Parliament and the English County Magistrate: The Parliamentary Aspirations of Sir George Onesiphorus Paul 1780–1810*

Abstract

AbstractCounty magistrates in Georgian England enjoyed an enviable amount of power. However, their influence was not restricted to the sphere of their county. Instead, Westminster's dependence upon them for the operation of local government, to conduct judicial practise and help create domestic policy, meant that, for good or ill, they potentially had a pivotal role within the workings of the English state and formed a critical link between parliament and government and the English localities. Surprisingly, despite this, magistrates’ individual and collective influence upon the English parliament remains largely uncharted.This article considers the influence magistrates had on parliament 1780–1810 through a case study of the career of one, Sir George Onesiphorus Paul. An examination is made of the impact of magistrates on the creation of legislation and the selection and election of MPs, and through these, their influence upon the activities of parliamentary representatives. It demonstrates the relationship between magistrates and parliament could be a strong and productive one. Magistrates had a significant impact on the creation of legislation. Sometimes their intervention was solicited to effect change, but at other times they initiated the process themselves, and, in so doing, magistrates, like Paul, garnered the support of MPs or even directed their legislative activities. However, there were limitations to the influence of the magistracy as Paul's thwarted broader political ambitions attests.