PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION BEFORE 1612
New Salisbury sent burgesses to the Parliament
of 1275, and was among the thirteen Wiltshire
boroughs summoned to the Model Parliament of
1295. In 1355 it was the only borough in the county
to receive a summons. (fn. 1) From 1295 it was always
represented by two burgesses, whose names are
known for 158 Parliaments held between 1275 and
1612. (fn. 2) It is possible to identify some two-thirds of
these.
From information at present collected, Salisbury's
representation seems to follow the same pattern as
that of the other Wiltshire boroughs. As elsewhere,
after the end of the 14th century there was a gradual
change in the occupations and interests of the
representatives chosen. Originally the qualification
for election was burgage tenure and residence, (fn. 3) but
this requirement must later have been disregarded,
for in 1444–5 it was necessary for the assembly to
resolve not to elect anyone who was not a citizen
and a resident. (fn. 4)
Only a few of Salisbury's burgesses are known to
have been its mayors, or to have held other offices
in the city. Some, however, like William of Berwick
(mayor, 1327), John Upton (mayor, 1360), Nicholas
Tailor (mayor, 1373), and Giles Hutchins (mayor,
1592–3) represented the city in Parliament in the
same year as they served as mayor. (fn. 5) The 13th- and
14th-century burgesses included a preponderance of
merchants, a few men occupied in local trades, (fn. 6)
and some lawyers. (fn. 7) Many of these, especially the
merchants, played a leading part in the city's contest
with its overlords, the bishops. Philip Aubyn, (fn. 8)
Henry Spicer, and John of Brandeston were members
of the delegation sent to London at the beginning of the controversy over tallage. (fn. 9) Similarly in 1395 the city's representatives before the
Council included Richard Spencer and William
Warmwell, its parliamentary burgesses in that year,
John Bitterlegh, who had represented it seven times
since 1376, and John Levesham (fn. 10) and Richard
Jewell, (fn. 11) who were to be elected as burgesses within
the next few years. (fn. 12)
Not only men with mercantile interests represented the city in the early Parliaments. Thomas of
Harpenden (burgess between 1313 and 1315 and in
1321), (fn. 13) and Thomas Prat (burgess between 1322
and 1348) (fn. 14) were men of law. William Randolf, the
elder and the younger, represented the city between
them four times from 1331 until 1337, and one of
them was bishop's bailiff from c. 1335 until 1351. (fn. 15)
William Lord, for many years clerk of the city, was
elected in 1384. (fn. 16) Robert le Bont, burgess five times
between 1360 and 1372, came of a family holding
property in Salisbury and the county for many
years. (fn. 17) The interests of most of these early representatives seem to have been centred upon the city
and its immediate neighbourhood: but there were
exceptions whose numbers might be increased by
further research. John Bitterlegh affords an
example. He was a draper with business connexions
in Devon and London, (fn. 18) who sat on commissions
in the county, (fn. 19) and was a collector of the customs
and subsidy in Southampton in 1385 and 1390. (fn. 20)
Described as 'dwelling continually in Salisbury', he
was its mayor only once, but represented the city
eight times between 1376 and 1394.
A distinct change can be seen in the class of men
representing the city in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Although a considerable mercantile element still
prevailed, this was gradually superseded by men
who were royal officials, lawyers, or local gentry.
Leading merchants, such as John a Port, John Hall,
and William Swayne, continued to be elected and
many of their business contemporaries were returned
from time to time. (fn. 21) But in the 16th century the
merchant class was represented by fewer names,
among which were those of William Webb, Thomas
Coke, and Thomas Chaffyn. (fn. 22) Among the royal
officials representing the city in the 15th century
were Edward Hardgill, Richard Hayne, William
Ludlow, and John Musgrove. (fn. 23) Of these, only
Richard Hayne lived in Salisbury and was a member
of the assembly. (fn. 24) William Ludlow, lord of the
manor of Hill Deverill, owned the largest amount of
property in Salisbury held of the bishop in 1455,
thus drawing rents from the city. (fn. 25) But there is no
evidence that he took an active part in local affairs,
although he showed a special interest in St. Thomas's
Church. (fn. 26) Among the lawyers representing the city
in the 15th century, Edmund Penston lived in the
city, (fn. 27) and Richard Eliot (Justice of the Common
Pleas 1513–22) was born of a local family, and was
buried in the cathedral. (fn. 28) Men of law from outside
the city included John Hampton of Mere, (fn. 29) Philip
Morgan of Chitterne, (fn. 30) and John Whittokesmead, a
justice for the county, bailiff of the bishop, who, in
the course of his career, represented many different
boroughs. (fn. 31) Robert Long, lawyer, of Wraxall, who
represented the city in one Parliament, was also the
bishop's bailiff. (fn. 32) With outsiders representing the
city, some local merchants, like John Willy and
Thomas Freeman, sometimes sought election for
other boroughs in the county. (fn. 33)
The 16th century saw a further change in the
status of the city's representatives, who were mostly
gentlemen or esquires from families with county
connexions. George Penruddock (burgess, 1552)
was the son of Edward Penruddock of Cumberland
and Ivychurch. (fn. 34) Giles Estcourt, who bought and
lived in St. Edmund's College, (fn. 35) and was clerk of
the statute merchant until his death in 1587, represented the city four times; (fn. 36) Christopher Weekes,
parliamentary representative in 1584 and 1586, was
also clerk of the statute merchant, and was mayor in
1578. (fn. 37) Among these county gentry representing
the city there were a number of lawyers: John
Hooper, who represented the city three times
between 1553 and 1558, is probably the Recorder of
Southampton of the same name, who lived first in
St. Thomas's parish and later in the Close. (fn. 38) At the
turn of the century Giles Tooker, bencher of
Lincoln's Inn, first Recorder of Salisbury, and one
of its parliamentary representatives between 1601
and 1619, (fn. 39) and John Puxton, Tooker's colleague in
Parliament in 1601, (fn. 40) assisted in the negotiations
for the charter of incorporation finally obtained in
1612. (fn. 41)
Until the 16th century Salisbury was represented
in Parliament by men from divers walks of life, who
averaged attendance at three or four Parliaments.
A number served once only: others attended many
times, as, for example, Elias Homes, merchant, (fn. 42)
thirteen times between 1327 and 1340, Thomas
Prat, (fn. 43) nine times between 1322 and 1348, and
Walter Shirle, merchant, (fn. 44) almost continuously from
1411 to 1422. At least by the beginning of the 15th
century the parliamentary burgesses were elected
directly by the mayor and assembly on receipt of a
parliamentary writ. (fn. 45) In 1450 the assembly recorded
its right to nominate freely whomsoever they
would, (fn. 46) and they frequently decreed that the choice
should be restricted to members of the assembly
and the recorder. (fn. 47) In 1572 they reluctantly accepted
Henry Tucker, nominee of the Earl of Pembroke,
who was not a member of the assembly, but they
were careful to put on record again that in future
only their own body might elect, and only from
among their own number. (fn. 48)