Pembrokeshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Pembrokeshire (Welsh: Sir Benfro) was a parliamentary constituency based on the county of Pembrokeshire in Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

Pembrokeshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
Preserved countyDyfed
Major settlementsHaverfordwest, Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock, Tenby
1536–1997
Number of membersOne
Replaced byCarmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire and Preseli Pembrokeshire

History

The Laws in Wales Act 1535 (26 Hen. VIII, c. 26) provided for a single county seat in the House of Commons for each of twelve historic Welsh counties (including Pembrokeshire) and two for Monmouthshire. Using the modern year, starting on 1 January, these parliamentary constituencies were authorised in 1536. In practice, the first known Knights of the Shire from Wales (as Members of Parliament from county constituencies were known before the nineteenth century) may not have been elected until 1545.

The Act contains the following provision, which had the effect of enfranchising the shire of Pembroke.

And that for this present Parliament, and all other Parliaments to be holden and kept for this Realm, one Knight shall be chosen and elected to the same Parliaments for every of the Shires of Brecknock, Radnor, Mountgomery and Denbigh, and for every other Shire within the said Country of Dominion of Wales;

Before the Reform Act

During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century the representation of the county was subject to a series of contests between the Owen family of Orielton, who supported the Whig interest, and the Philipps family of Picton Castle.[1]

The Great Reform Act to the First World War

During this period the seat was largely held by the Conservatives who held off the Liberal challenge which was so apparent in other parts of Wales. When Lord Emlyn inherited the title Earl of Cawdor in 1860 the seat was held until 1866 by George Lort Phillips. He was succeeded by James Bevan Bowen of Llwyngwair who stood down in favour of Sir John Scourfield in 1868. Scourfield died in 1876 and Bowen once again became the county member. In 1880, however, he was defeated by William Davies and the Liberals held the seat until 1918.

The Twentieth Century

The constituency was abolished for the 1997 general election, when its territory was divided between the new constituencies of Preseli Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen West & South Pembrokeshire. Up to 1950 it was generally considered a Liberal seat, although won by the Conservatives on some occasions. From 1950 it was regarded as a fairly safe Labour seat. However, the Conservatives won the seat in 1970 when the sitting Labour MP Desmond Donnelly left the party and formed The Democratic party. Donnelly lost the seat but polled well. In subsequent elections the Conservative vote held up, tending to suggest that Donnelly had held the seat with large majorities for Labour based on his own popularity as much as being the Labour candidate.

Boundaries

The constituency was established with the boundaries of the county of Pembrokeshire, but by the time of abolition Fishguard and Northern Pembrokeshire had been joined to the neighbouring Cardigan (UK Parliament constituency) constituency to form Ceredigion and Pembroke North, which was captured by Plaid Cymru in 1992. This left Pembrokeshire with the major towns of Haverfordwest, Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock and Tenby.

Members of Parliament

MPs 1545–1601

ParliamentMember
1542Thomas Jones[2]
1545John Wogan [2]
1547Sir Thomas Jones[2]
1553 (Mar)?
1553 (Oct)Sir John Wogan[2]
1554 (Apr)Arnold Butler [2]
1554 (Nov)Arnold Butler [2]
1555?Richard Cornwall [2]
1558Thomas Cathern [2]
1559 (Jan)William Philipps [3]
1562–1563Sir John Perrot [3]
1571John Wogan[3]
1572William Philipps, died 1573,
replaced 1576 by
John Wogan , died 1581,
replaced 1584 by
Sir Thomas Perrot[3]
1584 (Nov)Thomas Revell[3]
1586Thomas Revell[3]
1588 (Oct)George Devereux[3]
1593Sir Thomas Perrot[3]
1597 (Sep)Sir Gelly Meyrick[3]
1601John Philipps[3]

