Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

MAYOR FOR THE PRESENT YEAR
Griffith Wright, brother-in-law to Alderman Markland

ALDERMEN
Henry Hall: son of the late Alderman Hall, and brother-in-law to Common Council Man Joseph Ingham
George Banks: nephew to the late Common Council Man, John Goodman
Christopher Beckett: son of the late Alderman, Sir J. Beckett, brother of Alderman Thomas Beckett, and partner of Alderman Thomas Blayds
William Hey: son of the late Alderman Hey, and father of Common Council Man William Hey
Benjamin Sadler, brother to Common Council Man M.T. Sadler
Thomas Beckett: son of the late Alderman Sir J. Beckett, and brother to Alderman Christopher Beckett
Thomas Blayds: son of the late Alderman Blayds, and partner of Alderman Christopher Beckett
Ralph Markland: son of the late Alderman Markland, and brother-in-law of the Mayor
Dr. Thorp: Physician Extraordinary to the late Marchioness of Hertford
Richard Bramley: son of the late Alderman Bramley
Joseph Robert Atkinson: partner with the late Common Council Man Mr John Hives
Thomas Motley: brother-in-law of Common Council Man William Osburn, Jun.

COMMON COUNCIL MEN
Jonathan Wilks: son of the late Common Council Man William Wilks, brother-in-law to John Hill, late Alderman, and cousin to Common Council Man William Wilks
Joseph Ingham: brother-in-law of Alderman Hall
J.G. Uppleby: partner with Common Council Man F. Chorley
Fontaine Brown: brother of the late Alderman Brown
M.T. Sadler: brother of Alderman Sadler, and brother-in-law of Common Council Man S.G. Fenton
J.H. Ridsdale: brother-in-law to Common Council Men William Osburn and John Heaton
William Wilks: cousin to Cominon Council Man Jonathan Wilks
J.M. Tennant: son of the late Alderman Tennant
William Hey, Jun.: son of Alderman Hey
William Waite
Benjamin Holroyd
William Osburn, Jun.: brother-in-law to Alderman Motley and Common Council Men J.H. Ridsdale and John Heaton
John Upton
William Gott: son of B. Gott, late Alderman
F. Chorley: brother-in-law of John Hill, late Alderman
Robert Harrison
John Cawood
William Milnes
Thomas Charlesworth
M. Geoffrey Hirst: partner with the late Alderman Ikin
J.W. Rhodes: son-in-law of the late Alderman Edward Brooke
John Heaton: brother-in-law of Common Council Men William Osburn, Jun. and J.H. Ridsdale
S.G. Fenton: son-in-law of Alderman Sadler, and brother-in-law of Common Council Man M.T. Sadler
Anthony Titley

Comment

Comment

What of checks and balances? An amusing detail in the commissioners’ report on Leeds (via Frédéric Moret (Moret 2015)):

The close constitution of the corporation is obvious; all vacancies in each branch of it being filled by the Select Body, gives to that body absolute and uncontrolled self-election.

Family influence is predominant. Fathers and sons and sons-in-law, brothers and brothers-in-law, succeed to the offices of the corporation, like matters of family settlement.

The great respectability of the present members of the corporation and their impartial conduct as justices, were universally acknowledged; but the restricted system and want of a more popular method of election were loudly complained of; and it was said that it would be satisfactory to a great majority of the town, that there should be such more open course, as the Legislature in its wisdom, should think best.

The ill effects of the present exclusive system are rendered strikingly apparent from one circumstance in this borough. In cases where the election is popular, as in the choice of Commissioners under the Local Acts, the persons selected are all of one political party, professing the opposite opinions to those entertained by the majority of the corporation; which is accounted for by the necessity of balancing the influence of the corporation, at the same time that it is said to show the inclination of the majority of the town. This choice of commissioners exclusively from one party is admitted to be undesirable, but is justified as being resorted to in self-defence.

