What is a rotten borough?
Q: What is a rotten borough?
A: A rotten borough was a type of parliamentary borough in the UK before the Reform Act 1832, where a small electorate could be used by its "owner" or patron to get a seat in Parliament in the House of Commons without any opposition.
Q: What was the Reform Act of 1832?
A: The Reform Act of 1832 was an act passed in the UK that put an end to the use of rotten boroughs, where a small electorate could be used by its "owner" or patron to get a seat in Parliament in the House of Commons without any opposition.
Q: How was Old Sarum in Wiltshire notorious?
A: Old Sarum in Wiltshire was the most notorious pocket borough. It was owned by the Pitt family from the mid-17th century until 1802. One of its Members of Parliament was Prime Minister William Pitt the Elder.
Q: Who owned Old Sarum in Wiltshire?
A: Old Sarum in Wiltshire was owned by the Pitt family from the mid-17th century until 1802.
Q: How much was Old Sarum in Wiltshire sold for by the Pitt family?
A: In 1802 the Pitt family sold Old Sarum in Wiltshire for £60,000, much more than the land itself was worth.
Q: Who was Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk?
A: Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk, was an even more striking example of owning rotten boroughs than the Pitt family as he controlled eleven boroughs.
Q: What are the similar terms used for rotten boroughs in the 18th-century Parliament of Ireland?
A: The same terms were used for similar boroughs in the 18th-century Parliament of Ireland.
