The great increase of the population during the course of the last hundred years, is the surest criterion, whereby to judge of the rapid progress of the town:—
| In 1761 the population of Brighton was | 2,000 |
| 1786 | 3,600 |
| 1794 | 5,669 |
| 1801 [249] | 7,339 |
| 1811 | 12,012 |
| 1821 | 24,429 |
| 1831 | 40,634 |
| 1841 | 46,661 |
| 1851 | 65,573 |
| 1861 | 77,693 |
Brighton had, comparatively speaking, stood aloof from politics till the passing of the Reform Bill, in 1832, the inhabitants, not being free-holders, having had no voice in framing the House of Commons. Under the fostering wing of George IV. Brighton could not be otherwise than Tory; but the Royal Patron of the town being dead and his successor William IV. possessing different political views to his deceased brother, and others besides the aborigines having taken up their abode in Brighton, diversities of political opinions arose, and hence, on the first election of Members for the Borough there was opposition.
The following have been the polling results of the elections to the present date:—
December 11th and12th, 1832. | |
Isaac Newton Wigney, Esq. | 873 |
George Faithfull, Esq. | 722 |
Captain G. R. Pechell, R.N. | 613 |
William Crawford, Esq. | 391 |
Sir Adolphus James Dalrymple, Bart. | 32 |
January 8th and9th, 1835:— | |
Captain Pechell | 961 |
I. N. Wigney, Esq. | 523 |
Sir A. Dalrymple | 483 |
G. Faithfull, Esq. | 467 |
July, 25th,1837:— | |
Captain Pechell | 1083 |
Sir A. Dalrymple | 819 |
I. N. Wigney, Esq. | 801 |
G. Faithfull, Esq. | 183 |
July 1st,1841:— | |
Captain Pechell | 1443 |
I. N. Wigney, Esq. | 1235 |
Sir A. Dalrymple | 872 |
Mr C. Brooker | 19 |
May 6th, 1842, onthe Bankruptcy of Mr. Wigney:— | |
Lord Alfred Hervey | 1277 |
Summers Harford, Esq. | 640 |
Mr. C. Brooker | 16 |
July 30th,1847:— | |
Captain Pechell | 1571 |
Lord A. Hervey | 1230 |
W. Coningham, Esq. | 886 |
July 8th,1852:— | |
Sir G. Pechell | 1924 |
Lord A. Hervey | 1431 |
J. S. Trelawney | 1173 |
J. Ffooks | 119 |
Upon Lord A. Hervey’s appointment as aLord of the Treasury, under the Derby Administration, hisre-election took place on the 4th of January, 1853, withoutopposition. | |
Sir G. Pechell | 2278 |
W. Coningham, Esq. | 1900 |
Lord A. Hervey | 1080 |
April 30th,1859:— | |
Sir G. Pechell | 2322 |
W. Coningham, Esq. | 2106 |
Sir A. MacNab | 1327 |
July 16th, 1860,inconsequence of the death of Sir George Pechell | |
J. White, Esq. | 1588 |
H. Moor, Esq. | 1242 |
F. D. Goldsmid, Esq. | 571 |
Chapter XXVI.
THE MARINE PAVILION AND ITS OCCUPANTS.
The ascendency of Brighton over every other marine resort in the kingdom may be regarded as having been established by the attachment to the town of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, George IV., who in 1782—when he was about twenty years of age,—honoured it for the first time with his presence on the occasion of his visit to his uncle, the Duke of Cumberland, who then occupied Grove House. The auspicious event was celebrated by the inhabitants with a general illumination, every pane of glass in the town displaying a candle stuck in a lump of clay, the primitive style of candlestick for illuminations before coloured glass well oil-lamps, called Coronation Lamps, came into vogue, previous to the adoption of gas.
The following year the Prince repeated the visit, occupying the house adjoining Grove House, belonging to Thomas Kemp, Esq., of whom it was subsequently purchased by his Royal Highness. This house formed the nucleus of the Marine Pavilion, the erection of which commenced in 1784, and the building was completed in 1787. At this period a barn stood out abruptly in East Street, at the corner of North Street, but as it incommoded the public drive it was taken down, and a handsome house,—the original of the present north-east corner of North Street,—was erected at the rear of its site, by Mr. Hall, surgeon. The other dwellings, northward to Carlisle House, were then built. The east or sea front of the Pavilion, which extended about 200 feet, consisted of a circular building in the centre supported by stone Doric pillars, and crowned with a dome, and on each side there was a range of bow-fronted apartments one story high above the basement, with balconies and verandahs. The entrance front was towards East Street. It consisted of a plain main building to which, in 1802, were added two projecting wings, that formed a square fore-court, in the centre of which was a handsome sun-dial, supported by the figure of a negro that was much admired for its beauty of design and accuracy of sculpture.
Immediately north of the Pavilion was Marlborough House, the property and residence of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. It was a massive square building of brick, two stories high, and a part of the east front formed a noble bow having three windows on each floor. There were six windows also on each floor in this front besides those in the bow. A range of nine windows on each floor faced the north. The northern boundary wall of Marlborough House was in a direct line with the present southern wall of the Pavilion Stables, and the cluster of elms on the gentle mound just north of the present Pavilion marks the site of the Duke’s residence, which was a temple of benevolence and charity, the poor and needy, daily participating in his bounty. The following extracts from the Morning Herald will show that his Grace’s good deeds to the poor extended over a series of years:—
Brighton, August 10th, 1796.—The Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, with their household, leave here on the 17th inst. Six weeks is generally the time for their Graces’ residence here, but this summer they have overstopped their stay. The Duke of Marlborough’s liberality affords a good and generous lesson to the other nobility who occasionally reside here; for the victuals and milk (the latter a scarce article in this town), that is left amongst the household, is distributed every morning, in parcels, to the poor of the place; a good day’s provision for several fishermen’s wife and children.
August 18th, 1806.—The Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and Lady A. Spencer seemed greatly to enjoy, from the windows of Marlborough House, the parade of the South Gloucester Militia on the Level.—A crowd of the indigent inhabitants of this place, from the kitchen of Marlborough House, returned with smiling faces, and aprons, &c., well filled with provisions, to their families, at an early hour this morning.