Articles in the diamond pitt category

HOC Journal 1691

Extracts from the House of Commons Journal, vol 10 1688 - 1693.

31 March 1691

Adjournment.

Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer acquaints the House, That he was commanded by her Majesty to signify her Pleasure to the House, That both Houses should adjourn themselves to the Twenty-eighth Day of April now next ensuing.

And accordingly the House adjourned until Tuesday the Twenty-eighth Day of April now next ensuing, at Ten of the Clock in the Morning.

28 April

Adjournment.

Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer acquaints the House, That his Majesty had thought fit that the Parliament should be adjourned for a Month longer: And that therefore it was his Majesty's Desire, That this House would adjourn itself until Tuesday the Six-and-twentieth Day of May next.

And accordingly the House did adjourn until Tuesday the Twenty-sixth Day of May next, at Ten of the Clock in the Morning.

26 May

Parliament prorogued …

Brief Historical Relation 1690 Q3

Political and other events

From Luttrell's Brief Historical Relation, a diary of news and current events (BR). These are all from vol. 2 of the 6 volume printed edition.

July 1690

Letters from Paris of the 3rd say, the French king had received an account that his fleet, being 82 men of war, besides fireships and tenders, were enter'd the English channel to perform his majesties orders of burning the English fleet at anchor at the Isle of Weight, and to land 8,000 men, pursuant to an invitation from diverse of the nobility and gentry of that kingdom, who are to join him in order to restore king James.

Foreign letters say, that 5,000 imperialists are on their march towards Savoy, and the elector of Bavaria sends likewise a regiment, and the duke of Parma sends also 2,000 men. We hear the Vaudois continue to doe the …

HOC Journal 1690 session 2

Extracts from the House of Commons Journal, vol 10 1688 - 1693.

2 October 1690

The King's Speech reported.

Mr. Speaker reports, That his Majesty had been pleased to make a most gracious Speech to both Houses: But in regard the same was long, and that there was a great Noise made by the Crowd, and that his Majesty's Voice was low, he could not distinctly hear the same; and therefore, he had desired and obtained a Copy of it: And he read the same;

[The speech is very substantially an appeal for more money and quickly, for the spiralling cost of the war, including army arrears of pay and further sums for the next season's campaigning ]

I cannot conclude without taking Notice also, How much the Honour of the Nation has been exposed by the ill Conduct of My Fleet in the last Summer's Engagement against the French [Battle of …

HOC Journal 1690 session 1

Extracts from the House of Commons Journal, vol 10 1688 - 1693.

24 March 1690

New Sarum Election.

A Petition of Wm. Wyndham, Esquire, was read; setting forth, That, at the Election of Citizens for New Sarum, the Twenty-seventh Day of February last, when the Petitioner Tho. Hobby, Esquire, and Thomas Pitt, Esquire, stood Candidates; and the Petitioner had the Majority of those Persons who had Right to vote in the said Election; and the Petitioner ought to have been returned a Citizen for the said City accordingly, together with the said Thomas Hobby, to serve in this present Parliament for New Sarum aforesaid: But the Mayor, in Wrong to the Petitioner, and contrary to Justice and Right, returned the said Thomas Pitt, Esquire, together with the said Thomas Hobby, whereas the Petitioner had a greater Number of qualified Votes: And praying the Relief of the House in the Premises.

Ordered …

Dalton: Ten Years in England

Dalton's Life of Thomas Pitt, Chapter 5

Dalton has relatively little to go on for his un-imaginatively titled chapter, Ten years in England. As a result, he yields to the temptation to spin out what speculations he can.

Unreliable dates

In 1688 he bought from James Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, the manor of Stratford under the Castle, and was returned as member for Old Sarum in the election of the Convention Parliament, and for New Sarum (Salisbury) in the Parliament of 1690. In 1691 he became the owner of the site of Old Sarum, and the votes attached to it, thereby securing the representation of the borough for himself and his heirs. p. 69

In fact his election in 1690 at Old Sarum was overturned. He did not gain control of that borough until a later date, and the last contested election there was not until 1705.

Question of motivation …