Merioneth (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Merioneth, sometimes called Merionethshire, was a constituency in North Wales
established in 1542, which returned one Member of Parliament
to the House of Commons
of the English Parliament
, and later to the Parliament of Great Britain
and of the United Kingdom
. It was abolished for the 1983 general election
, when it was largely replaced by the new constituency of Meirionnydd Nant Conwy
.
. Merioneth was always an almost entirely rural constituency, rocky and mountainous with grazing the only useful agricultural activity that could be pursued; quarrying was its other main economic mainstay. It was also a strongly Welsh-speaking area (a parliamentary paper in 1904 listed that just 6.2% of the population could only speak English, lower than in any other county in Wales), and by the 19th century was a stronghold of non-conformist religion.
, which gave the right to vote to every man who possessed freehold property within the county valued at £2 or more per year for the purposes of land tax; it was not necessary for the freeholder to occupy his land, nor even in later years to be resident in the county at all. Nevertheless, the electorate was small, probably only a few hundred, though the lack of contested elections make it impossible to be sure: at the 1774 election, the only one to go to a poll in the 18th century, exactly 600 votes were cast. By way of comparison, the population at the time of the 1831 census was about 34,500.
For more than a century before the Reform Act, Merioneth's representation was almost entirely monopolised by the Vaughan family of Corsygedol - they and the Wynns of Wynnstay
, who supported them, were the two leading families of the county and the expense of a contested election was presumably seen as futile by any potential opposition candidates. When a magnate from outside the county, The Earl of Powis
, did intervene in 1774, his candidate was roundly defeated. Since the Vaughans were not aligned with any of the great aristocratic interests of the rest of Wales, and were generally regarded as maintaining their independence, there was little partisan interest in dislodging them.
and 1865
Merioneth's electorate rose by 50%, from 1,091 to 1,527. But there was also a dramatic rise in the electorate between 1835
and 1837
(from 698 to 1,336), which is less easy to explain. Nevertheless, even with these occasional peaks, Merioneth was a small constituency by Welsh - let alone English - standards.
By the time of the 1911 census, the population of Merioneth was 46,849, and in other circumstances it would have been too small to survive as a separate constituency, but the physical geography meant that the inconvenience which would be caused to voters and MPs alike by combining it with a neighbouring county outweighed any arguments for mathematical equality of representation. In 1929
, the first election at which all adult men and women had the vote, Merioneth's electorate was under 29,000, and it had fallen even further (to 27,619) by the time of the final (1979
) election before the constituency was abolished, even with the extension of the franchise to 18-21 year olds in the 1960s.
, but with the introduction of competitive party politics, Merioneth became one of the safest Liberal
seats in Wales - mainly the effect of the high number of workers in the slate
and limestone
quarries round Ffestiniog
and Corwen
. With the foundation of the Labour Party
, the seat became less safe, but the Liberals held it through the first half of the 20th century, losing it to Labour for the first time only in 1951 and remaining the main challengers for most of the next twenty years. However, with the emergence of Plaid Cymru
as a political force, Merioneth was natural territory for the nationalists: they overtook the Liberals for second place behind Labour in 1970
, and then captured the seat at the February 1974 election
, one of the first two seats the party had won at a general election. They retained it comfortably in October 1974
and 1979
.
general election, when the alignment of constituency boundaries with the revised Welsh county boundaries necessitated a change. The Boundary Commission's original proposals would have united Merioneth with English-speaking Conwy
on the North Wales coast, and would almost certainly have extinguished Plaid Cymru
's chances of holding the seat, but after a public enquiry much more modest changes were adopted. The bulk of the electorate formed the core of the new Meirionnydd Nant Conwy
constituency, joined by only around 5,000 voters from outside the old county, while about 3,000 voters in that part of Merionethshire which had been placed in Clwyd
rather than Gwynedd
moved to the new Clwyd South West
constituency.
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
established in 1542, which returned one Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
of the English Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
, and later to the Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
and of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. It was abolished for the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
, when it was largely replaced by the new constituency of Meirionnydd Nant Conwy
Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (UK Parliament constituency)
Meirionnydd Nant Conwy was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
.
