A British Parliamentary borough effectively under the control of a single wealthy individual or family. Before the 1832 Reform Act there was no uniform basis for the parliamentary franchise in towns and the right to vote tended to be limited to a small number of people. This made it easier for a local magnate to ensure the election of any candidate he chose to put forward. The borough was thus said to be “in his pocket”. Such pressure on voters was not effectively ended until the introduction of secret ballots in 1872.