William Wolryche-Whitmore

[1] Bridgnorth was a pocket borough, controlled by the owners of the Dudmaston estate and, despite its small electorate and modest importance, had two seats in Parliament.

Hitherto, the majority of its members had supported the Tory governments of the period: Isaac Hawkins Browne, who had resigned in 1812, had been opposed to parliamentary reform and Catholic Emancipation, and was associated with the pro-slavery West Indies lobby.

[2][9] Despite the fact that it could be considered against the interest of himself and his class, Wolryche-Whitmore campaigned long and hard for repeal of the Corn Laws.

His successor in the Wolverhampton seat was Charles Pelham Villiers, another radical Whig who continued his anti-Corn Law work.

The repeal was not achieved until 1846, when the Tory leader, Robert Peel, split his party to force the measure through with Whig support.

One of his major concerns was providing new opportunities for working-class people through emigration, and he strongly opposed the use of convict and slave labour everywhere.

He spent heavily on remodelling the house and the estate on more modern lines, diversifying the economic activities and improving conditions for his workers and tenants.