Kilmallock. At the Union there were three charters of Kilmallock extant, and copies of these were submitted along with the consent of the sovereign and council of the borough and the corporation books of the borough. Loveday, writing in 1732, said that: 'Kilmallock, in Camden's Time [sixteenth century], was second in this country [county] to Limerick only, both for plenty and populousness, is now a row of ruin'd houses in w[hi]ch notwithstanding there appears an air of grandeur for they are several stories high, and very deep of a durable handsome stone, the doorcases &c. all of stone. Cromwell burnt the town, since which it never recovered itself to any great degree, and the Duke of Berwick completed its desolation by burning what remained; it is now a very poor place but its walls are pretty entire and its gates.'243 Kilmallock was probably a borough by prescription backed up by later charters. In 1783 it had a 'Sovereign and Burgesses not confined as to number, at present under 20, non-resident. About 20 Protestants and 300 Roman Catholics. Patron, Mr Oliver (1585).'
In 1790 it was recorded that 'Its only electors are the Burgesses, who are always chosen according to the recommendation of the Rt Hon. Silver Oliver, its sole proprietor, whose pleasure is, consequently, omnipotent in its elections of Members of Parliament. Since Mr Oliver has chosen to retire from political life, it has commonly been sold but we think that its lot will be different at the next general election, as it may possibly influence the contest for the County.'244 It was not unusual for a borough seat to be traded against county interest, but this was probably not the case at the 1790 election. On an earlier occasion, before the 1715 election, Robert Taylor wrote in January 1714/15 to Perceval in anticipation of the forthcoming election that 'Sir Thomas Southwell (1968), Mr Oliver (1583) and young Mr Evans (0704) will stand for Co. Limerick. Mr King (1152), who supported Evans last time, now supports the other two, who are likely to win. In return King is to be brought in for Kilmallock.' Southwell and Oliver were duly returned for the county at the 1715 general election, and George King for Kilmallock. The borough appears to have belonged to the Olivers throughout the century. They sold the seats for the last time in 1799 and in 1800 Richard Oliver, the son of Silver Oliver, was awarded the £15,000 compensation. Only the year before government had arranged a profitable sale of both seats to the Unionist Valentine Richard Quin (1753).
