Brecon (UK Parliament constituency)

Brecon was a parliamentary constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and its predecessors, from 1542 until it was abolished for the 1885 general election.

Brecon
Former Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
1542–1885
Number of membersone
Replaced byBreconshire

Boundaries

From its first election in 1542 until some time before 1715, the constituency consisted of a number of boroughs within the historic county of Brecknockshire or Breconshire in Wales. From then until 1885 the seat represented the parliamentary borough of Brecon alone. The constituency should not be confused with the county constituency of Breconshire, which existed from the sixteenth century until 1918.

On the basis of information from several volumes of the History of Parliament, it is apparent that the history of the borough representation from Wales and Monmouthshire is more complicated than that of the English boroughs.

The Laws in Wales Act 1535 (26 Hen. VIII, c. 26) provided for a single borough seat for each of 11 of the 12 Welsh counties and Monmouthshire. The legislation was ambiguous as to which communities were enfranchised. The county towns were awarded a seat, but this in some fashion represented all the ancient boroughs of the county as the others were required to contribute to the members wages. It was not clear if the burgesses of the contributing boroughs could take part in the election. The only election under the original scheme was for the 1542 Parliament. It seems that only burgesses from the county towns actually took part. An Act of 1544 (35 Hen. VIII, c. 11) confirmed that the contributing boroughs could send representatives to take part in the election at the county town. As far as can be told from surviving indentures of returns, the degree to which the out boroughs participated varied, but by the end of the sixteenth century all the seats had some participation from them at some elections at least.

The original scheme was modified by later legislation and decisions of the House of Commons (which were sometimes made with no regard to precedent or evidence: for example in 1728 it was decided that only the freemen of the borough of Montgomery could participate in the election for that seat, thus disenfranchising the freemen of Llanidloes, Welshpool and Llanfyllin).

In the case of Breconshire, the county town and principal borough was Brecon. One ward of the principal borough was an exclave; namely Trecastle, in the township of Llywel eleven miles west of the main town. There is no evidence that any other boroughs in Breconshire actually took part in elections before 1597. The out boroughs then participating were Bulith (now known as Builth Wells), Crickhowel or Crickhowell, Hay (now Hay-on-Wye) and Telgarth or Talgarth.

At some point between 1603 and 1715 the out boroughs ceased to participate in elections for the constituency. Until 1727 all the freemen of Brecon formed the electorate, but in 1727 the House of Commons ruled that only the resident freemen could vote. There had been about 180 electors in 1723 and 1727, but only 69 in 1744 after the basis of the franchise had been changed. There were about 100 voters between 1754 and 1790.

Later history

When registration of electors and an additional householder franchise were introduced in 1832 Brecon, still based on the town of Brecon, had the smallest electorate in Wales with just 242 registered voters.

Brecon was little affected by the upsurge of radical politics in the 1860s apart from the one occasion in 1866 when Thomas Price, the prominent nonconformist minister, intervened in a by-election contest to compel the Liberal candidate, the Earl of Brecknock, to issue an address more strongly in favour of reform.[1]

Even after the extension of the franchise in 1868, the number of voters only increased to 814. This did, however, result in one of the most tumultuous elections in the history of the borough, which included torchlight procession and lively meetings at which speakers struggled to make themselves heard.[2] On the day of the election it was generally accepted that supporters of the Conservative candidate, Howel Gwyn, had been caught engaged in bribery.[3]

The unseating of Howel Gwyn by petition in April 1869 indicated how Brecon largely remained a closed borough, dominated by the politics of influence.

After 1885 Breconshire was represented in Parliament by the single member county constituency, which included all the boroughs at one time in the Brecon constituency.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1542-1640MPs 1640-1660MPs 1660-1885ElectionsReferences

MPs 1542–1640

As there were sometimes significant gaps between Parliaments held in this period, the dates of first assembly and dissolution are given. Where the name of the member has not yet been ascertained or (before 1558) is not recorded in a surviving document, the entry unknown is entered in the table.

The Roman numerals after some names are those used in The House of Commons 1509–1558 to distinguish a member from another politician of the same name.

