County Longford

CO. LONGFORD – 82%, [40,000] c. 700, [c. 3,100 (1813)]
BOROUGH	TYPE	PATRON	ELECTORATE
Granard	Manor	Mrs Macartney and heirs	Freeholders
Lanesborough	Corporation	Robert Dillon (of Clonbrock)	Burgesses and freemen (very few)
Longford	Corporation	Earl of Longford	Burgesses and freemen (very few)
St Johnstown	Corporation	Earl of Granard	Burgesses, all non-resident

Co. Longford - Constituency

In 1790 it was said that ‘This district, neither great in extent, rich in cultivation, nor thickly peopled, is distinguished in the election annals of the kingdom, by being the only County, we remember, where the representative of it carried his election by the majority of a single vote. This circumstance took place at the time when the late Hon. Robert Pakenham, Lord Longford’s brother, was chosen for it and was a remarkable proof of the equipoise of interest of great contending families, for we must be allowed to assert, that the affections of the Freeholders and still less their sober judgements, were very little concerned in the contest.’

This was the general election of 1768, when the Dublin Journal (2–4 August) reported that ‘At the close of the poll for the Members for Co. Longford, the numbers were as follows for: Col. Gore 401, Mr Pakenham 283, Sir James Nugent 281, Sir Thomas Newcomen 2?8.’ This gives a majority of two: perhaps one was disqualified. Sir James Nugent petitioned against the return, but withdrew his petition.

Two branches of the Newcomens, which had had considerable influence early in the century, died out in the male line in the 1770s and 1780s but their heiress, Charlotte, married the banker Sir William Gleadowe who, following a well-established custom, added Newcomen to his name; along with their name he acquired their interest.

When, in 1789, Henry Gore received his long-awaited peerage, which had kept the county in a state of expectation for the previous four or five years, Sir William Gleadowe-Newcomen was elected in his place for the three remaining months of the 1783–90 parliament. He was again returned in 1790, and sat until after the Union.

In 1785 it was considered that ‘Lord Longford (1619), Colonel Gore and Mr Harman have the chief interests.’ The Harman-Sheppard-Parsons interest was a major element in Co. Longford politics through the century. It was linked by a complicated set of marriages and inheritance (see 0971, 1912), which eventually coalesced in Sir Laurence Parsons (1636), who also had the remainder to the titles Lord Oxmantown and finally Earl of Rosse, conferred on Laurence Harman (Parsons) Harman between 1792 and 1806.

The Earls of Longford tended to concentrate on their borough, although Edward and Robert Pakenham sat briefly for the county – for about six years in all. The Forbeses, Earls of Granard, concentrated on St Johnstown. Sir Ralph Fetherston sat for only three years, although with the support of the Parsonses the Fetherstons staged a comeback starting in 1796 and continuing after the Union, while the Forbes also became more politically prominent in the post-Union parliaments.

ID	County	Year	Type	Ref. No.	Name
1	Co. Longford	1692	Election	1532	Sir Robert Newcomen
2	Co. Longford	1692	Election	400	Robert Choppin
3	Co. Longford	1695	Election	1532	Sir Robert Newcomen
4	Co. Longford	1695	Election	970	Wentworth Harman
5	Co. Longford	1703	Election	1532	Sir Robert Newcomen
6	Co. Longford	1703	Election	1912	Anthony Sheppard
7	Co. Longford	1713	Election	1532	Sir Robert Newcomen
8	Co. Longford	1713	Election	684	Henry Edgeworth
9	Co. Longford	1715	Election	1532	Sir Robert Newcomen
10	Co. Longford	1715	Election	1912	Anthony Sheppard
11	Co. Longford	1727	Election	1532	Sir Robert Newcomen
12	Co. Longford	1727	Election	1912	Anthony Sheppard
13	Co. Longford	1735	By Election	1529	Sir Arthur Newcomen
14	Co. Longford	1739	By Election	860	Arthur Gore
15	Co. Longford	1758	By Election	867	Henry Gore
16	Co. Longford	1759	By Election	1534	Sir Thomas Newcomen
17	Co. Longford	1761	Election	969	Robert Harman
18	Co. Longford	1761	Election	869	John Gore
19	Co. Longford	1765	By Election	725	Sir Ralph Fetherston
20	Co. Longford	1765	By Election	1619	Edward Michael Pakenham
21	Co. Longford	1766	By Election	1637	Wentworth Parsons
22	Co. Longford	1768	Election	867	Henry Gore
23	Co. Longford	1768	Election	1620	Robert Pakenham
24	Co. Longford	1775	By Election	968	Laurence Harman (Parsons) Harman
25	Co. Longford	1776	Election	867	Henry Gore
26	Co. Longford	1776	Election	968	Laurence Harman (Parsons) Harman
27	Co. Longford	1783	Election	867	Henry Gore
28	Co. Longford	1783	Election	968	Laurence Harman (Parsons) Harman
29	Co. Longford	1790	By Election	853	Sir William Gleadowe-Newcomen (Jan.–Apr. 1790)
30	Co. Longford	1790	Election	853	Sir William Gleadowe-Newcomen
31	Co. Longford	1790	Election	968	Laurence Harman (Parsons) Harman
32	Co. Longford	1793	By Election	967	Caleb Barnes Harman
33	Co. Longford	1796	By Election	726	Sir Thomas Fetherstone
34	Co. Longford	1797	Election	853	Sir William Gleadowe-Newcomen
35	Co. Longford	1797	Election	726	Sir Thomas Fetherstone
36	Co. Longford	1801	UK	853	Sir William Gleadowe-Newcomen
37	Co. Longford	1801	UK	726	Sir Thomas Fetherstone
38	Co. Longford	1802	Election		Thomas Gleadowe-Newcomen
39	Co. Longford	1802	Election	726	Sir Thomas Fetherstone