Boundaries
The constituency consisted of the historic county of MerionethshireMerionethshire
Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974...
. Merioneth was always an almost entirely rural constituency, rocky and mountainous with grazing the only useful agricultural activity that could be pursued; quarrying was its other main economic mainstay. It was also a strongly Welsh-speaking area (a parliamentary paper in 1904 listed that just 6.2% of the population could only speak English, lower than in any other county in Wales), and by the 19th century was a stronghold of non-conformist religion.
Establishment
Like the rest of Wales, Merioneth was given the right to representation by the Act of Union 1536, and first returned an MP to the Parliament of 1542; however, unlike all the other Welsh counties, Merioneth had no towns sufficiently important in the 16th century to merit borough status, so the county MP was its only representative. The MP was chosen by the first past the post electoral system - when there was a contest at all, which was almost unheard of before the second half of the 19th century.Franchise and political influences before the Reform Act
As in other county constituencies, the franchise until 1832 was defined by the Forty Shilling Freeholder ActForty Shilling Freeholders
Forty shilling freeholders were a group of landowners who had the Parliamentary franchise to vote in county constituencies in various parts of the British Isles. In England it was the only such qualification from 1430 until 1832...
, which gave the right to vote to every man who possessed freehold property within the county valued at £2 or more per year for the purposes of land tax; it was not necessary for the freeholder to occupy his land, nor even in later years to be resident in the county at all. Nevertheless, the electorate was small, probably only a few hundred, though the lack of contested elections make it impossible to be sure: at the 1774 election, the only one to go to a poll in the 18th century, exactly 600 votes were cast. By way of comparison, the population at the time of the 1831 census was about 34,500.
For more than a century before the Reform Act, Merioneth's representation was almost entirely monopolised by the Vaughan family of Corsygedol - they and the Wynns of Wynnstay
Wynnstay
Wynnstay was a famous estate in Wales, the family seat of the Wynns. It is located at Ruabon, near Wrexham.During the 17th century, Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet inherited the Watstay Estate through his marriage to Jane Evans , and renamed it the Wynnstay Estate...
, who supported them, were the two leading families of the county and the expense of a contested election was presumably seen as futile by any potential opposition candidates. When a magnate from outside the county, The Earl of Powis
Edward Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis
- External links :...
, did intervene in 1774, his candidate was roundly defeated. Since the Vaughans were not aligned with any of the great aristocratic interests of the rest of Wales, and were generally regarded as maintaining their independence, there was little partisan interest in dislodging them.
Survival as a constituency with low population
Although the franchise was somewhat extended under the Great Reform Act, Merioneth's registered electorate at the first post-Reform election was only 580. However, it seems that this considerably under-represented those who were eligible, and more voters could be induced to register by vigorous campaigning. The Liberation Society, a body aiming to maximise the non-conformist vote to achieve disestablishment of the church, was active in Merioneth and a number of other Welsh counties in the 1850s and 1860s, and between the elections of 1859United Kingdom general election, 1859
In the 1859 United Kingdom general election, the Whigs, led by Lord Palmerston, held their majority in the House of Commons over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives...
and 1865
United Kingdom general election, 1865
The 1865 United Kingdom general election saw the Liberals, led by Lord Palmerston, increase their large majority over the Earl of Derby's Conservatives to more than 80. The Whig Party changed its name to the Liberal Party between the previous election and this one.Palmerston died later in the same...
Merioneth's electorate rose by 50%, from 1,091 to 1,527. But there was also a dramatic rise in the electorate between 1835
United Kingdom general election, 1835
The 1835 United Kingdom general election was called when Parliament was dissolved on 29 December 1834. Polling took place between 6 January and 6 February 1835, and the results saw Robert Peel's Conservatives make large gains from their low of the 1832 election, but the Whigs maintained a large...
and 1837
United Kingdom general election, 1837
The 1837 United Kingdom general election saw Robert Peel's Conservatives close further on the position of the Whigs, who won their fourth election of the decade....
(from 698 to 1,336), which is less easy to explain. Nevertheless, even with these occasional peaks, Merioneth was a small constituency by Welsh - let alone English - standards.
