The borough consisted of the town of
Lostwithiel and part of the neighbouring
Lanlivery parish; it was a market town whose trade was mainly dependent on the copper mined nearby.
Unlike many of the most notorious
Cornish rotten boroughs, Lostwithiel had been continuously represented since the Middle Ages and was originally of sufficient size to justify its status. However, by the time of the
Great Reform Act it had long been a
pocket borough, under the complete control of the
Earls of Mount Edgcumbe[1] since 1702. The right to vote was vested in the corporation, who numbered 24 in 1816; they made no attempt to defy their patron, who regularly paid the corporation's debts and advanced them money.
In 1831, the borough had a population of 1,047, and 303 houses.
^Hartington was re-elected in 1722 but was also elected for
Grampound, which he chose to represent, and did not sit for Lostwithiel in the 1722 Parliament
^Bridgeman was re-elected in August 1727 but was also elected for
Bletchingley, which he chose to represent, and did not sit for Lostwithiel in the 1727 Parliament
^St. John was also elected for
Newport (Isle of Wight), which he chose to represent, and never sat for Lostwithiel
^Created a baronet as Sir John Sinclair, February 1786
^Valletort was also elected for
Fowey, which he chose to represent, and never sat for Lostwithiel
^Dickinson was re-elected in 1806 but had also been elected for
Somerset, which he chose to represent, and did not sit again for Lostwithiel
^Grant was re-elected in June 1826 but was also elected for
Aldborough, which he chose to represent, and did not sit for Lostwithiel in the 1826 Parliament
References
Robert Beatson, "A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament" (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807)
[1]
D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)
Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808)
[2]
Maija Jansson (ed.), Proceedings in Parliament, 1614 (House of Commons) (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1988)
J Holladay Philbin, "Parliamentary Representation 1832 – England and Wales" (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
Henry Stooks Smith, "The Parliaments of England from 1715 to 1847" (2nd edition, edited by FWS Craig – Chichester: Parliamentary Reference Publications, 1973)