ElectedAssembledDissolvedMemberNote
154216 January 154228 March 1544Edward Games
154523 November 154531 January 1547Edward Games
15474 November 154715 April 1552Edward Games
15531 March 155331 March 1553Edward Games
15535 October 15535 December 1553Edward Games
15542 April 15543 May 1554Edward Games
155412 November 155416 January 1555Meredith Games
155521 October 15559 December 1555unknown
155820 January 155817 November 1558William Aubrey[4]
155923 January 15598 May 1559Roland Vaughan
1562/6311 January 15632 January 1567Sir Roger Vaughan
15712 April 157129 May 1571Richard Price
15728 May 157219 April 1583Walter Games
158423 November 158414 September 1585David Williams
158613 October 158623 March 1587David Williams
15884 February 158929 March 1589David Williams
159318 February 159310 April 1593Sir Matthew Morgan
159724 October 15979 February 1598David Williams
160127 October 160119 December 1601Henry Williams
160419 March 16049 February 1611Sir Henry Williams
16145 April 16147 June 1614Sir John Crompton
162016 January 16218 February 1622Sir Walter Pye
12 January 162412 February 162427 March 1625Sir Walter Pye
4 March 162517 May 162512 August 1625Sir Walter Pye
12 January 16266 February 162615 June 1626Sir Walter PyeElected to sit for Herefordshire
February 1626Sir Humphrey Lynde
31 March 162817 March 162810 March 1629Walter Pye (Royalist)
164013 April 16405 May 1640Herbert Price

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MPs 1640–1660

This sub-section includes the Long Parliament and the Rump Parliament, together with the Parliaments of the Commonwealth and the Protectorate (before the Convention Parliament of 1660).

ElectedAssembledDissolvedMemberNote
16403 November 1640Herbert PriceLong Parliament
...164720 April 1653Ludovic LewisRump Parliament
...4 July 165312 December 1653unrepresentedBarebones Parliament
16543 September 165422 January 1655unrepresentedFirst Protectorate Parliament
165617 September 16564 February 1658unrepresentedSecond Protectorate Parliament
1658/5927 January 165922 April 1659Samuel WightwickThird Protectorate Parliament
...7 May 165920 February 1660unknownRump Parliament restored
...21 February 166016 March 1660unknownLong Parliament restored

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MPs 1660–1885

First ElectionMemberPartyNote
1660, c. April Sir Henry Williams, Bt
1661, April 26 Sir Herbert Price
1678, February 14 Thomas Mansel
1679, February 28 John Jeffreys
1689, January 10 Thomas Morgan (of Dderw) Whig (1664–1700)
1690, March 6 Jeffrey Jeffreys
1698, July 25 Thomas Morgan (of Dderw) Whig (1664–1700) Also returned for Monmouthshire
1701, January 17 Sir Jeffrey Jeffreys
1709, November 28 Edward Jeffreys
1713, September 11 Roger Jones
1722, March 29 William Morgan (1701–1731) Elected to sit for Monmouthshire
1723, May 24 Thomas Morgan (1702–1769)
1734, May 1 Hon. John Talbot
1754, April 15 Thomas Morgan (of Rhiwpera) (1727–1771) Resigned to contest Monmouthshire
1763, December 5 Charles Morgan (1736–1787) Resigned to contest Breconshire
1769, May 15 John Morgan (1742–1792) Resigned to contest Monmouthshire
1772, January 31 Charles Van Died 3 April 1778
1778, April 23 Sir Charles Gould (1726–1806) Resigned to contest Breconshire
1787, December 6 Sir Charles Morgan (1760–1846) Elected to sit for Monmouthshire
1796, November 2 Sir Robert Salusbury, Bt Tory[5]
1812, October 9 Charles Morgan Whig[5] (1792–1875)
1818, June 20 George Gould Morgan Tory[5] (1794–1845)
1830, August 3 Charles Morgan Whig[5] (1792–1875)
1832, December 12 John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins Whig[5][6][7]
1835, January 6 Charles Morgan Conservative[5] (1792–1875)
1847, August 3 John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins Whig[5][6][7]
1852, July 9 Charles Rodney Morgan Conservative (1828–1854) Died 14 January 1854
1854, February 6 John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins Whig[5][6][7] Died 28 September 1865
1859, April Liberal
1866, February 27 John Pratt Liberal Became the 3rd Marquess Camden
1866, October 3 Howel Gwyn Conservative Election declared void on petition
1869, April 24 Edward Villiers Liberal Became the 5th Earl of Clarendon
1870, July 19 James Gwynne-Holford Conservative
1880, April 7 Cyril Flower Liberal
1885 Constituency abolished

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Elections

Decades:

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Brecon[5][8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Charles Morgan Unopposed
Whig gain from Tory
General election 1831: Brecon[5][8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig Charles Morgan Unopposed
Registered electors c.21
Whig hold
General election 1832: Brecon[5][9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Whig John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins 110 51.4
Tory Charles Morgan 104 48.6
Majority 6 2.8
Turnout 214 88.4
Registered electors 242
Whig hold
General election 1835: Brecon[5][9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Charles Morgan Unopposed
Registered electors 309
Conservative gain from Whig
General election 1837: Brecon[5][9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Charles Morgan 156 60.5
Whig John Lloyd 102 39.5
Majority 54 21.0
Turnout 258 76.1
Registered electors 339
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Brecon[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Rodney Morgan Unopposed
Registered electors 331
Conservative hold
General election 1847: Brecon[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins Unopposed
Registered electors 304
Whig gain from Conservative

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Brecon[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Rodney Morgan 159 56.6 New
Whig John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins 122 43.4 N/A
Majority 37 13.2 N/A
Turnout 281 83.6 N/A
Registered electors 336
Conservative gain from Whig Swing N/A

Morgan's death caused a by-election.