MPs 1601–1832

ElectionMember[4]Party
1604 Alban Stepney
1614 Sir John Wogan
1620 Sir John Wogan
1624 Sir James Perrott
1625 Sir John Wogan
1626 Sir John Wogan
1628 Sir John Wogan
1640 (Apr) Sir John Wogan
1640 (Nov) Sir John Wogan, died 1644
replaced by ?
1645 Arthur Owen
1648 ?
1653 Not represented in Barebones Parliament
1654 Sir Erasmus Philipps, 3rd Baronet
Arthur Owen
1656 James Philipps
John Clark
1659 Sir Erasmus Philipps, 3rd Baronet
1660 Arthur Owen Whig
1678 John Owen Whig
1679 Sir Hugh Owen, Bt Whig
1681 William Wogan Tory
1685 William Barlow Tory
1689 Sir Hugh Owen, Bt Whig
1695 Sir Arthur Owen, Bt Whig
1705 Wirriot Owen Whig
1710 John Barlow Tory
1715 Sir Arthur Owen, Bt
1727 John Campbell
1747 Sir William Owen, Bt
1761 Sir John Philipps, Bt
1765 Sir Richard Philipps, Bt
1770 Sir Hugh Owen, Bt
1786 The Lord Milford Whig[5]
1812 Sir John Owen, Bt Tory[5]

MPs 1832–1997

ElectionMember[4]Party
1832 Sir John Owen Tory[5]
1841 Lord Emlyn Conservative[5]
1861 b-e George Lort Phillips Conservative
1866 b-e James Bevan Bowen Conservative
1868 Sir John Scourfield Conservative
1876 b-e James Bevan Bowen Conservative
1880 William Davies Liberal
1892 William Rees-Davies Liberal
1898 b-e John Philipps Liberal
1908 b-e Walter Roch Liberal
1918 Sir Evan Davies Jones Coalition Liberal
1922 Gwilym Lloyd George National Liberal
1923 Liberal
1924 Charles Price Unionist
1929 Gwilym Lloyd George Liberal
1950 Desmond Donnelly Labour
1968 Independent
1969 Democratic Party
1970 Nicholas Edwards Conservative
1987 Nicholas Bennett Conservative
1992 Nick Ainger Labour
1997 constituency abolished

Elections

Pembrokeshire election history


Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830 Pembrokeshire[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Owen Unopposed
Registered electors >3,000
Tory hold
General election 1831 Pembrokeshire[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Owen 1,949 51.3
Whig Robert Fulke Greville 1,850 48.7
Majority 99 2.6
Turnout 3,799
Registered electors >3,000
Tory hold

Owen's elected was declared void on petition, causing a by-election.

By-election, 24 October 1831 Pembrokeshire[5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory John Owen 1,531 51.8 +0.5
Whig Robert Fulke Greville 1,423 48.2 −0.5
Majority 108 3.6 +1.0
Turnout 2,954
Registered electors >3,000
Tory hold Swing +0.5
General election 1832 Pembrokeshire[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Tory John Owen Unopposed
Registered electors 3,700
Tory hold
General election 1835 Pembrokeshire[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative John Owen Unopposed
Registered electors 3,664
Conservative hold
General election 1837 Pembrokeshire[5][7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative John Owen Unopposed
Registered electors 3,706
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841 Pembrokeshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Campbell Unopposed
Registered electors 3,663
Conservative hold
General election 1847 Pembrokeshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Campbell Unopposed
Registered electors 3,479
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852 Pembrokeshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Campbell Unopposed
Registered electors 3,132
Conservative hold
General election 1857 Pembrokeshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Campbell Unopposed
Registered electors 2,784
Conservative hold
General election 1859 Pembrokeshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Campbell Unopposed
Registered electors 2,700
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1860s

Campbell succeeded to the peerage, becoming Earl Cawdor and causing a by-election.

