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.' 



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