RED COW INN BLUE PLAQUE
The seventh plaque was erected in October 2010 On Petworth Road. In 1754 this building was known as The Red Cow Inn, one of 14 Inns in Haslemere at the time. Haslemere, then part of the manor of Godalming, first returned two MPs to Parliament in the election of 1584, 12 years before the Royal Charter to hold a fair was granted. Voting rights attached to property rights and the More family of Loseley, who held the manor of Godalming, represented Haslemere throughout the 17th century.
In 1722 the then head of the More family, by then known as More Molyneux, was unsuccessful in the election. This began a tenure of 30 years for James Oglethorpe, (later General Oglethorpe, and the founder of the colony of Georgia) and Mr Burrell as MPs representing Haslemere.
The events of 1754 resulted from the determination of the More Molyneux family to win back Haslemere for their circle. James More Molyneux , heir to the estate, stood with Mr Philip Carteret Webb, a London solicitor of some eminence, who was later to use his electoral success to become the Treasury solicitor.
To win the 1754 election, Molyneux and Webb set about buying up freeholds and tenements, such that by election time Webb held seventeen properties and Molyneux 14, with 3 held jointly. In total the two spent £5,500 on properties and over £2000 on other costs, a vast amount of money in today's terms. Expenditure included an enormous outlay on food, wine, punch and beer to 'persuade' the electorate to vote for the candidates. We don't know how much was spent at The Red Cow Inn but we do know that Molyneaux & Webb ran up credit of £110 10s 11d at The George Inn on the site of what is now Lloyds Bank.
The Molyneux faction also executed a concerted plan to change the Bailiff and Constable of the Borough Court Leet, who were in favour of the old regime, both influential figures in the subsequent Parliamentary election and responsible for supervising the election and ruling on any disputed vote.
However, it seems that all this was not enough to win the day. Oglethorpe had also been busy buying up freeholds as well. It was at this point that Molyneux and Webb came up with the idea of splitting the freeholds to add extra votes, and The Red Cow Inn was subdivided into many freeholds. Records of the election show votes polled by the holders of The Red Cow Garden, Barn, & Gateway, 'the messuage adjoining the Red Cow' as well as the Inn. The White Horse Inn was also split as was the White Hart on the site where Collingwood and Batchelor now stands.
In the event, despite nearly falling out at the last minute, Mr Molyneux and Mr Webb each polled 70 votes, against Mr Burrell's 46 and General Oglethorpe's 45. Compared to earlier elections, an additional 45 votes!
It is to the title of an anonymous poem published in 1754 that the election and The Red Cow Inn in particular, owes its infamy. The poem parodies the elections of 1754 in Oxford and Haslemere, focusing its attention on Haslemere around The Red Cow Inn. Referring to the cow giving birth to 8 calves, the poem goes on 'Each Calf did draw, Against all Law, A Freehold from her Belly'. Each calf did vote And swear by Rote, He was a good Freeholder.'
Google maps location - CLICK HERE
The seventh plaque was erected in October 2010 On Petworth Road. In 1754 this building was known as The Red Cow Inn, one of 14 Inns in Haslemere at the time. Haslemere, then part of the manor of Godalming, first returned two MPs to Parliament in the election of 1584, 12 years before the Royal Charter to hold a fair was granted. Voting rights attached to property rights and the More family of Loseley, who held the manor of Godalming, represented Haslemere throughout the 17th century.
In 1722 the then head of the More family, by then known as More Molyneux, was unsuccessful in the election. This began a tenure of 30 years for James Oglethorpe, (later General Oglethorpe, and the founder of the colony of Georgia) and Mr Burrell as MPs representing Haslemere.
The events of 1754 resulted from the determination of the More Molyneux family to win back Haslemere for their circle. James More Molyneux , heir to the estate, stood with Mr Philip Carteret Webb, a London solicitor of some eminence, who was later to use his electoral success to become the Treasury solicitor.
To win the 1754 election, Molyneux and Webb set about buying up freeholds and tenements, such that by election time Webb held seventeen properties and Molyneux 14, with 3 held jointly. In total the two spent £5,500 on properties and over £2000 on other costs, a vast amount of money in today's terms. Expenditure included an enormous outlay on food, wine, punch and beer to 'persuade' the electorate to vote for the candidates. We don't know how much was spent at The Red Cow Inn but we do know that Molyneaux & Webb ran up credit of £110 10s 11d at The George Inn on the site of what is now Lloyds Bank.
The Molyneux faction also executed a concerted plan to change the Bailiff and Constable of the Borough Court Leet, who were in favour of the old regime, both influential figures in the subsequent Parliamentary election and responsible for supervising the election and ruling on any disputed vote.
However, it seems that all this was not enough to win the day. Oglethorpe had also been busy buying up freeholds as well. It was at this point that Molyneux and Webb came up with the idea of splitting the freeholds to add extra votes, and The Red Cow Inn was subdivided into many freeholds. Records of the election show votes polled by the holders of The Red Cow Garden, Barn, & Gateway, 'the messuage adjoining the Red Cow' as well as the Inn. The White Horse Inn was also split as was the White Hart on the site where Collingwood and Batchelor now stands.
In the event, despite nearly falling out at the last minute, Mr Molyneux and Mr Webb each polled 70 votes, against Mr Burrell's 46 and General Oglethorpe's 45. Compared to earlier elections, an additional 45 votes!
It is to the title of an anonymous poem published in 1754 that the election and The Red Cow Inn in particular, owes its infamy. The poem parodies the elections of 1754 in Oxford and Haslemere, focusing its attention on Haslemere around The Red Cow Inn. Referring to the cow giving birth to 8 calves, the poem goes on 'Each Calf did draw, Against all Law, A Freehold from her Belly'. Each calf did vote And swear by Rote, He was a good Freeholder.'
Google maps location - CLICK HERE