By the time of the 1911 census, the population of Merioneth was 46,849, and in other circumstances it would have been too small to survive as a separate constituency, but the physical geography meant that the inconvenience which would be caused to voters and MPs alike by combining it with a neighbouring county outweighed any arguments for mathematical equality of representation. In 1929
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
, the first election at which all adult men and women had the vote, Merioneth's electorate was under 29,000, and it had fallen even further (to 27,619) by the time of the final (1979
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
) election before the constituency was abolished, even with the extension of the franchise to 18-21 year olds in the 1960s.
Political character after the 1860s
The gentry returned unopposed as MPs in Merioneth's deferential days had often been ConservativesConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, but with the introduction of competitive party politics, Merioneth became one of the safest Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
seats in Wales - mainly the effect of the high number of workers in the slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
quarries round Ffestiniog
Ffestiniog
Ffestiniog is a community in Gwynedd in Wales, containing several villages, in particular the settlements of Llan Ffestiniog and Blaenau Ffestiniog. It has a population of 4,830....
and Corwen
Corwen
Corwen is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales; it was previously part of the county of Meirionnydd). Corwen stands on the banks of the River Dee beneath the Berwyn mountains. The town is situated west of Llangollen and south of Ruthin...
. With the foundation of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, the seat became less safe, but the Liberals held it through the first half of the 20th century, losing it to Labour for the first time only in 1951 and remaining the main challengers for most of the next twenty years. However, with the emergence of Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
as a political force, Merioneth was natural territory for the nationalists: they overtook the Liberals for second place behind Labour in 1970
United Kingdom general election, 1970
The United Kingdom general election of 1970 was held on 18 June 1970, and resulted in a surprise victory for the Conservative Party under leader Edward Heath, who defeated the Labour Party under Harold Wilson. The election also saw the Liberal Party and its new leader Jeremy Thorpe lose half their...
, and then captured the seat at the February 1974 election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
, one of the first two seats the party had won at a general election. They retained it comfortably in October 1974
United Kingdom general election, October 1974
The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of...
and 1979
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
.
Abolition
The constituency was finally abolished with effect from the 1983United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
general election, when the alignment of constituency boundaries with the revised Welsh county boundaries necessitated a change. The Boundary Commission's original proposals would have united Merioneth with English-speaking Conwy
Conwy
Conwy is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales. The town, which faces Deganwy across the River Conwy, formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. Conwy has a population of 14,208...
on the North Wales coast, and would almost certainly have extinguished Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
's chances of holding the seat, but after a public enquiry much more modest changes were adopted. The bulk of the electorate formed the core of the new Meirionnydd Nant Conwy
Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (UK Parliament constituency)
Meirionnydd Nant Conwy was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
constituency, joined by only around 5,000 voters from outside the old county, while about 3,000 voters in that part of Merionethshire which had been placed in Clwyd
Clwyd
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east, bordering England with Cheshire to its east, Shropshire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Gwynedd to its immediate west and Powys to the south. It additionally shares a maritime border with the metropolitan county of...
rather than Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
moved to the new Clwyd South West
Clwyd South West (UK Parliament constituency)
Clwyd South West was a county constituency in Clwyd, North Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom by the first past the post system of election....
constituency.