By-election, 19 January 1861 Pembrokeshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Lort Phillips 1,194 54.9 N/A
Liberal Hugh Owen 979 45.1 New
Majority 215 9.8 N/A
Turnout 2,173 77.4 N/A
Registered electors 2,809
Conservative hold
General election 1865 Pembrokeshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Lort Phillips Unopposed
Registered electors 3,797
Conservative hold

Phillips' death caused a by-election.

By-election, 26 November 1866 Pembrokeshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Bevan Bowen Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1868 Pembrokeshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Scourfield Unopposed
Registered electors 4,690
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874 Pembrokeshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Scourfield Unopposed
Registered electors 4,621
Conservative hold

Scourfield's death caused a by-election.

1876 Pembrokeshire by-election[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative James Bevan Bowen 1,882 53.9 N/A
Liberal William Davies 1,608 46.1 New
Majority 274 7.8 N/A
Turnout 3,490 76.9 N/A
Registered electors 4,621
Conservative hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880 Pembrokeshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Davies 2,185 55.7 N/A
Conservative Charles Philipps 1,737 44.3 N/A
Majority 448 11.4 N/A
Turnout 3,922 77.6 N/A
Registered electors 5,052
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A
General election 1885 Pembrokeshire[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Davies 4,999 57.2 +1.5
Conservative Charles Philipps 3,738 42.8 −1.5
Majority 1,261 14.4 +3.0
Turnout 8,737 80.3 +2.7
Registered electors 10,883
Liberal hold Swing +1.5
General election 1886 Pembrokeshire[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Davies 4,099 50.7 −6.5
Conservative Charles Philipps 3,983 49.3 +6.5
Majority 116 1.4 −13.0
Turnout 8,082 74.3 −6.0
Registered electors 10,883
Liberal hold Swing −6.5

Elections in the 1890s

Rees Davies
General election 1892 Pembrokeshire[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Rees-Davies 4,800 56.5 +5.8
Conservative Charles Philipps 3,701 43.5 −5.8
Majority 1,099 13.0 +11.6
Turnout 8,501 78.0 +3.7
Registered electors 10,895
Liberal hold Swing +5.8
General election 1895 Pembrokeshire[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Rees-Davies 4,550 53.4 −3.1
Conservative Arthur Picton Saunders-Davies 3,970 46.6 +3.1
Majority 580 6.8 −6.2
Turnout 8,520 76.6 −1.4
Registered electors 11,119
Liberal hold Swing −3.1

Davies resigned after being appointed Attorney general of the Bahamas, requiring a by-election.

Wynford Philipps
1898 Pembrokeshire by-election [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Philipps 5,070 59.8 +6.4
Conservative Hugh Campbell 3,406 40.2 −6.4
Majority 1,664 19.6 +12.8
Turnout 8,476 76.6 0.0
Registered electors 11,061
Liberal hold Swing +6.4

Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900 Pembrokeshire[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Philipps Unopposed
Liberal hold
General election 1906 Pembrokeshire[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal John Philipps 5,886 69.3 N/A
Conservative John Lort-Williams 2,606 30.7 New
Majority 3,280 38.6 N/A
Turnout 8,492 75.0 N/A
Registered electors 11,322
Liberal hold Swing N/A
Walter Roch
1908 Pembrokeshire by-election [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter Roch 5,465 62.4 −6.9
Conservative John Lort-Williams 3,293 37.6 +6.9
Majority 2,172 24.8 −13.8
Turnout 8,758 77.3 +2.3
Registered electors 11,331
Liberal hold Swing −6.9

Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Pembrokeshire[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter Roch 6,135 65.1 −4.2
Conservative Edward Marlay Samson 3,291 34.9 +4.2
Majority 2,844 30.2 −8.4
Turnout 9,426 80.2 +5.2
Registered electors 11,750
Liberal hold Swing −4.2
General election December 1910: Pembrokeshire[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Walter Roch 5,682 65.5 +0.4
Conservative Edward Marlay Samson 2,989 34.5 −0.4
Majority 2,693 31.0 +0.8
Turnout 8,671 73.8 −6.4
Registered electors 11,750
Liberal hold Swing +0.4

