The picturesque borough of Morpeth, Northumberland has a fascinating history of political activism and further evidence of this has been found with the transcription of the town’s manorial records. Certainly, it would appear that from the second half of the 17th century those aligned with the craft guilds went head-to-head against the power and privilege of consecutive Lords (Earls of Carlisle/Morpeth), who were keen to preserve their status and interests.
Indeed, disputes arose due to the gradual erosion of the rights and privileges of Freemen and the continuous attempts by the Earls of the borough in reducing their number. Certainly, the status of Freeman in Morpeth came with decision making responsibilities including the appointment of officers, the making of by-laws and participation as jury members at manorial courts. Crucially, the role came with the privilege of a vote in parliamentary elections, a factor that influenced the reduction of Freemen. However, the Lord’s interests were protected with the appointment of his supporters in influential roles such as Stewards and Bailiffs and through financial inducements. Unfortunately, in the early 18th century the borough was tagged as ‘the most corrupt, mercenary place in the whole North.’[1]
The situation for the Freemen intensified throughout the 18th century, and the record below (Ref No: SANT-BEQ-28-1-3-149-151A) provides an account of riotous court proceedings which were instigated by the Carlisle administration in appointing non-elected Freemen as a show of defiance following a narrow election defeat.
In addition, the document below (Ref No: SANT-BEQ-28-1-2-534/535) confirms the involvement of Francis Eyre, a London based lawyer with political aspirations and the financial means to pursue it. Indeed, Eyre is described to the Morpeth Freemen as ‘a person of strict honour and probity, a benevolent heart, and blest with a sufficient fortune, one who would cheerfully undertake all your battles against power and riches.’[1] Therefore, in the mid-1760s this lawyer embraced the plight of the Freemans of Morpeth as well as his own ambitions. Surprisingly, in 1767, Eyre was successful in a legal bid to admit thirty-three Freemen, albeit the duplicity of the Carlisle officials would negate this victory in the forthcoming election, through unscrupulous technicalities. Certainly, without these measures, the Carlisle stranglehold on the borough was threatened. However, albeit Eyre did manage to gain a parliamentary seat for Morpeth at the 1774 election, this was short-lived and won through coercion from his supporters.
Indeed, credit must be attributed to the citizens of Morpeth who against the odds took a stance against authority for nigh on a century due to the consistent abuse of privilege administered by various Lords of the borough, albeit several did succumb to the financial rewards on offer in return for their obedience. However, whilst the influence of the Lords continued, compliance was not guaranteed.
This blog was written by Helen Stewart, a Master’s student at Strathcylde University, who has been researching Northumbrian Manorial Records as part of a university placement with Northumberland Archives. Her work has included using some of the documents already transcribed during the Heritage Lottery Funded, Everyday Life in a Northumbrian Manor Project, and has allowed her to showcase some early findings in the records.
1 J.M. Fewster, ‘The Earls of Carlisle and Morpeth: A Turbulent Pocket Borough’, Northern History, 51:2 (2014), p. 247.
2 ‘Eyre, Francis, (1722-97) of Colesborne, Glos.’,The History of Parliament, British Political, Social and Local History, EYRE, Francis (1722-97), of Colesborne, Glos. | History of Parliament Online, accessed 05 /04/2023