Carmarthen

There were no contributory boroughs in Carmarthenshire, and the Vaughans of Golden Grove monopolized the seat in this period. Excluded as Cavaliers from the election in 1660, they put up Arthur Annesley, who had married the sister-in-law of the 2nd Earl of Carbery, and was returned by about a hundred named ‘burgesses’, besides many more unnamed. Carbery’s second son John sat for the borough in the Cavalier Parliament, and his youngest son Altham in the Exclusion Parliaments. In July 1681 a moderate address was sent by the corporation and ‘commonalty’ thanking the King for his declaration on dissolving Parliament, and further addresses followed abhorring the ‘Association’ and the Rye House Plot. Altham Vaughan had died before the next election, when a cousin, Richard Vaughan, secured the seat. He was replaced as recorder by the Duke of Beaufort (Henry Somerset) under the new charter of 1686. The corporation, now thoroughly Tory, was purged in August 1688, the town clerk, chamberlain, four aldermen and nine common councilmen being removed. Vaughan, who had apparently been appointed Beaufort’s deputy, was re-elected to the Convention, and held the seat till his death in 1724.1London Gazette, 1 Aug. 1681, 17 July 1682, 3 Sept. 1683; CSP Dom. 1686-7, pp. 43-44; PC 2/72/724.