'Rotten borough' produced three Prime Ministers

Due to Seaford being a 'rotten borough', the town has a long history of parliamentary shenanigans. One of the benefits of Seaford being a Cinque Port was the ability to return two Members of Parliament. The first two were Geoffry Cuckou and William Holby who were returned in 1298.

This was a time when Seaford was frequently attacked by the French and in 1358 it was reported that the 'inhabitants had become so few as a result of pestilence and calamities of war that they can no longer pay their taxes or defend themselves against their enemies'.

Forty years later the two standing members, William Chitting and Robert Harry, could not be supported by the town and Seaford was unable or unwilling to afford the luxury of electing MPs. This was the case for more than 240 years.

Seaford was an important town as a 'rotten borough'. This was a name used for those parliamentary constituencies where there were so few voters that they could be manipulated into voting for whoever the local patron or landowner wished. For example, Old Sarum in Wiltshire had declined so much, when most of the population moved to Salisbury, that it only had three houses left. The seven inhabitants of these houses, however, were still able to return two MPs.

For 200 years Dunwich in Suffolk was represented in Parliament even though the town had long since fallen into the sea and no longer existed! The Reform Act of 1832 did away with 56 rotten boroughs including the Sussex towns of Seaford, Winchelsea, Bramber, East Grinstead and Steyning.

No less than three Prime Ministers were returned in Seaford, elected only because they had good backing and not because of the wishes of the local population. The first was Henry Pelham. He was born in 1696, the son of Thomas, the first Lord Pelham. He was educated at Oxford and briefly served in the Army, taking part in the Battle of Preston in 1715.

Two years later, at the age of 21, Pelham was elected as the Member of Parliament for Seaford and while he held this post he was appointed as Lord of the Treasury.

In Parliament, Pelham became a supporter of Robert Walpole, the first British Prime Minister, and this assisted him in succeeding Walpole in 1743 when he also became the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Henry's brother Thomas Pelham-Holles, was also in the government and it was his brilliant electoral and parliamentary management that made his brother's premiership a success.

In 1744 Pelham sacked one of his cabinet, Earl Granville who, with the King, wanted to involve England more deeply in European wars with France and Prussia. When the King continued to support Granville, Pelham led a mass resignation of ministers in 1746.

Despite royal support Granville was unable to form a Government and Pelham returned to lead the country until his death in 1754. He was succeeded by his brother.

During his premiership Henry Pelham reduced government expenses, land taxes and the National Debt. He is buried in the family vault at Laughton Church near Lewes.

KEVIN GORDON