General Election 1914/15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1918: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Liberal Evan Davies Jones 19,200 69.8 +4.3
Labour Ivor Gwynne 7,712 28.0 New
Christian Socialist Griffith Bowen Thomas 597 2.2 New
Majority 11,488 41.8 +10.8
Turnout 27,509 64.3 −9.5
Registered electors 42,808
Liberal hold Swing N/A
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s

G. Lloyd George
General election 1922: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Liberal Gwilym Lloyd George 21,569 69.0 New
Labour William James Jenkins 9,703 31.0 +3.0
Majority 11,866 38.0 N/A
Turnout 31,272 71.7 +7.4
Registered electors 43,631
National Liberal gain from Liberal Swing N/A
General election 1923: Pembrokeshire [10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Gwilym Lloyd George 13,173 38.3 −30.7
Unionist Charles Price 11,682 34.0 New
Labour William James Jenkins 9,511 27.7 −3.3
Majority 1,491 4.3 −33.7
Turnout 34,366 77.9 +6.2
Registered electors 44,134
Liberal hold Swing −13.7
General election 1924: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Charles Price 14,575 40.4 +6.4
Liberal Gwilym Lloyd George 13,045 36.2 −2.1
Labour William James Jenkins 8,455 23.4 −4.3
Majority 1,530 4.2 N/A
Turnout 36,075 80.2 +2.3
Registered electors 44,980
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing +4.3
General election 1929: Pembrokeshire [11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Gwilym Lloyd George 19,050 41.8 +5.6
Unionist Charles Price 14,235 31.3 −9.1
Labour William James Jenkins 12,235 26.9 +3.5
Majority 4,815 10.5 N/A
Turnout 45,520 83.8 +3.6
Registered electors 54,302
Liberal gain from Unionist Swing +7.4

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1931: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal 24,606 55.71
Conservative Charles Price 19,560 44.29
Majority 5,046 11.42
Turnout 44,166 79.88
Liberal hold Swing
  • opposed to National Government.
General election 1935: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Gwilym Lloyd George 16,734 37.41
Conservative George Edmund Allison 15,660 35.01
Labour William James Jenkins 12,341 27.59 New
Majority 1,074 2.40
Turnout 44,735 79.13
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1939/40: Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

General election 1945: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal 22,997 50.18
Labour Wilfred Fienburgh 22,829 49.82
Majority 168 0.36
Turnout 45,826 72.29
Liberal hold Swing
  • Supported the National Government. The Liberal Party had left the war coalition.