MPs 1542–1640
| Parliament | Member |
|---|---|
| 1542 | Edward Stanley |
| 1545 | Rhys Vaughan |
| 1547 | Lewis ap Owen |
| 1553 (Mar) | Lewis ap Owen |
| 1553 (Oct) | John Salesbury |
| 1554 (Apr) | Lewis ap Owen |
| 1554 (Nov) | Lewis ap Owen |
| 1555 | |
| 1558 | Ellis Price |
| 1559 (Jan) | John Wyn ap Cadwaladr |
| 1563 (Jan) | Ellis Price |
| 1571 | Hugh Owen / John Salesbury |
| 1572 | John Lewis Owen |
| 1584 (Nov) | Cadwaladr Price |
| 1586 | Robert Lloyd |
| 1588 (Nov) | Robert Salusbury |
| 1593 | Griffith Nanney |
| 1597 (Sep) | Thomas Myddelton / John Vaughan |
| 1601 (Oct) | Robert Lloyd Robert Lloyd (of Rhiwgogh) Robert Lloyd was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1586 and 1601.Lloyd was the son of Evan Lloyd of Rhiwgoch and his wife Elen Salusbury, daughter of Robert Salusbury of Llanrwst, Denbighshire. He was possibly educated at Shrewsbury School in 1574. In 1586, he was elected... |
| 1604-1611 | Sir Edward Herbert Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Chirbury was an Anglo-Welsh soldier, diplomat, historian, poet and religious philosopher of the Kingdom of England.-Early life:... |
| 1614 | Ellis Lloyd Ellis Lloyd (of Rhiwgogh) Ellis LLoyd was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1614.Lloyd was the son of Robert Lloyd of Rhiwgoch and his wife Margaret Nanney, daughter of Hugh Nanney of Nannau, Dolgelly. In 1614, he was elected Member of Parliament for Merioneth.... |
| 1621-1622 | William Salisbury William Salisbury (of Rhug) William Salisbury was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1622. He fought on the Royalist side in the English Civil War.... |
| 1624 | Henry Wynn Henry Wynn (MP for Merioneth) Henry Wynn was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1671.Wynn was the son of Sir John Wynn, 1st Baronet of Gwydir . He was admitted to Inner Temple in November 1618. In 1624 he was elected Member of Parliament for Merioneth and was re-elected in 1625... |
| 1625 | Henty Wynn Henry Wynn (MP for Merioneth) Henry Wynn was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1671.Wynn was the son of Sir John Wynn, 1st Baronet of Gwydir . He was admitted to Inner Temple in November 1618. In 1624 he was elected Member of Parliament for Merioneth and was re-elected in 1625... |
| 1626 | Edward Vaughan Edward Vaughan (of Llwydiarth) Edward Vaughan was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1626 and 1661.Vaughan was the son of Owen Vaughan of Llwydiarth. He was admitted to the Inner Temple in November 1618. In 1626, he was elected Member of Parliament for Merioneth..In the Civil War,... |
| 1628-1629 | Richard Vaughan Richard Vaughan (of Corsygedol) Robert Vaughan was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1628 to 1629.Vaughan was the son of William Vaughan of Plas-hen and his wife Ann who was heiress of Corsygedol. In 1628, he was elected Member of Parliament for Merioneth and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule... |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments convened |
MPs 1640–1983
| Year | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 1640 | Henry Wynn Henry Wynn (MP for Merioneth) Henry Wynn was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1671.Wynn was the son of Sir John Wynn, 1st Baronet of Gwydir . He was admitted to Inner Temple in November 1618. In 1624 he was elected Member of Parliament for Merioneth and was re-elected in 1625... |
||
| November 1640 | William Price | Royalist | |
| February 1644 | Price disabled from sitting - seat vacant | ||
| 1646 | Roger Pope Roger Pope Roger Pope was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1647. He fought in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War.... |
||
| 1647 | John Jones John Jones Maesygarnedd Colonel John Jones was a Welsh military leader, politician and one of the regicides of King Charles I. A brother-in-law of Oliver Cromwell, Jones was born at Llanbedr in North Wales and is often surnamed Jones Maesygarnedd after the location of his Merionethshire estate. Jones spoke Welsh with his... |
||
| 1653 | Merioneth was not represented in the Barebones Parliament Barebones Parliament Barebone's Parliament, also known as the Little Parliament, the Nominated Assembly and the Parliament of Saints, came into being on 4 July 1653, and was the last attempt of the English Commonwealth to find a stable political form before the installation of Oliver Cromwell as Lord Protector... |
||
| 1654 First Protectorate Parliament The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the House.... |
John Vaughan John Vaughan (MP for Merioneth) John Vaughan was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1654. He fought in the Royalist army in the English Civil War.John Vaughan of Kevenbodig was a captain in the Royalist army and a commissioner of array in 1642. However by 1654 he was accepted by the Commonwealth authories and... |
||
| 1656 Second Protectorate Parliament The Second Protectorate Parliament in England sat for two sessions from 17 September 1656 until 4 February 1658, with Thomas Widdrington as the Speaker of the House of Commons... |