(Dwarris 1835)

The mayor didn’t get paid out of the corporation’s annual income of £220 (£23K in July 2024; Liverpool’s income was £90K – £9,600K in 2024 (Moret 2015)), so there may not be any good corruption stories out there.

The main conclusions of the first report (more):

• The corporations were exclusive bodies with no community of interest with the town after which they were named.
• The electorate of some corporations was kept as small as possible.
• Some corporations merely existed as “political engines” for maintaining the ascendancy of a particular party.
• Members of corporations usually served for life and the corporate body was a self-perpetuating entity. Roman Catholics and Dissenters, although no longer disabled from being members, were systematically excluded.
• Vacancies rarely occurred and were not filled by well-qualified persons.
• Some close corporations operated in almost complete secrecy, sometimes secured by oath. Local residents could not obtain information on the operation of the corporation without initiating expensive legal actions.
• The duties of the mayor were, in some places, completely neglected.
• Magistrates were appointed by the corporations on party lines. They were often incompetent and did not have the respect of the inhabitants.
• Juries in many boroughs were exclusively composed of freemen. As the gift of freedom lay with the corporation, they were political appointees and often dispensed justice on a partisan basis.
• Policing in the boroughs was often not the responsibility of the corporation but of one or more bodies of commissioners. An extreme example was the City of Bath, which had four districts under different authorities, while part of the city had no police whatever.
• Borough funds were “frequently expended in feasting, and in paying the salaries of unimportant officers” rather than on the good government of the borough. In some places funds had been expended on public works without adequate supervision, and large avoidable debts had accrued. This often arose from contracts being given to members of the corporation or their friends or relations. Municipal property was also treated as if it were only for the use of the corporation and not the general population.

The commission concluded its report by stating that:

…the existing Municipal Corporations of England and Wales neither possess nor deserve the confidence or respect of Your Majesty’s subjects, and that a thorough reform must be elected, before they can become, what we humbly submit to Your Majesty they ought to be, useful and efficient instruments of local government.

Possible errors & omissions in tagging. What tool would one use to draw this network?

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Original

YORKSHIRE NEWS.
THE LEEDS CORPORATION.
The following list of the members of the Leeds Corporation, with their mutual relationships, shows very plainly how the self-elected Corporations fall into the hands of a few families, and a small knot of politicians of one sect and party:-

MAYOR FOR THE PRESENT YEAR.
Mr. GRIFFITH WRIGHT, brother-in-law to Mr. Alderman MARKLAND.

ALDERMEN.
Mr. HENRY HALL; son of the late Alderman HALL, and brother-in-law to Common Council Man Mr. JOSEPH INGHAM.
Mr. GEORGE BANKS; nephew to the late Common Council Man, Mr. JOHN GOODMAN.
Mr. CHRISTOPHER BECKETT; son of the late Alderman, Sir J. BECKETT, brother of Mr. Alderman THos. BECKETT, and partner of Mr. Alderman Thos. BLAYDS.
Mr. WM. HEY; son of the late Mr. Alderman Hey, and father of Common Council Man Mr. W. HEY.
Mr. BENJ. SADLER, brother to Common Council Man Mr. M. T. SADLER.
Mr. THOS. BECKETT; son of the late Alderman Sir J. BECKETT, and brother to Alderman CHRISTOPHER BECKETT.
Mr. THOS. BLAYDS; son of the late Mr. Alderman BLAYDS, and partner of Mr. Alderman CHR. BECKETT
Mr. RALPH MARKLAND; son of the late Mr. Alderman MARKLAND, and brother-in-law of the MAYOR.
Dr. THORP; Physician Extraordinary to the late Marchioness of HERTFORD.
Mr. RICHARD BRAMLEY; son of the late Mr. Alderman BRAMLEY.
Mr. J. R. ATKINSON; partner with the late Common Council Man Mr JOHN HIVES.
Mr. THOS. MOTLEY; brother-in-law of Common Council Man Mr. WM. OSBURN, Jun.

