Carmarthen (1542–1918 UK Parliament constituency)

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Carmarthen
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Preserved countyCarmarthenshire
Major settlementsCarmarthen, Llanelli
1832–1918
SeatsOne
Created fromCarmarthen and Carmarthenshire (part)
Replaced byCarmarthen and Llanelli
1542–1832
SeatsOne
Type of constituencyBorough constituency

Carmarthen was a borough constituency of the House of Commons in the English Parliament and later the UK Parliament. It existed between 1542 until 1832 representing the town of Carmarthen, Wales. In 1832 it was expanded and named Carmarthen Boroughs from 1832 until 1918. A county-wide constituency of Carmarthenshire also existed between 1542 and 1885.

In 1918 Carmarthen Boroughs was abolished and a new county-wide division with the name Carmarthen was established.

History

Carmarthenshire boundaries 1885–1918

Until 1832, Carmarthen was a borough constituency consisting of the town of Carmarthen.

Between 1832 and 1918 Carmarthen was a district of boroughs constituency, consisting of Carmarthen itself and Llanelli, and was sometimes called "The Carmarthen Boroughs". A county-wide constituency also existed, called Carmarthenshire, until 1885 (at which point it was split into East and West).

In 1918, the Carmarthen borough constituency was abolished, but the name was transferred to the new county-wide division of Carmarthen.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1542–1640

Parliament Member
1542 Gruffydd Williams[1]
1545 Gruffydd Williams[1]
1547 Thomas Phaer[1]
1553 (Mar) William Parry[1]
1553 (Oct) Gruffydd Hygons[1]
1554 (Apr) William Aubrey[1][2]
1554 (Nov) John Parry[1]
1555 William Wightman[1]
1558 John Vaughan[1]
1559 John Parry[3]
1563 John Morgan[3]
1571 ?John Vaughan[3]
1572 Thomas Wigmore[3]
1584 John Puckering, sat for Bedford
replaced 1584 by Edward Donne Lee[3]
1586 Edward Donne Lee[3]
1588 Gelly Meyrick[3]
1593 Sir Thomas Baskerville[3]
1597 Henry Vaughan[3]
1601 Walter Rice[3]
1604–1611 Sir Walter Rice
1614 William Thomas
1621 Henry Vaughan
1624 Henry Vaughan
1626 Henry Vaughan
1628 Henry Vaughan
1629–1640 No Parliaments summoned

1640–1832

Election Member[4] Party
1640 (Apr) Francis Lloyd Royalist
1640 (Nov) Francis Lloyd Royalist
February 1644 Lloyd disabled from sitting – seat vacant
1646 William Davies
December 1648 Davies not recorded as sitting after Pride's Purge
1653 Carmarthen was not represented in the Barebones Parliament
or the First or Second Parliaments of the Protectorate
January 1659 David Morgan
May 1659 Not represented in the restored Rump
April 1660 Arthur Annesley
1661 Hon. John Vaughan
1679 Altham Vaughan
1685 Richard Vaughan
1725 James Phillips
1727 Arthur Bevan
1741 Sir John Philipps
1747 Thomas Mathews
1751 Griffith Philipps
1761 The Earl Verney
1768 Griffith Philipps
1774 John Adams
1780 George Philipps
1784 John George Philipps
May 1796 Magens Dorrien Magens[5]
November 1796 John George Philipps
1803 Sir William Paxton
1806 Vice-Admiral George Campbell Whig[6]
1813 John Campbell Whig[6]
1821 John Jones Tory[6]

1832–1918: Carmarthen Boroughs

Election Member[4] Party
1832 Hon. William Yelverton Whig[6]
1835 David Lewis Conservative[6]
1837 David Morris Whig[6][7][8]
1859 Liberal
1864 William Morris Liberal
1868 (Sir) John Cowell-Stepney[9] Liberal
1874 Charles William Nevill Conservative
1876 (Sir) Arthur Cowell-Stepney[10] Liberal
1878 by-election Benjamin Thomas Williams Liberal
1882 by-election John Jones Jenkins Liberal
1886 Sir Arthur Cowell-Stepney Liberal
1892 Evan Rowland Jones Liberal
1895 Sir John Jones Jenkins Liberal Unionist
1900 Alfred Davies Liberal
1906 W. Llewelyn Williams Liberal

