| Share page |
|
34 |
HISTORY OF EAST GRINSTEAD. |
||
|
them after they had sat only three weeks. The East Grinstead election led to the first petition of which there is any record in connection with this borough. It appears that some of the inhabitants, other than the burgage holders, were allowed by the Bailiff of East Grinstead, Mr. Blundell, to record their votes, and others, being dissatisfied, petitioned Parliament, which met on April 13th, 1640. Mr. White got 13 votes, Mr. Goodwin 14, and the allegation was that the latter made "a feoffement . . . wch did multiply voices." Mr. Goodwin affirmed that the inhabitants as well as the burgage holders had a right to vote, and Parliament at that time upheld him and declared him and Sir Thomas Compton duly elected. It was stated during the hearing of this case that Mr. Blundell, the bailiff, threatened both at the time of election and to witnesses who were going to give evidence at the trial that if people would not vote for Mr. White, or if they raised their voices for Mr. Goodwin, "their servants should be prest and their carts taken." On behalf of the Earl of Dorset, however, it was affirmed that he wrote to the town " to make a fair and a very free election." The House decided, on April 24th, that Sir H. Compton and Mr. Goodwin were well elected, and they were duly called to their seats in the House. Edward Blundell, the bailiff, was sent for by the messenger of the House, " as a delinquent for misdemeanours by him committed at, before and since the election." How the over-zealous Bailiff subsequently fared the House of Commons journals do not record. His delinquencies were possibly overshadowed by the more serious affairs of State. The Bailiff had returned Mr. White as duly elected, but that Member was returned also for Rye, and elected to sit for that borough, so that the whole petition, so far as it concerned the actual representation of East Grinstead, was quite a useless one.
1640. Richard, Lord Buckhurst, and Robert Goodwin.
There seems to have been a complaint about this election also, for on Nov. 16th the Committee of Privileges reported that Lord Buckhurst was well |
|||