Carmarthenshire (UK Parliament constituency)






Carmarthenshire

Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1542–1885
Number of members
one until 1832, then two
Replaced by
East Carmarthenshire and West Carmarthenshire

Carmarthenshire was a parliamentary constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was increased to two members for the 1832–33 general election.


At the 1885 general election, it was divided into two new single-member seats: Carmarthenshire East and Carmarthenshire West.




Contents





  • 1 History

    • 1.1 Reformed elections



  • 2 Members of Parliament

    • 2.1 MPs 1542–1640


    • 2.2 MPs 1640–1832


    • 2.3 MPs 1832–1885



  • 3 Election results

    • 3.1 Elections in the 1850s


    • 3.2 Elections in the 1860s


    • 3.3 Elections in the 1870s


    • 3.4 Elections in the 1880s



  • 4 References


  • 5 Bibliography




History


For most of its history, the Carmarthenshire constituency was dominated by a small number of powerful families. Chief among these were the Rice family of Dynevor, who could claim descent from the medieval Lord Rhys of Deheubarth. They drew upon traditional loyaltiy and the connotations linked to the Dynevor name to maintain their status as the leading political family of the county and leaders of the Red or Tory faction.[1]


In 1790 the influence of the Dynevor family was re-asserted when George Talbot Rice was elected unopposed. Four years later, he was elevated to the House of Lords and the family would not be in a position to represent the county again until 1820 when his yet unborn son would have came of age.[2]


A celebrated contest took place in 1802 between James Hamlyn Williams and William Paxton. The contest was said to have cost Paxton a total of £15,000. This included 11,070 breakfasts, 36,901 dinners, 25,275 gallons of ale, 11,068 bottles of spirits, 8,879 bottles of porter, 460 of sherry, 509 of cider and gallons of milk punch. The contest became known as ‘Lecsiwn Fawr’ (the Great Election). Paxton was defeated and spent two years settling his debts.[2]


In 1820, George Rice Trevor was elected MP for Carmarthenshire and held the seat until 1831, when he stood down over his opposition to reform.



Reformed elections


Following the Great Reform Act, the county was awarded a second seat. In 1832, Rice Trevor resumed his parliamentary career and served until 1852 when he was elevated to the House of Lords upon inheriting the title of Lord Dynevor. He was succeeded by David Jones of Pantglas, who served until 1868.


The second seat was held by supporters of the Whig party until John Jones of Ystrad unseated James Hamlyn-Williams in 1837. Jones was succeeded by another Tory, D.A. Saunders Davies who served until his death in 1857. At this point, however, the seat was occupied by David Pugh, who was regarded as a Liberal-Conservative, and who in later life migrated to the Liberal Party.


At the 1868 General Election, following a lengthy and lively campaign characterized by accusations of coercion, Edward Sartoris captured a seat for the Liberals.[3] He was defeated in 1874 but in 1880 the Liberals again captured a seat. Following the Third Reform Act the constituency was divided into two single-member seats.



Members of Parliament



MPs 1542–1640










































Parliamentmember
1542–1545Unknown (returns lost)[4]
1545
Hon. Richard Devereux. Died on day of re-election in October 1547[4]
1548
Sir John Perrott[4]
1553
Henry Jones[4]
1555
Richard Jones[4]
1558
Sir Thomas Jones (of Haroldston)[4]
1559
Richard Jones[4]
1563
Sir Henry Jones[4]
1572
John Vaughan
died and replaced 1576 by Walter Vaughan[4]
1584
Walter Rice[4]
1586
Sir Thomas Jones [4]
1588
Herbert Croft[4]
1593
Walter Vaughan[4]
1597
Sir Thomas Jones[4]
1601
John Vaughan [4]
1604
Sir Robert Mansell[4]|- [5]
1620
Sir John Vaughan [4]
1624
Richard Vaughan [4]
1629–1640
No Parliament summoned


MPs 1640–1832



















YearMemberParty

April 1640


Henry Vaughan

Royalist
February 1644

Vaughan disabled from sitting – seat vacant
1646


John Lloyd


December 1648

Lloyd excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant

1653

Carmarthenshire was not represented in the Barebones Parliament










YearFirst MemberSecond Member

Representation increased to two members in First Protectorate Parliament
1654John Claypole
Rowland Dawkins
1656
John Claypole,sat for Northants.
1656
Robert Atkyns[6]

Representation reverted to one member from January 1659











































































































YearMemberParty

January 1659


Thomas Hughes


May 1659

Carmarthenshire was not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660


John Lloyd

1661


Francis Vaughan (died 1668)

1668


Sir Henry Vaughan (died 1676)

1677


Altham Vaughan

1679


John Vaughan

1685


John Vaughan

1689


Sir Rice Rudd

1701


Griffith Rice

Whig
1710


Sir Thomas Powell

Tory
1715


Charles Powlett

Whig
1717


Sir Thomas Stepney

1722


Edward Rice [7]

1724


Sir Nicholas Williams

1745


John Vaughan I

1754


George Rice

1779


John Vaughan II

1784


Sir William Mansel

1790


Hon. George Rice

Tory
1793


Sir James Hamlyn

1802


James Hamlyn-Williams

1806


Sir William Paxton

1807


Lord Robert Seymour

Tory
1820


Hon. George Rice-Trevor

Tory
1831


Sir James Hamlyn-Williams

Whig

1832

Representation increased to two members by the Great Reform Act


MPs 1832–1885






















































ElectionFirst memberFirst PartySecond memberSecond Party

1832


Hon. George Rice-Trevor

Conservative


Edward Hamlyn Adams

Whig

1835


Sir James Hamlyn-Williams

Whig

1837


John Jones of Ystrad

Conservative

1842 by-election


David Arthur Saunders Davies

Conservative

1852 by-election


David Jones

Conservative

1857 by-election


David Pugh

Peelite[8][9]

