{"id":144,"date":"2010-08-18T13:57:57","date_gmt":"2010-08-18T12:57:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.faulder.org.uk\/genealogy\/?p=144"},"modified":"2021-11-08T13:24:58","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T13:24:58","slug":"george-henry-williamson-b-1845-briefly-mp-for-worcester","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.faulder.org.uk\/genealogy\/?p=144","title":{"rendered":"George Henry Williamson (b 1845): Briefly MP for Worcester"},"content":{"rendered":"

George Henry Williamson was (in 1906) briefly elected Conservative and Unionist MP for Worcester before being disqualified.<\/p>\n

It was suggested that members of his team had bribed voters to vote Conservative. After a petition by the Liberal Party the result was declared void.<\/p>\n

The report of the election court to the Speaker of the House of Commons (Hansard<\/a> 14th June 1906) said:<\/p>\n

… we determined that the said George Henry Williamson, being the Member whose Election and Return were complained of in the said Petition was not duly elected and returned, and that the said Election was void.\u00a0 …<\/p>\n

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  1. That no corrupt or illegal practice was proved to have been committed by or with the knowledge and consent of any Candidate at the said Election.<\/li>\n
  2. That the persons whose names appear in the First Schedule hereto were proved to have been guilty of the corrupt practices of bribery and treating.<\/li>\n
  3. That there is reason to believe that corrupt practices have extensively prevailed at the said Election.<\/li>\n
  4. That the said George Henry Williamson was guilty by his agents of the corrupt practice of bribery.<\/li>\n
  5. That Certificates of Indemnity have been furnished to the persons proved guilty of bribery or treating whose names appear in the Second Schedule hereto.<\/li>\n
  6. That the corrupt practices which, as there is reason to believe, extensively prevailed at the said Election were treating and the distribution of small sums, varying in amount from sixpence to two shillings and sixpence, as bribes amongst the poorer class of voters.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    As a result there was a Royal Commission set up to look into the scandal and the reports of the commission filled many columns of the Times over many weeks.\u00a0 The Royal Commission of 1906 came to the conclusion that:<\/p>\n

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