COMMON COUNCIL MEN.
Mr. JONATHAN WILKS; son of the late Common Council Man Mr. WM. WILKS, brother-in-law to Mr. JOHN HILL, late Alderman, and cousin to Common Council Man Mr. WM. WILKS.
Mr. JOSEPH INGHAM; brother-in-law of Mr. Alderman HALL.
Mr. J. G. UPPLEBY; partner with Common Council Man Mr. F. CHORLEY.
Mr. FONTAINE BROWN; brother of the late Mr. Alderman BROWN.
Mr. M. T. SADLER; brother of Mr. Alderman SADLER, and brother-in-law of Common Council Man Mr. S. G. FENTON.
Mr. J. H. RIDSDALE; brother-in-law to Common Council Men Mr. WM. OSUURN and Mr. JOHN HEATON.
Mr. WM. WILKS; cousin to Common Council Man Mr. JONATHAN WILKS.
Mr. J. M. TENNANT; son of the late Mr. Alderman TENNANT.
Mr. WM. Hey, Jun.; son of Mr. Alderman HEY.
Mr. WM. WAITE.
Mr. BENJAMIN HOLROYD.
Mr. Wm. OSBURN, Jun.; brother-in-law to Mr. Alderman MOTLEY and Common Council Men Mr. J. H. RIDSDALE and Mr. JOHN HEATON.
Mr. JOHN UPTON.
Mr. WM. GOTT; son of Mr. B. Gott, late Alderman.
Mr. F. CHORLEY; brother-in-law of Mr. HILL, late Alderman.
Mr. ROBT. HARRISON.
Mr. JOHN CAWOOD.
Mr. WM. MILNES.
Mr. Thos. CHARLESWORTH.
M. GEO. HIRST: partner with the late Mr. Alderman IKIN.
Mr. J. W. RHODES; son-in-law of the late Mr. Alderman EDWARD BROOKE.
Mr. JOHN HEATON; brother-in-law of Common Council Men Mr. Wm. OSBURN, Jun. and Mr. J. H. RIDSDALE.
Mr. S.G. FENTON; son-in-law of Mr. Alderman SADLER, and brother-in-law of Common Council Man Mr. M. T. SADLER.
Mr. ANTHONY TITLEY.

538 words.

Tags

Tags are assigned inclusively on the basis of an entry’s original text and any comment. You may find this confusing if you only read an entry excerpt.

• Beckett, Christopher (1777-1847) (2), banker of Meanwood Park (Leeds), son of Sir John Beckett ·
• Beckett, John (1743-1846) (1), Leeds banker and Tory politician - Lord Mayor, MP 1818-37 ·
• Beckett, John (2) ·
• Beckett, Thomas (2) ·
• Corruption in local government (6) ·
• Corruption (11) ·
• George Banks (2) ·
• Henry Hall (2) ·
• Hey, William (1736-1819) (2), pioneering Pudsey-born surgeon at Leeds General Infirmary, mayor of Leeds 1787-88 and 1802-03, founder of the Leeds Club, friend of Joseph Priestley ·
• Joseph Robert Atkinson (2) ·
• Leeds Mercury (18), leading Whig newspaper founded by John Hirst in 1718, bought by Nonconformist-Liberal Edward Baines in 1801 and used to advocate some types of social and political reform, remained in the family for two more generations ·
• 📌Leeds (235) ·
• Municipal Corporations Act 1835 (6) ·
• Nepotism (1) ·
• Political corruption (10) ·
• Ralph Markland (2) ·
• Richard Bramley (2) ·
• Sadler, Benjamin (2) ·
• Sadler, Michael Thomas (1780-1835) (3), Tory MP, Evangelical Anglican, Poor Law administrator in Leeds ·
• Thomas Blayds (2) ·
• William Hey II (1772–1844) (2) ·
• William Hey III (1796–1875) (2) ·
• Wright, Griffith (1784-1846) (2), Leeds magistrate, last mayor of the Corporation (1834-35), owner after his grandfather and father of the Leeds Intelligencer ·

All tags.

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