Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    L30/12/18/29
  • Title
    Letter from Thomas Cockburn to Alexander Hume-Campbell, 1st Baron Hume of Berwick. Sent from Edinburgh. Comments about Lord Hume's health.
  • Date free text
    28 Jul 1780
  • Production date
    From: 1780 To: 1780
  • Scope and Content
    Rent day is to be 7th August. Reference to politics -'the Knight' [Sir John Paterson] had been ernest for terms with the third party. He had bid them name their terms, he had even offered in his style to give them a throw for the election.' The D of B [Duke of Buccleuch], Lord Advocate, Harden [Walter Scott of Harden] and Mr H [Hugh] Scott [Later Hepburne-Scott] and the writer had a meeting on Wednesday, all ready to disappoint him, but 'the third party offered such terms must have something, it was talked of to let in Mr H [Hugh?] for the first 4 years and then another person of the third party; that however was not to be accepted, impossible to give away the interval at the very time it may be your Lordships to take it up. If a division of the 7 years was necessary, better to give 2 or 3 years at the beginning and have Mr H established in the remainder and so in a sort fixed in future. Therefore the third party if not otherways to be gained, to have the credit of Mr Renton for the first 2 or 3 years, and then to give up to Mr Scott - at the same time, for these 2 or 3 years, Mr Scottto be in Parliament for a sell of burrows [boroughs?] which the D of B [Duke of Buccleuch] can give without trouble to him. This gives a double victory against the Knight, shows that when the Earls interest, in his hands, can be overcome by the opposition, in a little while, for the benefit of Mr H. S. and yet in the meantime Mr H. S. cannot be kept out of parliament. This plan which ensures the Knight's defeat and outs the business on a footing for your Lordship, is on these accounts eligible to us, your Lordship's friends, and we are hopeful it will be agreeable to you. A point or two to complete the plan is yet to be settled, but we hope in a few days it will be brought about to satisfaction and your Lordship shall be informed.' Comments about 'The Knight' [Sir John Paterson], thinking hemself sure of a place lately vacant; collector of the Bishop's rents, about £400 per annum. He has been disappointed in his ambition, and the writer is informed that his name was not so much in the ministers list. One of his tenants accuses him of refusing payment for a payment of £39 and abstracting a receipt - the court has ordered him to be eximined on oath and he has been fighting off on a preliminary, afraid that the other party, by not producung some writing, may have it in their power to control the oath. Note: Hugh Campbell, Earl of Marchmont was father in law to Sir John Paterson and grandfather to Hugh Scott. In April 1779, Paterson was returned at MP for Berwickshire on the interest of Earl Marchmont. When Hugh Scott offered himself as a candidate a family quarrel ensued. Hugh's father Walter Scott of Harden, was politically opposed to Earl Marchmont and sought support for his son from the independant voters. A third candidate was Alexander Renton of Lammerton. He and Scott signed an agreement whereby Scott should serve for four sessions and Renton for the remainder of the Parliament, and their combined votes defeated Paterson.
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