George Briggs and Lisburn politics

By the 1850s there is clearly one man George Briggs who is both an auctioneer and a Hertford bailiff and who does business in an “office” (Northern Whig, 29 July 1854).

Mr. RICHARDSON [the losing candidate] got up to address the electors, and was hooted by the Tory mob, headed by a person named George Briggs, waving an Orange handkerchief, who seemed to be fugleman for the day, vice Ward, absent.

– Northern Whig, 27 June 1863.

-         House of Commons select committee on the Lisburn election petition (1864)

TENANT-RIGHT ON THE HERTFORD ESTATE ­– A few days ago Mr. George Briggs, auctioneer, sold the tenant right of a farm of 30 acres at Ballinderry, near Templecormack, at £11 15s an acre. The outgoing tenant is Mr. Jacob Moorhead, and the purchaser Mr. John Haddock, of Glasgow. The transaction had the entire approval of Walter T. Stannus, Esq, D.L., agent of the Hertford estate.

-         Belfast News-Letter, 3 September 1869.

In 1872, when Stannus sued Alexander Finlay (editor of the Whig) for badmouthing him and the Hertford management [6], he mentioned George in court: In 1863 three bailiffs were dismissed for interfering – namely, George Briggs, James Graham, and Thos. McCluskey. Complaints were written to Lord Hertford, and he wrote over about it and dismissed them.

Stannus quickly corrected himself: McCluskey [McCloskey, McClusky,…] resigned and “he was not reinstated after the election”.

Again formal evidence may be in the archives; Stannus’s words suggest that the fourth Marquess, or perhaps his assistant Richard Wallace, put pen to paper in Paris. This is a minor matter in the large story of the estates and the long-running inheritance squabbles that led much later to the gift to the nation of the Wallace collection. The point would seem to be, not that George and the other bailiffs were especially violent in persuading the Lisburn voters – probably they did nothing that was seen as criminal in those days, and there is no sign of prosecutions – but that the fourth Marquess was on record as ordering that the bailiffs should not “interfere”. In 1872 in court Stannus, recalling the dismissals, said the offence was “a distinct violation of the Marquis of Hertford’s orders”: neither his agent, nor anybody connected with his office, should use any influence on his behalf.

The Marquess’s view was also expressed in his letters: if the tenants wanted to use their votes freely (McCall’s very vocal wish), let them do so; and if they voted against the Hertford candidates they could expect no punishment but no favours: no special generosity with rent reviews, no costly treats, no friendly attention. George and his colleagues disobeyed. We do not know exactly how they used “influence”, but Alexander McCann summoned McCloskey before Lisburn Petty Sessions (Northern Whig, 10 April 1863) for “having made use of remarks about him that were not proper” and putting him “in fear of his life”. The Bench dismissed the case (McCann protesting that Stannus, since McCloskey had been a Hertford bailiff, should not be sitting as one of the magistrates). McCann also summoned “another person named Briggs, also a bailiff” for publishing libels about the recent Lisburn election. Briggs “acknowledged the publication of the document, but denied the libel”; the Bench said they lacked jurisdiction, and sent the case to the Quarter Sessions. Whatever ensued, this would be poor publicity in the eyes of Stannus and the Marquess.

The solicitor John Rea left further libellous remarks about the 1863 voters [3]:

GEORGE BRIGGS - Although INNOCENT George gave his vote at last to Verner, it is well known that he (like his friend Davy) had previously DONE THE WORK for Barbour ON THE SLY, and he says he was OFFERED £200 for his services by one of Barbour's leaders; and some of these brave, jolly fellows have lately, while inhaling the pleasant fumes of a dozen tumblers of Tom McCreight's POISON, enjoyed a hearty laugh as they exclaimed - `Well Boys, poor Barbour paid dear for the roast, for £200 and nothing less, was canny George's price". But of course SOFT and SIMPLE George could not think of accepting such a tempting offer, so easily earned, and so seldom to be caught; and at once –while blushing like a young bride at the altar, with one of his naturally child-like smiles, a significant look, and a little nod of the head-he begged to be excused if he declined accepting such a handsome and valuable gift; he hoped that in doing so he did not offend Mr. Barbour's friend, and politely refused it! To be sure he did. "Well done", says George. `Hurra! hurra! hurra! "Verner for ever," but I'll put Barbour into Parliament!

