Tuam

Tuam was incorporated by a 1614 charter of 11 James I. It had the usual pattern of a sovereign, 12 free burgesses and a commonalty. The borough originally belonged to the archbishopric of Tuam. However, the Rt Hon. Henry Bingham (0136) married Anne, daughter of Archbishop Vesey, a Lord Justice in 1714, and the borough, probably through control of the corporation, passed into the hands of the Clanmorris branch of the Bingham family, who either sold or represented the seat throughout the century. In 1800 Sir Jonah Barrington (0087), as author of the opposition black Union list, declared that 'The Author of this work was deputed to learn from Mr Bingham (0144) what his expectations from government for his seats were: he proposed to take from the opposition £8,000 for his two seats for Tuam and oppose the Union. Government afterwards added a Peerage and £15,000 for the borough.'¹⁸⁷However, although he was created Lord Clanmorris on 31 July 1800, he was required to pay his brother-in-law, Walter Yelverton (2269), who had purchased his seat, £1,000 out of the compensation money.