The results of the general election of 1847 in Stamford were as follows:
Charles Manners (con) (The Marquis of Granby and heir to the Duke of Rutland of Belvoir castle)____________349 votes
John Charles Herries (con)______ 288 votes
John Rolt (con) ____________236 votes
The secret ballot was not introduced until 1872.
“On Wednesday, great excitement was produced in Stamford by the delivery to about 40 tenants of houses and other premises in the town held under the Marquis of Exeter, of notices to quit; the sole and avowed reason for the proceeding being that at the late election of representatives in Parliament for the borough the parties voted for Mr. Rolt, Q.C.. It has not, upon the present occasion, been an exemption from such a visitiation that the occupiers gave one vote to a nominee of the Marquis of Exeter; nor even that they did not vote at all at the election; if they did not support both the Marquis of Granby and Mr. Herries, they must quit their houses or other property held under the House of Burghley. And in some cases, widows and aged persons whose children or connections did not vote as Lord Exeter desired, are to be turned out of their dwellings; although (as in the case of Mrs. Hunt, widow of Wm. Hunt, Esq., of Ironmonger-street) the family have occupied the property for great part of a century. So stringent a rule of persecution has never before been exercised here, although Lord Exeter’s tenants have been familiar with strange courses by their landlord. It is said that the new and more unfeeling line of action is adopted on the urgent recommendation of two of three leading men of the Red Committee, who are emulous* of the esteem of their townsmen, and desire the comfort of a good conscience.”
The Stamford Mercury, 1st October, 1847.
*Seeking to emulate something or person.