1859


Liberal

1868


Edward John Sartoris

Liberal


John Jones

Conservative

1874


Viscount Emlyn

Conservative

1880


W. R. H. Powell

Liberal

1885

Constituency abolished: see East Carmarthenshire, West Carmarthenshire


Election results



Elections in the 1850s


Rice-Trevor succeeded to the peerage, becoming 4th Baron Dynevor and causing a by-election.















By-election, 13 May 1852 Carmarthenshire[10]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±


Conservative

David Jones

Unopposed


Conservative hold























General Election 1852 Carmarthenshire[10]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±


Conservative

David Jones

Unopposed


Conservative

David Arthur Saunders Davies

Unopposed

Registered electors
4,791




Conservative hold


Conservative hold























General Election 1857 Carmarthenshire[10]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±


Conservative

David Jones

Unopposed


Conservative

David Arthur Saunders Davies

Unopposed

Registered electors
4,272




Conservative hold


Conservative hold

Davies' death caused a by-election.















By-election, 12 June 1857 Carmarthenshire[10]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±


Peelite

David Pugh

Unopposed


Peelite gain from Conservative























General Election 1859 Carmarthenshire[10]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±


Conservative

David Jones

Unopposed


Liberal-Conservative

David Pugh

Unopposed

Registered electors
4,491




Conservative hold

Liberal-Conservative gain from Conservative


Elections in the 1860s




























General Election 1865 Carmarthenshire[10]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±


Conservative

David Jones

Unopposed


Liberal-Conservative

David Pugh

Unopposed

Registered electors
4,833




Conservative hold

Liberal-Conservative hold

Swing

N/A


























































General Election 1868 Carmarthenshire[3][10]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±


Liberal

Edward John Sartoris

3,280

31.6

N/A


Conservative

John Jones

2,942

28.3

N/A


Conservative
Henry Lavallin Puxley
2,828
27.2

N/A

Liberal-Conservative

David Pugh
1,340
12.9

N/A

Turnout
6,165 (est)
76.8 (est)

N/A

Registered electors
8,026


Majority
338
3.3

N/A


Liberal hold

Swing

N/A

Majority
1,602
15.4

N/A


Conservative hold

Swing

N/A


Elections in the 1870s























































General Election 1874 Carmarthenshire[11][10]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±


Conservative

Frederick Campbell

3,389

28.8

+1.6


Conservative

John Jones

3,261

27.7

−0.6


Liberal

W. R. H. Powell
2,799
23.8
+10.9


Liberal

Edward John Sartoris
2,331
19.8
−11.8
Majority
462
3.9
−11.5

Turnout
5,890 (est)
72.2 (est)
−4.6

Registered electors
8,161




Conservative gain from Liberal

Swing
+6.7



Conservative hold

Swing
−5.8


Elections in the 1880s

















































General Election 1880 Carmarthenshire (2 seats)[10]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
±


Liberal

W. R. H. Powell

4,101

41.7

−1.9


Conservative

Frederick Campbell

3,030

30.8

+2.0


Conservative

John Jones
2,712
27.6
−0.1

Turnout
7,131 (est)
83.0 (est)
+10.8

Registered electors
8,593


Majority
1,071
10.9

N/A


Liberal gain from Conservative

Swing
−1.5



Conservative hold

Swing

N/A


References




  1. ^ Escott, Margaret. "George Rice Rice". The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1820-1832. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 25 November 2017. 


  2. ^ ab Thorne, R.G. "Carmarthenshire". The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790-1820. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 25 November 2017. 


  3. ^ ab "Carmarthenshire Election". Welshman. 27 November 1868. p. 5. Retrieved 10 September 2015. 


  4. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqr Williams, William Retlaw (1895). The parliamentary history of the principality of Wales, from the earliest times to the present day, 1541–1895, comprising lists of the representatives, chronologically arranged under counties, with biographical and genealogical notices of the members, together with particulars of the various contested elections, double returns and petitions. Brecknock: Privately published. pp. 43–44. 


  5. ^ The Dictionary of National Biography records Mansell as MP for Carmarthen borough in the 1604 Parliament and for the county only in 1614, but Cobbett's Parliamentary History names Mansell as MP for the county in 1604 and Sir Walter Rice as the borough MP


  6. ^ Claypole chose for Northampton


  7. ^ On petition, Rice was declared not to have been duly elected and his opponent, Sir Nicholas Williams, was seated in his place


  8. ^ "Newry Telegraph". 9 June 1857. p. 3. Retrieved 24 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (Subscription required (help)). 


  9. ^ "Kerry Evening Post". 10 June 1857. p. 4. Retrieved 24 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (Subscription required (help)). 


  10. ^ abcdefghi Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book)|format= requires |url= (help) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 521–522. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3. 


  11. ^ "The Election (editorial)". Welshman. 13 February 1874. 




Bibliography


  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 3)

  • Robert Beatson, A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807) [1]

  • D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)


  • Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) [2]

  • F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)

  • Welsh Biography Online


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