By-election, 6 February 1854: Brecon[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins Unopposed
Whig gain from Conservative
General election 1857: Brecon[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Whig John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins Unopposed
Registered electors 323
Whig gain from Conservative
General election 1859: Brecon[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins Unopposed
Registered electors 302
Liberal hold

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Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Brecon[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Lloyd Vaughan Watkins Unopposed
Registered electors 281
Liberal hold

Watkins' death caused a by-election.

By-election, 27 Feb 1866: Brecon[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Pratt Unopposed
Liberal hold

Pratt succeeded to the peerage, becoming 3rd Marquess of Camden, causing a by-election.

By-election, 3 Oct 1866: Brecon[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Howel Gwyn 128 55.7 New
Liberal Alfred Spencer-Churchill[10] 102 44.3 N/A
Majority 26 11.4 N/A
Turnout 230 81.9 N/A
Registered electors 281
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing N/A
General election 1868: Brecon[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Howel Gwyn 372 51.0 N/A
Liberal Hugh Powell Price[11] 357 49.0 N/A
Majority 15 2.0 N/A
Turnout 729 89.6 N/A
Registered electors 814
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing N/A

The election was declared void on petition, causing a by-election.

1869 Brecon by-election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Edward Villiers 391 54.4 +5.4
Conservative Claud Hamilton 328 45.6 -5.4
Majority 63 8.8 N/A
Turnout 719 88.3 -1.3
Registered electors 814
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +5.4

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Elections in the 1870s

Villiers succeeded to the peerage, becoming Earl of Clarendon, causing a by-election.

1870 Brecon by-election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Gwynne-Holford 372 52.4 +1.4
Liberal Hugh Powell Price[11] 338 47.6 -1.4
Majority 34 4.8 +2.8
Turnout 710 87.2 -2.4
Registered electors 814
Conservative hold Swing +1.4
General election 1874: Brecon[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Gwynne-Holford 374 51.4 +0.4
Liberal William Vaughan Morgan[12] 353 48.6 -0.4
Majority 21 2.8 +0.8
Turnout 727 86.2 -3.4
Registered electors 843
Conservative hold Swing

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Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Brecon[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Cyril Flower 438 53.6 +5.0
Conservative James Gwynne-Holford[13] 379 46.4 5.0
Majority 59 7.2 N/A
Turnout 817 92.8 +6.6
Registered electors 880
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +5.0

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References

  1. Price, Thomas (5 January 1866). "To the Independent Electors of the Borough of Brecon". Seren Cymru. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  2. "Brecon Borough Election. Meetings of the Liberal Party". Brecon County Times. 21 November 1868. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  3. "The Polling Day". Brecon County Times. 21 November 1868. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  4. Watkin, Thomas Glyn (January 2008). "Aubrey, William (c.1529–1595)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online edition, subscription required). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
  5. 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. pp. 178–179. Retrieved 19 August 2018 via Google Books.
  6. Cragoe, Matthew (2004). Culture, Politics, and National Identity in Wales 1832-1886. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 58. ISBN 0-19-820754-9. Retrieved 19 August 2018 via Google Books.
  7. Ollivier, John (2007). "Alphabetical List of the House of Commons". Ollivier's parliamentary and political director, for the session 1848. p. 37. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  8. Escott, Margaret. "Brecon". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  9. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. pp. 498–499. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  10. "A Conservative Victory at Brecon". Derby Mercury. 10 October 1866. p. 6. Retrieved 28 January 2018 via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. "Brecon Boroughs". Western Daily Press. 9 July 1870. p. 3. Retrieved 28 December 2017 via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. "Brecon". South Wales Daily News. 29 January 1874. p. 3. Retrieved 28 December 2017 via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. "Sir Stafford Northcote at Brecon". Western Mail. 27 November 1880. p. 3. Retrieved 18 December 2017.

Bibliography

  • Boundaries of Parliamentary Constituencies 1885–1972, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Parliamentary Reference Publications 1972)
  • British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885, compiled and edited by F.W.S. Craig (Macmillan Press 1977)
  • The House of Commons 1509–1558, by S.T. Bindoff (Secker & Warburg 1982)
  • The House of Commons 1558–1603, by P.W. Hasler (HMSO 1981)
  • The House of Commons 1715–1754, by Romney Sedgwick (HMSO 1970)
  • The House of Commons 1754–1790, by Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke (HMSO 1964)
  • The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith (1st edition published in three volumes 1844–50), second edition edited (in one volume) by F.W.S. Craig (Political Reference Publications 1973)
  • Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 5)
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