By E. 0. P. Bouverie, F.S.A. 295 



was in the habit of paying the voters an annuity of £30 a year 

 ■each, taking from them a bond to the effect that they would accept 

 his directions in any matter affecting the borough. For nearly 

 thirty years by this machinery he returned the members, who were 

 practically unknown to the electors ; but about the year 1803 he 

 appears to have fallen into arrear with his payments,and he thought 

 it desirable to resign, suggesting that Mr. Estcourt should succeed 

 him. It may here be mentioned that he left £500 to the burgesses 

 by his will, except to one who had " disobliged " him, so we may 

 hope that, in spite of the arrears, his ashes rested in peace so far 

 as Malmesbury was concerned. It appears that Lord Peterborough 

 made enquiries, and took some steps with a view to becoming high 

 steward, but the choice fell on Mr. Estcourt, who had recently 

 taken a prominent part in upholding successfully the right of the 

 capital burgesses to vote in exclusion of the freeholders at large 

 and who, said two of the witnesses, was strongly recommended as 

 Mr. Wilkins' successor because he was not only prepared to do all 

 that Mr. Wilkins did, but even more, because he was ready to 

 distribute among the electors the surplus that he received, if 

 any, from marketing the seats. I presume the committee rejected 

 1 or whittled down, as they were asked to do by counsel, the statement 

 I of this witness in rejecting the petition, or they may have adopted 

 his other suggestion that even if they suspected corruption they 

 had no right to act on mere suspicion, and that in any event there 

 was no act of corruption brought home to the sitting members, and 

 there was no evidence to show agency of Mr. Estcourt on their 

 behalf, but in those days the committee seldom interrupted save 

 in the most dignified manner, and at the close of the proceedings 

 merely announced that the members were duly elected. Now 

 Mr. Estcourt was never called as a witness, and I cannot but think 

 that the petitioner proved sufficient to call upon him for his account 

 •of the circumstances, and I think it probable that a majority of 

 the committee were in sympathy with the political views of Messrs. 

 Ladbrookand Colbourn, and were unwilling to disturb the general 

 electoral status quo. 



I will give you a few extracts from the evidence showing the 

 attitude of the voter in those days, and in this place. 