Co. Longford - Boroughs

Granard was enfranchised in 1679 by a charter and a grant of land to Francis Aungier, Earl of Longford. Part of the Aungier inheritance went to James Macartney and his ultimate heiresses, his grand-daughters Alice Macartney and Frances Grenville née Macartney. In 1783 the borough was described as: ‘a Manor. Right of voting in Freeholders. Patrons, Mr Greville and Mrs Macartney. The electors, about 50 Freemen and Freeholders.’ At this time both seats were sold and the government named the purchasers. In 1790 a critical assessment was that:

This is a close Borough, entirely under the dominion of the Macartney family, two sisters of which, Mrs Macartney and the late Mrs Greville, were long its joint proprietors, appointing its electors, and nominating its representatives and a similar dominion over its seeming elections is at present enjoyed by the former lady and the honourable Mr Littleton (1297), Lord Westcote’s son, the representative of the latter lady, who for such a length of time was, together with her sister, the matron-like producer of Members of Parliament. It has always been exposed to sale and the mental qualities of its would-be Members were the only points not investigated in the traffic for its purchase. The weight of their purse and not the extent of their understandings, is ever their only recommendation.

The members, John Ormsby Vandeleur (2137) and Thomas Pakenham Vandeleur (2138), were nephews of Lord Longford, who, in 1791, was thought to direct their votes. Granard was disfranchised at the Union and the £15,000 compensation equally divided between Lord Lyttleton and W. F. Greville (0903).

Lanesborough was enfranchised by Charles I in 1642, 17 Chas I, which granted to Sir George Lane and his heirs lands in Co. Longford designated the Manor of Lanesborough with various privileges and franchises including the return of two members to parliament. The Dillons were originally a Catholic family who with difficulty claimed the protection offered by the Articles of Galway. Robert Dillon (0636) conformed before 1728, when he became MP for Dungarvan. They appear to have acquired the borough of Lanesborough about the middle of the century.

Despite its elaborate charter, by the eighteenth century Lanesborough conformed to the usual pattern of a sovereign and burgesses. Thomas Burgh (0281) of Bert was returned for Lanesborough in 1727, and after his death in 1758 there was a certain insecurity in the borough as it was thought that Sir Arthur Gore (0859) might raise a challenge. Sometime previously, John Hely-Hutchinson (1001) made a bargain with Luke Dillon, the father of Robert Dillon (0637), and ‘was returned upon an old contract made with the late Mr Dillon for a seat in this Borough during life, on paying £500 on each return. The present Mr Dillon refuses to comply with this engagement.’

Hely-Hutchinson sat briefly for Lanesborough during the final session of the parliament of George II. In 1761, when the election for Lanesborough was concluded, the Dublin Journal reported that: ‘10 Burgesses 74 Freemen voted for William Harwood [Harward, 0986], 84; 10 Burgesses 72 Freemen voted for J. Hely Hutchinson, 82; 1 Burgess 8 Freemen voted for Mr Lane, 9; 1 Burgess 5 freemen voted for Col. Wilmot, 6.’ Meanwhile Hely-Hutchinson had decided to sit for Cork city, for which he had also been elected, and Henry Gore was returned in his place.

Thereafter the number of freemen appears to have steadily declined, as in 1784 there were ‘very few’. Dillon appears to have consolidated his position, although in 1776 Hely-Hutchinson’s second son, John (1002), was returned; this may have been a compromise as after this election the Hely-Hutchinsons appear to have changed their attention to Taghmon as a back-up.

