In 1296, when Dunwich was first accorded representation in Parliament,[1] it was a flourishing port and market town about thirty miles (50 km) from Ipswich.
Earlier, in the 1760s, Sir Jacob Downing had been the sole patron, but in theory he also was considered to have only influence, rather than the absolute power to dictate the choice of the Members.
[2] Unsurprisingly, in 1754 Downing was able to occupy one seat himself and sell the choice of the other member to the Duke of Newcastle (then Prime Minister) for £1,000; it is not recorded whether he needed to share some of this largesse with his co-operative voters.
Named Dunny-on-the-Wold, and like Dunwich, described as being located in Suffolk,[10] it has a population of three cows, a dachshund called Colin, and "a small hen in its late forties"; only one person lives there and he is the voter.
After an obviously rigged election (in which it is revealed that Blackadder is both the constituency's returning officer and voter, after both his predecessors had died in highly suspicious "accidents"), Baldrick is made an MP having received all 16,472 of the votes cast.