Thomas Long (1539 – 30 June 1593), also spelt Longe, was the first Englishman to be punished for being elected to the
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England (which Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542, incorporated Wales) from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was re ...
by bribery.
After being returned as one of the two
Members
Member may refer to:
* Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon
* Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set
* In object-oriented programming, a member of a class
** Field (computer science), entries in ...
of the
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the Great Council of England, great council of Lords Spi ...
for
Westbury in 1571, Long was found to be "a simple man, and of small capacity to serve in parliament". On enquiries being made, it transpired that he had paid Anthony Garland, the
returning officer, and a Mr Wat, the sum of four
pounds to be elected. For this conduct, which was described as "the said lewd and scandalous attempt", the borough of Westbury was
amerced twenty pounds, Long was removed from office, and the returning officer was both fined and imprisoned.
Long's identity is not completely clear from the historical record; the dates given here are from the ''History of Parliament'', which notes the existence of another Thomas Long, his uncle, as well as a younger brother, also Thomas Long. He died in 1593, leaving three sons and three daughters, and an estate of around £300.
LONG, Thomas (1539-93), of Westbury; later of Semington, Wilts
Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981
Further reading
*
References
1593 deaths
Politicians from Wiltshire
English MPs 1571
1539 births
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