in july, the town clerk of oxford died, and norreys recommended thomas baker as a tory candidate for the post to sir leoline jenkins, the southern secretary. norreys acknowledged that edward prince, the whig candidate, was likely to prove more popular, and the intervention of the duke of monmouth against baker indeed secured prince the vote on 11 august. an altercation ensued with brome whorwood, the late whig mp for the borough, during the election: after an exchange of insults, wherein norreys called whorwood an "old knave" and was called a "young rogue" in turn, norreys then proceeded to beat whorwood with his cane. norreys was apparently ready to duel lord lovelace (in place of the aged whorwood) over the matter, but lovelace declined to take up the quarrel, and bishop fell managed to patch up affairs between norreys and whorwood before they could reach the courts.