Elections

Elections in the 19th century

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Carmarthen Boroughs[6][11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Jones Unopposed
Tory hold

At the 1830 general election, rioting broke out during polling, at which point John Jones and his Whig rival, John George Philipps, had secured three votes apiece. The vote was abandoned and a by-election was called four months later in December.

1831 Carmarthen Boroughs by-election[6][11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Jones 274 57.4
Whig John George Philipps 203 42.6
Majority 71 14.8
Turnout 477 c. 66.0
Registered electors c. 723
Tory hold
General election 1832: Carmarthen Boroughs[6][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig William Henry Yelverton 302 50.6 +8.0
Tory John Jones 295 49.4 -8.0
Majority 7 1.2 N/A
Turnout 597 87.3 c. +21.3
Registered electors 684
Whig gain from Tory Swing +8.0
General election 1835: Carmarthen Boroughs[6][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Lewis 304 53.1 +3.7
Whig William Henry Yelverton 268 46.9 -3.7
Majority 36 6.2 N/A
Turnout 572 74.0 -13.3
Registered electors 773
Conservative gain from Whig Swing +3.7
General election 1837: Carmarthen Boroughs[6][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig David Morris 333 53.7 +6.8
Conservative David Lewis 287 46.3 -6.8
Majority 46 7.4 N/A
Turnout 620 78.9 +4.9
Registered electors 786
Whig gain from Conservative Swing +6.8

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Carmarthen Boroughs[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig David Morris Unopposed
Registered electors 938
Whig hold
General election 1847: Carmarthen Boroughs[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig David Morris Unopposed
Registered electors 991
Whig hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Carmarthen Boroughs[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig David Morris Unopposed
Registered electors 849
Whig hold
General election 1857: Carmarthen Boroughs[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig David Morris Unopposed
Registered electors 799
Whig hold
General election 1859: Carmarthen Boroughs[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal David Morris Unopposed
Registered electors 823
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s

1864 Carmarthen Boroughs by-election[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Morris Unopposed
Registered electors
Liberal hold
General election 1865: Carmarthen Boroughs[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Morris Unopposed
Registered electors 884
Liberal hold
General election 1868: Carmarthen Boroughs[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Cowell-Stepney 1,892 76.1 N/A
Conservative Morgan Dalrymple Treherne[13] 595 23.9 N/A
Majority 1,297 52.2 N/A
Turnout 2,487 75.7 N/A
Registered electors 3,286
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Carmarthen Boroughs[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles William Nevill 1,654 52.8 +28.9
Liberal Arthur Cowell-Stepney 1,481 47.2 −28.9
Majority 173 5.6 N/A
Turnout 3,135 69.8 −5.9
Registered electors 4,494
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +28.9
1876 Carmarthen Boroughs by-election[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Arthur Cowell-Stepney Unopposed
Registered electors
Liberal gain from Conservative
1878 Carmarthen Boroughs by-election[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Benjamin Thomas Williams Unopposed
Registered electors
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Carmarthen Boroughs[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Benjamin Thomas Williams 1,935 51.5 +4.3
Independent Liberal John Jones Jenkins[14] 1,825 48.5 N/A
Majority 110 3.0 N/A
Turnout 3,760 70.0 +0.2
Registered electors 5,369
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A
1882 Carmarthen Boroughs by-election[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Jones Jenkins Unopposed
Registered electors
Liberal hold
General election 1885: Carmarthen Boroughs[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Jones Jenkins 2,884 69.2 +17.7
Conservative John Simmons Tregoning 1,281 30.8 N/A
Majority 1,603 38.4 +35.4
Turnout 4,165 77.1 +7.1
Registered electors 5,399
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election 1886: Carmarthen Boroughs[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Arthur Cowell-Stepney 2,120 52.8 −16.4
Liberal Unionist John Jones Jenkins 1,898 47.2 +16.4
Majority 222 5.6 −32.8
Turnout 4,018 74.4 −2.7
Registered electors 5,399
Liberal hold Swing −16.4

Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Carmarthen Boroughs[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Evan Rowland Jones 2,412 52.4 −0.4
Liberal Unionist John Jones Jenkins 2,187 47.6 +0.4
Majority 225 4.8 −0.8
Turnout 4,599 87.0 +12.6
Registered electors 5,289
Liberal hold Swing −0.4
General election 1895: Carmarthen Boroughs[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist John Jones Jenkins 2,443 50.5 +2.9
Liberal Evan Rowland Jones 2,391 49.5 −2.9
Majority 52 1.0 N/A
Turnout 4,834 90.0 +3.0
Registered electors 5,370
Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +2.9

Elections in the 20th century

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Carmarthen Boroughs[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alfred Davies 2,837 58.1 +8.6
Liberal Unionist John Jones Jenkins 2,047 41.9 −8.6
Majority 790 16.2 N/A
Turnout 4,884 87.9 −2.1
Registered electors 5,557
Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist Swing +8.6
W.L. Williams
General election 1906: Carmarthen Boroughs[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal W. Llewelyn Williams 3,902 68.3 +10.2
Conservative Vere Ponsonby 1,808 31.7 −10.2
Majority 2,094 36.6 +20.4
Turnout 5,710 91.2 +3.3
Registered electors 6,258
Liberal hold Swing +10.2

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Carmarthen Boroughs[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal W. Llewelyn Williams 4,197 68.1 −0.2
Liberal Unionist Viscount Tiverton 1,965 31.9 +0.2
Majority 2,232 36.2 −0.4
Turnout 6,162 91.0 −0.2
Registered electors 6,772
Liberal hold Swing −0.2
General election December 1910: Carmarthen Boroughs[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal W. Llewelyn Williams Unopposed
Registered electors
Liberal hold
1912 Carmarthen Boroughs by-election[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal W. Llewelyn Williams 3,836 58.6 N/A
Conservative Henry Coulson Bond 2,555 39.1 N/A
Independent Labour Frank G Vivian 149 2.3 N/A
Majority 1,281 19.5 N/A
Turnout 6,540 89.8 N/A
Registered electors 7,281
Liberal hold Swing -8.3
1915 Carmarthen Boroughs by-election[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal W. Llewelyn Williams Unopposed
Registered electors
Liberal hold

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  2. ^ Watkin, Thomas Glyn (January 2008). "Aubrey, William (c.1529–1595)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online edition, subscription required). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 24 February 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "History of Parliament". History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  4. ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 2)
  5. ^ On petition, Magens was found not to have been duly elected, and his opponent Phillips was seated in his place
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. p. 184.
  7. ^ Churton, Edward (1836). The Assembled Commons or Parliamentary Biographer: 1836. p. 163.
  8. ^ "Carmarthen". Dublin Evening Post. 29 June 1841. p. 3. Retrieved 21 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ Created a baronet, 1871
  10. ^ Succeeded to baronetcy, 1877
  11. ^ a b Escott, Margaret. "Carmarthen". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  13. ^ "The Battle of the Boroughs". Carmarthen Weekly Reporter. 28 November 1868. p. 4. Retrieved 3 February 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ^ "The nomination for Carmarthen Boroughs". The Illustrated London News. 7 January 1882. p. 15. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  15. ^ a b c d e f British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918 (Craig)
  16. ^ a b c d Craig, F. W. S. (1974). British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (1 ed.). London: Macmillan.

Sources

  • 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]
  • The Constitutional Year Book for 1913 (London: National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, 1913)
  • F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
  • J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 – England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
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