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1950: Pembrokeshire[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Desmond Donnelly 25,550 50.1 +1.3
National Liberal and Conservative Gwilym Lloyd George 25,421 49.9 New
Majority 129 0.2 N/A
Turnout 50,971 83.2 +10.9
Labour gain from Liberal Swing
General election 1951: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Desmond Donnelly 25,994 48.4 -1.7
Conservative Frederick Farey-Jones 16,968 31.6 -18.3
Liberal Dyfrig Hughes Pennant 10,688 19.9 New
Majority 9,026 16.8 +16.6
Turnout 53,650 86.0 +2.8
Labour hold Swing
General election 1955: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Desmond Donnelly 27,002 51.5 +3.1
Independent William L Davies 25,410 48.5 New
Majority 1,592 3.0 -13.8
Turnout 52,412 84.0 -2.0
Labour hold Swing
General election 1959: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Desmond Donnelly 27,623 52.9 +1.4
Conservative Henry Graham Partridge 22,301 42.8 New
Plaid Cymru Waldo Williams 2,253 4.3 New
Majority 5,322 10.2 +7.2
Turnout 52,177 83.6 -0.4
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1964: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Desmond Donnelly 23,926 47.23
Conservative Henry Graham Partridge 15,340 30.28
Liberal Alan Coulthard 9,679 19.11 New
Plaid Cymru Dyfrig Thomas 1,717 3.39
Majority 8,586 16.95
Turnout 50,662 81.46
Labour hold Swing
General election 1966: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Desmond Donnelly 23,852 48.15
Conservative Franicis Michael Fisher 17,921 36.17
Liberal Owain Glyn Williams 5,308 10.71
Plaid Cymru Jack Sheppard 2,460 4.97
Majority 5,931 11.98
Turnout 49,541 79.76
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1970: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Edwards 19,120 34.73
Labour Gordon Parry 17,889 32.49
Democratic Party Desmond Donnelly 11,824 21.48 New
Plaid Cymru Wynne Samuel 3,681 6.69
Liberal David Wynford Thomas 3,541 4.62
Majority 1,231 2.24
Turnout 56,145 77.85
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election February 1974: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Edwards 22,268 38.25
Labour Gordon Parry 20,789 35.71
Liberal Patrick Edwin Charles Jones 12,340 21.20
Plaid Cymru RV Davies 2,820 4.84
Majority 1,479 2.54
Turnout 58,217 81.44
Conservative hold Swing
General election October 1974: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Edwards 23,190 40.47
Labour Gordon Parry 22,418 39.12
Liberal Patrick Edwin Charles Jones 9,116 15.91
Plaid Cymru RB Davies 2,580 4.50
Majority 772 1.35
Turnout 57,304 79.53
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1979: Pembrokeshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Edwards 30,483 49.16
Labour A Evans 23,015 37.11
Liberal Richard Livsey 6,249 10.08
Plaid Cymru R Dawe 1,573 2.54
Ecology B Kingzett 694 1.12 New
Majority 7,468 12.05
Turnout 62,014 81.31
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1983: Pembrokeshire[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Edwards 24,860 46.88
Labour AP Griffiths 15,504 29.23
SDP J Pullin 10,983 20.71 New
Plaid Cymru Osi Rhys Osmond 1,073 2.02
Ecology David Hoffman 478 0.90
Independent GS Phillips 136 0.26 New
Majority 9,356 17.65
Turnout 53,034 76.12
Conservative hold Swing
General election 1987: Pembrokeshire[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nicholas Bennett 23,314 41.0 -5.9
Labour Bryan Rayner 17,614 31.0 +1.8
Liberal Patrick Jones 14,832 26.1 +5.4
Plaid Cymru Osi Rhys Osmond 1,119 1.9 -0.1
Majority 5,700 10.0 -6.6
Turnout 56,879 80.8 +2.7
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1992: Pembrokeshire[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Nick Ainger 26,253 43.3 +12.3
Conservative Nicholas Bennett 25,498 42.0 +1.0
Liberal Democrats Peter Berry 6,625 10.9 −15.2
Plaid Cymru Conrad L. Bryant 1,627 2.7 +0.8
Green Roger W. Coghill 484 0.8 New
Anti-Federalist League RM Stoddart 158 0.3 New
Majority 755 1.3 N/A
Turnout 60,645 82.9 +2.1
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +5.6

References

  1. "Pembrokeshire". The History of Parliament. Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  2. "History of Parliament". Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  3. "History of Parliament". Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  4. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "P"
  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. 197–198. Retrieved 7 May 2020 via Google Books.
  6. Escott, Margaret. "Pembrokeshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  7. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832–1885 (e-book) |format= requires |url= (help) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  8. British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918 (Craig)
  9. Western Mail 28 March 1914
  10. Etholiadau'r ganrif 1885–1997, Beti Jones
  11. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig
  12. British Parliamentary Election Results 1950–1970, FWS Craig
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  15. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  16. "Politics Resources". Election 1987. David Boothroyd. Archived from the original on 8 August 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
  17. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  18. "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.

Sources

  • The House of Commons 1509–1558, by S.T. Bindoff (Secker & Warburg 1982)
  • Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
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