"Oh Johnny, my darling! you kissed my own cosey wife,

And shoved my £200 down her we (sic) diddy-house".

The “friend Davy” is:

DAVID GRAHAM - This TRUE BLUE ORANGEMAN, but better known as "Calcraft," came out strong at once, and in the house of his friend Young, in Bridge Street, at eleven o'clock on a Saturday night, declared his LOYAL principles in good style, having first drowned his Orange colours in a tumbler of Sam's good brandy, his favourite beverage. Being primed and loaded, he then fired off, avowing himself a true Barbourite; that he would support Barbour as far as in his power; that it was the duty of every one to support him, no matter about his principles; that he would get him ten votes for every one of Verner's, who, he vowed, would be beaten by a large majority; that the present Government should be overturned, and Barbour sent to Parliament .

Having so far displayed his LOYALTY to the Protestant cause, his brother W. J. Wilson took him up warmly, and accused him of want of principle, and inconsistency as an Orangeman, and being a traitor to the cause he had been pretending to serve; and like a real true blue, defended the Protestant cause.

Davy could not any longer stand Wilson's fire, and took to his heels, through Sam's back door into the yard, attempting to climb over a shed and reach the graveyard by scaling the wall. However, he soon returned back, pale as death, and out of breath, giving unmistakeable evidence of having met the ghost of some departed one, whose repose in the tomb had been disturbed by the rattle of Davy's PRAYER-BOOK on his grave-being the well-thumbed PACK OF CARDS, which were exhibited at head-quarters. Orange Sam, or "no surrender," then came to his relief, and permitted his departure by another route, and he flew to Bridge-end in grief.

Having been so useful in procuring the return of his radical favourite to Parliament, he boasted to his friend James Long that he could sport £100 of Barbour's money, which he had for eight or ten days in his pocket: but that as second thoughts were sometimes best, he had quietly handed it to Robert Kennedy, a near friend of his own candidate, to keep for him till after the investigations should be over at head-quarters, saying that he did not care a farthing, should he only "get a hearing" so that he might swear himself innocent of having any of Barbour's money. In this, however, he was doomed to be disappointed; for Protestant McCann's never-failing artillery, which he brought to bear on Davy, was too powerful. The battle was soon fought and the victory won; and Davy's "prayer-book" sent off to the Royal Museum in London, no longer to be allowed disturb the ashes of the departed saints.

Rea’s remarks need decoding but are still helpful today. Bridge Street in Lisburn is just south of the cathedral and graveyard. The innkeeper Samuel Young married Margaret Mussen of the Hill Hall family, part of a wide middle-class network of Macks, Mussens and Seeds. The innkeeper Thomas McCreight married Elizabeth Phenix of the Maze. The McCann here is probably Robert, a voter, not Alexander.

George Briggs examined by Mr. KENNEDY – Am bailiff in Lord Hertford’s office. Know the defendant for the last fifty years. He holds a farm under Lord Hertford in Blaris. He is a quiet, sober, honest, moral living man. I don’t believe he is connected with Fenianism. If I thought he was, I would not give him a good character, for I am a loyal man myself, and an Orangeman, and I would support the Queen and Constitution to the last drop of my blood, as well as any man that ever was born.

– Northern Whig, 17 December 1866.

Stannus does not say so explicitly, but George may have been “reinstated after the election” – we have this 1866 statement that he is a bailiff, and Stannus’s “entire approval” of his auctioneer work in 1869, so he may have returned to official favour after a suitable break.