was forced to make regular land sales after 1866, as the interest alone on his mortgages reached £1,000 per year (). He sold off plots for building until 1870, but not the Royal Park itself, although he did attempt to sell it to the city council as a parkland extension to Woodhouse Moor. From 1870, Clapham and his Royal Park began to be overwhelmed by debt, despite land sales and income from admissions. His attempt to set up a limited company to limit personal losses failed because of the weight of debts Clapham was attempting to shoulder. The park was rapidly losing money, and a meeting of his creditors in July 1871 resolved to order the liquidation of Clapham's estate. This foreclosure resulted in the sale at auction of Clapham's remaining land holdings to various buyers that September. The Royal Park itself was finally sold in February 1874 for £16,500. The lots were described at the time as: "They are situated about one mile from the centre of Leeds in the best locality, and the land unbuilt on is admirably adapted for the sites of residences of a superior class. A very extensive and beautiful view can be obtained from nearly every part of the estate." After the sale, the site was renamed the Leeds Horticultural Gardens and continued to be used as pleasure gardens until 1885, after which it was sold for housing like the rest of the surrounding plots. The terraced streets that replaced it continue to carry the Royal Park name, though the name of Clapham Road was changed at this point to Brudenell Road, apparently not wishing to commemorate a failed businessman. Local politics In March 1851, Thomas Clapham was the chairman of a public meeting in the Court House, Leeds, which sent recommendations to the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, held later in the year. They suggested firstly that the working classes should be admitted to the Exhibition for the first four days in every week "so that they may derive every possible benefit", and secondly, the reduction of fares charged by railway companies from Leeds to London from 15s 4d to 12 shillings, enabling a greater number to reach the Exhibition. From 1865, Clapham served two three-year terms as a Leeds Town Councillor, in common with many of the other influential local businessmen of the time, as a Conservative for the North