Colonel John Jones John Jones Maesygarnedd Colonel John Jones was a Welsh military leader, politician and one of the regicides of King Charles I. A brother-in-law of Oliver Cromwell, Jones was born at Llanbedr in North Wales and is often surnamed Jones Maesygarnedd after the location of his Merionethshire estate. Jones spoke Welsh with his... |
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| January 1659 Third Protectorate Parliament The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons... |
Lewis Owen Lewis Owen Lewis Owen was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1659.Owen was the son of Richard Owen of Morben and Melenceth Merionethshire and his wife Margaret Owen daughter of Lewis Owen of Peniarth . He matriculated at Queens College, Oxford on 17 March 1637 aged 15 and was admitted to... |
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| May 1659 Rump Parliament The Rump Parliament is the name of the English Parliament after Colonel Pride purged the Long Parliament on 6 December 1648 of those members hostile to the Grandees' intention to try King Charles I for high treason.... |
Merioneth was not represented in the restored Rump Rump Parliament The Rump Parliament is the name of the English Parliament after Colonel Pride purged the Long Parliament on 6 December 1648 of those members hostile to the Grandees' intention to try King Charles I for high treason.... |
||
| April 1660 | Edmund Meyricke | ||
| 1661 | Henry Wynn Henry Wynn (MP for Merioneth) Henry Wynn was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1671.Wynn was the son of Sir John Wynn, 1st Baronet of Gwydir . He was admitted to Inner Temple in November 1618. In 1624 he was elected Member of Parliament for Merioneth and was re-elected in 1625... |
||
| 1673 | William Price William Price (Royalist colonel) William Price was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in two periods between 1640 and 1679. He fought as a Royalist colonel in the English Civil War.... |
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| 1679 | Sir John Wynn Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet succeeded his cousin Sir Richard Wynn, 4th Baronet as a baronet in 1674 but did not inherit the lands of the Gwydyr Estate which passed to his predecessor's daughter Mary.-Inheritance:... |
||
| 1681 | Sir Robert Owen | ||
| 1685 | Sir John Wynn Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet succeeded his cousin Sir Richard Wynn, 4th Baronet as a baronet in 1674 but did not inherit the lands of the Gwydyr Estate which passed to his predecessor's daughter Mary.-Inheritance:... |
||
| 1695 | Hugh Nanney | ||
| 1701 | Richard Vaughan | ||
| 1734 | William Vaughan William Vaughan (MP) William Vaughan was a Welsh politician.He was the Lord Lieutenant of Merionethshire 26 April 1762 – 12 April 1775, Custos Rotulorum of Merionethshire 1731–1775 and Member of Parliament for Merionethshire from 1734 to 1768.... |
Independent | |
| 1768 | John Pugh Pryse | ||
| 1774 | Evan Lloyd Vaughan | ||
| 1792 | Sir Robert Williames Vaughan | Tory | |
| 1836 | Richard Richards | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
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| 1852 | William Watkin Edward Wynne William Watkin Edward Wynne William Watkin Edward Wynne was a Welsh Member of Parliament and antiquarian.-Life:Wynne was born on 23 December 1801 in Denbighshire, Wales and educated at Westminster School and Jesus College, Oxford.... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
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| 1865 | William Robert Maurice Wynne | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
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| 1868 United Kingdom general election, 1868 The 1868 United Kingdom general election was the first after passage of the Reform Act 1867, which enfranchised many male householders, thus greatly increasing the number of men who could vote in elections in the United Kingdom... |
David Williams David Williams (Merioneth) David Williams was a Welsh Liberal Party politician who served for a short time as the Member of Parliament for the Merioneth constituency... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
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| 1870 | Samuel Holland Samuel Holland (politician) Samuel Holland was a Welsh Liberal Party politician.- Upbringing :The son of Samuel and Katherine Holland, he was born in Duke Street, Liverpool.- Politics :... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
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| 1885 United Kingdom general election, 1885 -Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:... |
Henry Robertson Henry Robertson Henry Robertson was a Scottish industrialist and Liberal Party politician.-Career:Robertson came to Wales to pursue his industrial interests... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
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| 1886 United Kingdom general election, 1886 -Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**... |
Thomas Edward Ellis T. E. Ellis Thomas Edward Ellis , usually known as T. E. Ellis, was a Welsh politician who was the leader of Cymru Fydd, a movement aimed at gaining home rule for Wales.-Life:... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
