Norfolk: Great Yarmouth
Voting Registers - Poll 1754

The poll for two members to serve in Parliament for the Borough of Great Yarmouth, taken on 18th April 1754 and published by Richard Fuller & William Browne. The transcription includes :- Voters names, Occupations, Residences & some relationships. Members of Great Yarmouth Corporation are also noted (see later). These were all Freemen of the Borough and 896 voted.

[Transcription copyright © Mike Bristow]

  The Hon^ble Sir EDWARD WALPOLE, Knt. of the Bath.

  The Hon^ble CHARLES TOWNSHEND, Esq^r;

  RICHARD FULLER, Esq^r;

  WILLIAM BROWNE, Esq^r;

The Poll at the last Election of MEMBERS of PARLIAMENT, for the Burgh of GREAT YARMOUTH, is sent to the Press at the unanimous Request of all the Electors who voted for their TOWNSMEN. These Gentlemen, tho' not desirous of continuing the Heats and Resentments inseparable from such Contests; yet could not, consistent with Gratitude or Justice, refute this Publication. The weighty Engagements and Promises which the Gentlemen on one Side were enabled to offer to their Friends, have, no doubt, before this, or will at least, in a short time, be amply fulfilled to them: It behoves therefore the other Side to perform what they undertook to theirs; and by invariably countenancing and assisting them in their respective Trades and Professions, make them amends, by the only means in their Power, for the shining Advantages they forfeited by their Honest and Disinterested Attachment to their Cause. As this cannot be effected without a List to refer to; it becomes necessary to make it as publick as possible; and no one surely can censure, or complain at, the doing this; since at the same time that it will serve as an Index, to point out who are entitled to, and will be humbly contented with the Good-will, and Support of those amongst whom they live, and are known; it will also exhibit the ambitious Claimants of Court Favours, at one View, to the Eye of those who have the Power of conferring the dearly purchased

Rewards; and their Names, at least, in Print, may now and then, in the long Interval of Elections, serve to keep up some sort of Rememberance of them in the Minds of those, whom more Employments may not permit to cultivate any Knowledge of them besides.

As it appears that three Persons on the Poll of Mr. FULLER and Mr. BROWNE, by some Mistake voted twice; their second Votes are omitted in the List: The Editor not having any Right to take that Liberty with the Poll of Sir EDWARD WALPOLE and Mr. TOWNSHEND, theirs is printed exactly as it stands on the original Books.

Those Names distinguished in a particular Character are such as engaged themselves to vote for Mr. FULLER; and strict Care has been taken to put down none in this manner, but who absolutely promised Him, or his Friends; the Proofs of which can be produc'd: A Number greatly more than sufficient to have turn'd the Election in favour of both the losing Candidates.