County Fermanagh

CO. FERMANAGH – 42%, [30,000] c. 3,000 [c. 7,000 (1815)]
BOROUGH	TYPE	PATRON	ELECTORATE
Enniskillen	Corporation	Earl of Enniskillen	12–14 burgesses (unchanged 1800–32)

Co. Fermanagh -Constituency

Fermanagh was a very attractive county dominated by Lough Erne, which had many noblemen’s estates around it. It had a fairly large electorate – a poll book of 1788 lists 3,322 names – as there were a number of protestant settlements, both Anglican and Dissenter. At the beginning of the century the Corrys and the Irwins or Irvines predominated, but as the century progressed the Corrys concentrated on neighbouring Co. Tyrone and the Coles and the Archdalls emerged as the principal interests. Another contender, Sir Arthur Brooke, died in 1785 without male issue and his successors did not retrieve his position until well into the nineteenth century, despite strenuous efforts.

The Hume interest was merged into that of the Loftuses, Earls and Marquesses of Ely, whose influence lay mainly in Wexford. In 1785 it was said that the county was ‘divided by electioneering contests and thence has been of late forward on popular questions. Lord Enniskillen (Cole) (0444), Lord Belmore (Corry) (1269), Lord Loftus (2088), Sir A[rthur] Brooke, Colonel Archdall (0050) have the chief interests. Sir A. Brooke being dead, he was defeated at the last election, the county may become quiet for some time.’

ID	County	Year	Type	Ref. No.	Name
1	Co. Fermanagh	1692	Election	498	James Corry
2	Co. Fermanagh	1692	Election	514	Abraham Creighton
3	Co. Fermanagh	1695	Election	498	James Corry
4	Co. Fermanagh	1695	Election	1073	Christopher Irwin
5	Co. Fermanagh	1703	Election	498	James Corry
6	Co. Fermanagh	1703	Election	1073	Christopher Irwin
7	Co. Fermanagh	1713	Election	498	James Corry
8	Co. Fermanagh	1713	Election	1052	Sir Gustavus Hume
9	Co. Fermanagh	1715	Election	498	James Corry
10	Co. Fermanagh	1715	Election	1052	Sir Gustavus Hume
11	Co. Fermanagh	1719	By Election	499	John Corry
12	Co. Fermanagh	1727	Election	248	Henry Brooke
13	Co. Fermanagh	1727	Election	1052	Sir Gustavus Hume
14	Co. Fermanagh	1731	By Election	51	Nicholas (Montgomery-)Archdall
15	Co. Fermanagh	1761	Election	50	Mervyn Archdall
16	Co. Fermanagh	1761	Election	247	Sir Arthur Brooke
17	Co. Fermanagh	1768	Election	50	Mervyn Archdall
18	Co. Fermanagh	1768	Election	247	Sir Arthur Brooke
19	Co. Fermanagh	1776	Election	50	Mervyn Archdall
20	Co. Fermanagh	1776	Election	247	Sir Arthur Brooke
21	Co. Fermanagh	1783	Election	50	Mervyn Archdall
22	Co. Fermanagh	1783	Election	445	Arthur Cole-Hamilton
23	Co. Fermanagh	1790	Election	50	Mervyn Archdall
24	Co. Fermanagh	1790	Election	441	John Willoughby Cole (Lord Cole)
25	Co. Fermanagh	1797	Election	50	Mervyn Archdall
26	Co. Fermanagh	1797	Election	441	John Willoughby Cole (Lord Cole)
27	Co. Fermanagh	1801	UK	50	Mervyn Archdall
28	Co. Fermanagh	1801	UK	441	John Willoughby Cole (Lord Cole)
29	Co. Fermanagh	1802	Election		Mervyn Archdall (son of 0050)
30	Co. Fermanagh	1802	Election	441	John Willoughby Cole (Lord Cole)

Co. Fermanagh - Boroughs

Enniskillen was enfranchised by a charter of 10 James I (1613), which had been immediately preceded by a grant of lands to William Cole. Enniskillen retained a seat at the Union. At the time of the 1830s inquiry into municipal corporations, its corporation comprised 15 members, all friends or connections of the Earl of Enniskillen (0441), including himself, his son, his brother, his nephew, his land agent, his family physician and people connected with him in the government of the county or his militia regiment, three clerical friends and one secular friend. The influence of the Earl of Enniskillen was still ‘paramount’, as that of his ancestors had been since the enfranchisement of the borough 220 years before.

In 1790 it was said that ‘This borough is the private property of the Earl of Enniskillen (0444) and the twelve burgesses its sole electors, are the confidential trustees of his appointment, who submissively elect those parliamentary higglers that have bid highest for the noble lord’s recommendation.’ Interestingly, this was the borough that Grattan (0895) purchased when, in 1783, he wished to be independent from Lord Charlemont. It was the undisputed ‘property’ of the Cole family throughout the eighteenth century. Enniskillen retained one seat after the Union.

Constituencies and Elections

County Fermanagh

Co. Fermanagh -Constituency

Co. Fermanagh - Boroughs