Carmarthenshire

County

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. B.D. Henning, 1983
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Background Information

Number of voters:

about 1,200 in 1715

Elections

DateCandidate
16 Apr. 1660JOHN LLOYD
28 Mar. 1661FRANCIS VAUGHAN, Lord Vaughan
9 Jan. 1668SIR HENRY VAUGHAN vice Lord Vaughan, deceased
22 Feb. 1677HON. ALTHAM VAUGHAN vice Sir Henry Vaughan, deceased
21 Feb. 1679JOHN VAUGHAN, Lord Vaughan
4 Sept. 1679JOHN VAUGHAN, Lord Vaughan
17 Feb. 1681JOHN VAUGHAN, Lord Vaughan
9 Apr. 1685JOHN VAUGHAN, Lord Vaughan
17 Jan. 1689SIR RICE RUDD, Bt.

Main Article

A curious feature of Carmarthenshire in the period is the migratory nature of the election, which moved from the county town to Rhiwradar, Llanfihangel,Cothy Bridge, and in 1689 even ‘the dwelling of Thomas Jones in Llangathan parish’. Both seats were dominated by the Vaughans of Golden Grove, who worked harmoniously with other branches of the family to preserve their influence. Between 1660 and 1689 the name of Vaughan was missing only twice from the list of Members. As Cavaliers they were ineligible in 1660, and the Golden Grove interest went to John Lloyd, a moderate Parliamentarian and Presbyterian, and a kinsman through the Annesleys. Lord Vaughan, the heir to Golden Grove, represented the county until his death in 1668, when he was succeeded by his cousin, Sir Henry Vaughan of Derwydd, a loyal court supporter. Although Vaughan had been outlawed for debt, there seems to have been no local opposition. In 1677 Altham Vaughan, the youngest son of the Golden Grove family, was elected. At the general election he exchanged seats with his elder brother, who represented Carmarthenshire till he succeeded to the peerage in 1686. The Vaughans were without an obvious candidate in 1689, and the seat was taken by the Whig, Sir Rice Rudd, who retained it till his death in 1701.

Authors: Leonard Naylor / Geoffrey Jaggar

Notes