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| 1899 Merionethshire by-election, 1899 The Merionethshire by-election, 1899 was a parliamentary by-election held for the House of Commons constituency of Merionethshire on 2 May 1899.-Vacancy:The by-election was caused by the death of the sitting Liberal MP, Thomas Edward Ellis on 5 April 1899... |
Owen Morgan Edwards Owen Morgan Edwards Owen Morgan Edwards was a Welsh historian, educationalist and writer. He is often known as O. M. Edwards.... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
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| 1900 United Kingdom general election, 1900 -Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**... |
Sir Osmond Williams Sir Osmond Williams, 1st Baronet Sir Arthur Osmond Williams was a Welsh Liberal Party politician.- Background :He was born at Llanfihangel-y-Traethau, Merionethshire, Wales. He was the son of David Williams, M.P. for Merioneth 1868-1869, and Anne Louisa Loveday Williams. Arthur was educated at Eton... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
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Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
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| 1945 United Kingdom general election, 1945 The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to... |
Emrys Roberts Emrys Roberts Emrys Owen Roberts was a Welsh Liberal politician and businessman.-Education & early career:Emrys Roberts was born at Caernarfon and educated at Caernarfon Grammar School, at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he gained a law degree, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and the... |
Liberal Liberal Party (UK) The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day... |
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| 1951 United Kingdom general election, 1951 The 1951 United Kingdom general election was held eighteen months after the 1950 general election, which the Labour Party had won with a slim majority of just five seats... |
Thomas William Jones | Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
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| 1966 United Kingdom general election, 1966 The 1966 United Kingdom general election on 31 March 1966 was called by sitting Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Wilson's decision to call an election turned on the fact that his government, elected a mere 17 months previously in 1964 had an unworkably small majority of only 4 MPs... |
Will Edwards William Edwards (politician) William Henry Edwards, also known as Will Edwards was a British Labour politician.Edwards was born in Amlwch, Anglesey. His father was a tenant farmer and his mother was a seamstress. He was educated at the local Grammar School and at Sir Thomas Jones' Comprehensive School... |
Labour Labour Party (UK) The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after... |
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| Feb 1974 United Kingdom general election, February 1974 The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,... |
Dafydd Elis Thomas | Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966... |
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| 1983 United Kingdom general election, 1983 The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945... |
constituency abolished: see Meirionnydd Nant Conwy Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (UK Parliament constituency) Meirionnydd Nant Conwy was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.... |
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Election results
Sources
- The BBC/ITN Guide to the New Parliamentary Constituencies (Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services, 1983)
- Cobbett's Parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to the year 1803 (London: Thomas Hansard, 1808) http://www2.odl.ox.ac.uk/gsdl/cgi-bin/library?e=p-000-00---0modhis06--00-0-0-0prompt-10---4------0-1l--1-en-50---20-about---00001-001-1-1isoZz-8859Zz-1-0&a=d&cl=CL1
- Matthew Cragoe, Culture, Politics, and National Identity in Wales 1832-1886 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004)
- F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (2nd edition, Aldershot: Parliamentary Research Services, 1989)
- F W S Craig, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918-1949 (Glasgow: Political Reference Publications, 1969)
- Lewis Namier & John Brooke, The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1754-1790 (London: HMSO, 1964)
- J E Neale, The Elizabethan House of Commons (London: Jonathan Cape, 1949)
- Henry Pelling, Social Geography of British Elections 1885-1910 (London: Macmillan, 1967)
- J Holladay Philbin, Parliamentary Representation 1832 - England and Wales (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965)
- Robert Waller, The Almanac of British PoliticsAlmanac of British PoliticsThe Almanac of British Politics is a reference work which aims to provide a detailed look at the politics of the United Kingdom through an approach of profiling the social, economic and historical characteristics of each parliamentary constituency and of their individual representative Member of...
(1st edition, London: Croom Helm, 1983)