George Ivison Tapps: Acquisitions and Disposals

Manors and Jarvis Estates

Who sold Cuffnalls to George Rose in 1784? Was it GIT, trying to break down Malmesbury's grip on the borough? NO!

GIT married the daughter of a "ship's husband and co-owner" (Barrington Buggin) - before selling Christchurch and getting baronetcy.

Was the 1 shilling[?] lease to Ivison & Foote[?] a device to break the tail on Dame Lydia's Estate? No.

"Service without a scar in the political campaign - constant presence in the battle in St. Stephen's chapel - absence from all other fights, from 'Blenheim to Waterloo' - but above all, steady discipline - right votes in right places, these are the precious, but happily not rare, qualities which have raised men to the Peerage. For these qualities the gratitude of Mr. Pitt showered down his baronies by the score" [Lord Brougham, Hansard vol. 8, 7th October 1831]

Baronetcy (one of Pitt's Peers), George Rose, and the sale of the sister Manor of the Borough of Christchurch. Election Pamphlet. See Rose notes in History folder. On his death in 1835, Tapps's son was a sitting MP: he continued to sit in the Commons.

In 1767, Lord Chesterfield "spoke to a borough-jobber and offered five-and-twenty hundred pounds for a secure seat in parliament; but he laughed at my offer, and said there was no such thing as a borough to be had now, for that the rich East and West Indians had secured them all, at the rate of three thousand pounds at least; but many at four thousand, and two or three that he knew at five thousand". He knew of one that had changed hands for £9,000. [Chesterfield, Letters to his Son, London 1774, as quoted by Liza Picard in "Dr. Johnson's London"]

Malmesbury's opinion of him. Did GR know what was going on when he bought the manor? - he had some of the telling documents, but not, crucially, evidence of GIT's bastardy. Possibly political allies - GIT waited until GR was out of office before aligning himself against Malmesbury.

Enclosure