▁mis fort une ▁has ▁contributed ▁to ▁critic isms ▁that ▁Ash m ole ▁took ▁an ▁unf air ▁share ▁of ▁the ▁credit ▁in ▁assemb ling ▁the ▁collection ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁the ▁Tr ades c ants . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 7 8 , ▁Ash m ole ▁stood ▁as ▁a ▁candidate ▁in ▁a ▁by - e lection ▁for ▁the ▁L ich field ▁bor ough ▁parliament ary ▁constitu ency ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁inc umb ent ▁members . ▁During ▁Ash m ole ' s ▁campaign ▁his ▁cousin , ▁Thomas ▁Sm al ridge , ▁who ▁was ▁acting ▁as ▁a ▁kind ▁of ▁campaign ▁manager , ▁fell ▁ill ▁and ▁died . ▁Ash m ole ▁did ▁not ▁visit ▁the ▁constitu ency , ▁and , ▁as ▁Ash m ole ' s ▁own ▁hor os cope ▁had ▁predicted , ▁he ▁lost ▁the ▁election . ▁He ▁also ▁put ▁himself ▁forward ▁as ▁a ▁candidate ▁in ▁the ▁general ▁election ▁of ▁ 1 6 8 5 . ▁Sur v iving ▁documents ▁indicate ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁candidate , ▁but ▁after ▁King ▁James ▁II ▁requested ▁he ▁stand ▁down ▁( in ▁an ▁age ▁when ▁monarch s ▁were ▁likely ▁to ▁inter f ere ▁with ▁parliament ary ▁elections ), ▁Ash m ole ▁did ▁so . ▁On ▁election ▁day , ▁all ▁the ▁votes ▁cast ▁for ▁Ash m ole , ▁instead ▁of ▁being ▁declared ▁invalid , ▁were ▁declared ▁as ▁votes ▁for ▁the ▁King ' s ▁candidate , ▁and ▁only ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁this ▁r use ▁was ▁the ▁candidate ▁fav oured ▁by ▁the