David Cameron’s wife, Samantha, has a number of MPs (all Tory) among her forbears. One of them was the subject of a piece in The Times on April 25 which featured one of the refreshment tickets distributed to his supporters who exchanged them for free food and drink. Alistair Lexden filled in the details in the following letter published on April 28.
Sir, The constituency won in 1835 by Sam Cam’s Tory forbear, Thomas Corbett (1796-1868), was not Salford, but North Lincolnshire where he owned some 10,000 acres (“Sam Cam ancestor gave voters free beer”, Apr. 25). His supporters were not a greedy lot. Voters normally expected up to four times the amount that Corbett spent per head on refreshments. Even so this son-in-law of a duke (St Albans) begrudged the outlay and left the Commons two years later without making a speech.
Lord Lexden
London SW1