Appleby was a parliamentary borough from medieval times, electing two
Members of Parliament (MPs). By the 18th century it was a
pocket borough, whose members were effectively in the gift of the
Lowther family. They included
William Pitt the Younger, who was MP for Appleby when he became
Prime Minister in 1783, although he stood down in the next general election, preferring to take a
Cambridge University seat. A later Appleby member was Viscount Howick, later as
Earl Grey the Prime Minister under whom the
Reform Act 1832 was passed. However, that did not save it from losing both members under the act. As the only county town disenfranchised, Appleby was a controversial case in the debates on the Reform Bill, where the opposition attempted vainly to save it at least one MP. It gained a new charter in 1885. The town remained a
municipal borough until such status was abolished under the
Local Government Act 1972. It was superseded by
Eden district, based in
Penrith. Appleby was the county town of
Westmorland. The
Courts of Assise met at the
Shire Hall there, although the former
county council sat at the
County Hall in
Kendal.
Present Appleby today is in the
parliamentary constituency of
Westmorland and Lonsdale. For
local government purposes it now forms part of
Westmorland and Furness unitary authority. It formerly bridged the Appleby and Bongate wards of
Eden District Council and the Appleby Ward of
Cumbria County Council. Its own
parish council is named Appleby-in-Westmorland Town Council. ==Media==