POLITICAL HISTORY Bedford Whigs and later 'king's friends.' The Marquis of Titchfield, after- wards duke of Portland, and First Lord of the Treasury in 1783 and 1807, represented the borough in 176 1, and John Scott, afterwards Lord Chancellor and earl of Eldon, from 1783 to 1788. The Reform Act of 1832 gave the county an additional member, and disfranchised Weobley entirely. Thus the total number of representatives was reduced from eight to seven. Under the new franchise the county representation was divided between the parties. The most distinguished member during this period was George Cornewall Lewis, the Liberal states- man, who sat for the county from 1847 to 1852. He was descended through his mother from the Cornewalls of Moccas. The city with its enlarged franchise became definitely Liberal. Leominster evinced no decided political preferences between 1832 and 1857, ^^^ ^°^ ^^^ next ten years it returned Conservatives exclusively. The Redistribution Bill of 1867 reduced the total representation to six by depriving Leominster of one of its members, while in 1885 t^^ ^^'^^^ w^^ further reduced to three. Single members were assigned to north and south Herefordshire and the city of Hereford respectively, Leo- minster being merged in the northern county division. Sir James Rankin sat as Conservative member for North Herefordshire from 1886 till 1906, when he was defeated by the Liberal candidate, Mr. E. G. Lamb, by a majority of only twenty-eight. South Herefordshire returned Mr. Michael Biddulph from 1885 to 1900, first as a Liberal and then as a Liberal-Unionist. In 1900 Captain Clive was returned unopposed as a Unionist, but in 1906 he was defeated by Lieut.-Colonel Gardner. In 1886 the city returned Sir J. R. Bailey, a Conservative, but in 1892 Mr. W. H. Grenfell gained the seat for the Gladstonian Liberals. It was lost again at a bye-election in the following year, and has since been retained by the Conservative party. The 36th Regiment of Foot, afterwards named the Herefordshire Regiment, was originally raised in Ireland by William Viscount Charle- mont in 1701 under a royal warrant dated 28 June. From an early period it wore the 'grass-green' facings which it so long retained. But it was in no way connected with Herefordshire until 1782, when by a letter dated 31 August it was directed to assume the title of the Herefordshire Regiment with a view to recruiting it particularly from that county. It proceeded to India in 1783, took part in the campaigns against Tipu Saib in 1790, 1791, and 1792, and in the capture of Pondicheri in 1793. In 1799 it returned home, and from 1800 to 1802 was stationed in Minorca. In 1804 a second battalion was added to the regiment to be raised from the county of Durham. In 1806 the first battalion served in Germany, and in 1807 at Buenos Ayres. In July 1808 it proceeded to Portugal, took part in combat at Roli9a on 1 7 August, and in the battle of Vimiera, on 2 1 August, where Wellesley declared in a letter to Castlereagh that its conduct was an example to the army. It shared in Moore's advance into Spain, and at the battle of Coruna on 16 January, 1809, was posted on the left of the English line. In August it took part in the disastrous Walcheren expedition, and suffered severely from disease. In March, 181 1, it joined Wellington's army in Spain, fought at Salamanca on 22 July, 18 12, in the Pyrenees in July, 18 13, at the passage of the Nivelle on 10 November, and of the Nive on 9 December, at the battle of Orthez on 27 February, 18 14, and at the final engagernent of 403