By 1783 Dillon’s control was absolute, and in 1790 it was stated that:

This Borough, whose voters are composed of a select number of Burgesses only, is the sole property of Robert Dillon, Esq. of Clonbrock, whose pleasure creates the electors and appoints the elected. Mr Dillon (0637) being always chosen for one of its seats [he sat for it from 1776 to 1790], the other was long filled by some of the family of the Secretary of State (1001), from a supposed compact of the duration of the Rt Hon. Secretary’s life but Mr Dillon having, by a spirited determination, at length freed himself from that engagement, this seat has been since sold to the highest bidder. Both seats will certainly share the same fate, should Mr Dillon succeed in his combat to represent the County of Galway which at present seems the favourite object of his ambition.

However, this was not necessary as in 1790 Robert Dillon was elevated to the peerage as Lord Clonbrock and in 1791 Lanesborough was ‘a close Borough, belonging to Lord Clonbrock, who gave the return to Government, for his Peerage. Mr Bushe (0310) Commissioner of the Revenue. Brother-in-law to Mr Grattan (0895). Mr Moore (1479) formerly connected with the Ponsonbys. Treasurer to the Post Office £600. Both good parliamentary men.’ Clonbrock died in 1795. In 1800 his son was awarded £15,000 in compensation for the borough’s disfranchisement.

Longford was enfranchised by Charles II in 1669, 20 Chas II, and this included certain grants of lands. Additional lands and privileges were granted in a charter of 1679, 30 Chas I, to Francis Aungier, 1st Earl of Longford (1st creation). Thomas Pakenham (1622) married the daughter and heiress of Michael Cuffe (0556): Cuffe and James Macartney were residuary heirs of the estate of Ambrose Aungier, Earl of Longford (0064). Michael Cuffe died in 1744 and his estate, including the borough, passed to his daughter Elizabeth, the wife of Thomas Pakenham (1622) who was created Baron Longford in 1756. On Lord Longford’s death in 1766 it passed to his son (1619), whose mother was created suo iure Countess of Longford.

In 1783 the borough corporation was composed of ‘Burgesses and Freemen. Patron, Lord Longford (1619). The Freemen nearly extinct and Burgesses non-resident’, while the ‘borough [was] entirely at the disposal of the Patron.’ In 1790:

Lord Longford, that sensible and able officer, is the proprietor of this Borough, whose electors have, by the same arts of Corporation politics so successfully practised elsewhere, been reduced to the Burgesses only who are mere machines in his lordship’s hands, created by his orders and obedient to his directions.

Lord Longford died in 1792, and his mother in 1794. Longford was disfranchised in 1800 and the £15,000 compensation was paid to Thomas, 2nd Earl of Longford.

St Johnstown was incorporated by a 1628 charter of 3 Chas I; a further charter, similar but giving new names, was granted by James II in 1690 but was probably never acted upon. The Charles I charter included a grant of 86 acres and the obligation to found a town on some part of it. The first sovereign was Walter Lecky, and the first burgesses were Walter Lecky, Sir James Ware, Capt. Arthur Forbes, Arthur Forbes, George Ffilawne, William Hithcock, Richard Wynne – merchant, Thomas Kennedy – maltman, Robert Wright – carpenter, Isaac Kane – tailor, George Cunningreve – tanner and William White – weaver.

It was soon dominated by the Forbes family, Earls of Granard from 1684. Although the conduct of the family at the Revolution had been uncertain – the 2nd Earl served under Turenne – they survived, and his son, the 3rd Earl, at the time of his death in 1734 was the senior admiral in the British navy. His son, John (0777), was possibly the most distinguished representative of the borough (1751–60). He was Admiral of the Fleet and General of Marines, and entered a strong protest against the execution of Admiral Byng in 1757. He said that he came in ‘to preserve the peace of the country’, so the family interest in 1751 may still have required bolstering by at least the return of a member of the family.

By 1783, St Johnstown was composed of ‘Burgesses and Freemen. Freemen gone into disuse. Gentlemen possessed of Burgess plots, not allowed to vote. Patron, Lord Granard’, and the borough was ‘at the absolute disposal of the Patron’. By 1790:

This Borough is entirely devoted to the interest of … Earl of Granard its few electors, whose number is easily reckoned, owing their existence to his Lordship’s nomination and complaisantly acquiescing in his recommendation of their representatives. Since the accession of the present noble Earl to the honours of his house, it has never been sold, his just sense of what is due to his own character and station forbidding such despicable traffic, but he has honoured with his protection and interest, with the Burgesses, men whose principles he knew and on whose honour he could depend … he acts as an honest trustee for the public and leaves his friends as free as he desires to be himself under no influence but that of their own reason, under no other bias than the suggestions of their own understanding. Such liberality of conduct in the proprietors of Boroughs is not often experienced.

St Johnstown was disfranchised at the Union and the £15,000 compensation was awarded to George, 6th Earl of Granard.

Constituencies and Elections

County Longford

Co. Longford - Constituency

Co. Longford - Boroughs