pocket borough

He entered Parliament in 1806 as member for Morpeth, a pocket borough where his father controlled one of the two seats.

The constituency of Grantham was a pocket borough, whose elections were controlled by its landowners.

Although it was not quite an entirely safe pocket borough, the Duke could generally be confident of seeing his chosen candidates returned.

Most of the burgage boroughs became pocket boroughs in this way.

After his earlier disobedience he could not expect to be handed a pocket borough so, instead, he had to buy his own.

Between 1800 and 1831 when pocket boroughs were abolished 12 members of the Smith family sat for the Midhurst parliamentary seat alone.

Abel the second eventually entered Parliament for a pocket borough in 1774.

For two centuries following the restoration the city was a pocket borough of this family.

Second, the Bill reduced the Lords' power by eliminating many of their pocket boroughs and creating new ones where they had no influence.

A member who represented a pocket borough was expected to vote as his patron ordered, lest he lose his seat at the next election.