, Finsbury and 

 Marylebone, to each of which two members were assigned, and the 

 Tower Hamlets, which returned one representative. 458 The population 

 did not begin to increase rapidly until after the establishment of railways. 

 The market-towns of Uxbridge, Staines, and Brentford, were still little 

 better than villages, and only in the immediate neighbourhood of London 

 was there any urgent need for further representation. During the next 

 fifty years, however, the circumstances were immensely altered. Chelsea 

 was given two members in 1867, and the Tower Hamlets was divided 

 into two districts under the names of Hackney and the Tower Hamlets, 

 each returning one member. 45 ' But further complete representation was 

 badly needed. Twickenham, Hanwell, and Brentford now contained a 

 large manufacturing population. The residential suburbs of London had 

 increased tremendously. There were only two county members to 

 represent a population of 70,000 voters. 460 By the Redistribution of 

 Seats Act of 1884, fifteen new metropolitan boroughs were created, and 

 the representatives of the Tower Hamlets were increased to seven. The 

 county outside the metropolitan area was divided into seven electoral 

 districts, Enfield, Tottenham, Hornsey, Harrow, Ealing, Brentford, and 

 Uxbridge, each of which returns one member. 



The trained bands of Middlesex ceased to exist on 25 March, 1663, 

 when the County Militia was reorganized. 481 The trained bands of the 

 Tower division of Middlesex, known as the Tower Hamlets, were on 

 the other hand retained, and continued to be levied, the reason being 

 that the Tower Hamlets were, and always had been, under the command 

 of the constable of the Tower. 463 Future legislation continued to treat 



151 ' Full Account of the Proceedings at the Middlesex Election,' Political Tracts. 



M Diet. Nat. Sing, vii, 297. M Westminster and Middlesex Election.' 



u The Times, Saturday, 27 June, 1818. 4M Parliamentary Touchstone and Political Guide, 20. 



" Gent. Mag. xxvii, 307. Stat. 2 & 3 Will. IV, cap. 45. 



" Representation of the People Act, 1867. ^ Hansard, Reports (3rd Sen), ccxciii, 1195. 



" Stat. 13 & 14 Car. II, cap. 3, sect. 20. 46> Ibid. sect. 31. 



58 



