Denbighshire

At George I’s accession the predominant interest in Denbighshire was that of the Myddeltons of Chirk Castle, Tories, whose head, Sir Richard Myddelton, represented the county from 1685 till his death in 1716. At the ensuing by-election the seat was wrested from them by Watkin Williams, later Williams Wynn, a Jacobite, who was again successful after a contest in 1722, and unopposed in 1727. Before the general election of 1734 the Myddeltons concluded an agreement with Wynn, under which they promised to support him for the county, in return for his supporting them in Denbigh Boroughs.NLW, Wynnstay mss L. 917.

Early in 1739 John Myddelton, the then head of his family, obtained a promise from Walpole of government support for himself against Wynn at the forthcoming general election.NLW, Chirk Castle mss E. 4650. In 1741 a costly campaign, marked by the mass creation of new voters on both sides, resulted in a victory for Wynn at the poll by 1352 to 933; but Myddelton was returned by the sheriff, his kinsman, who disallowed nearly 600 of Wynn’s voters. On a petition, which was heard after Walpole’s fall, the Commons awarded the seat to Wynn, committing the sheriff to Newgate.Add. 32919, f. 267; CJ, xxiv. 18-19, 89-92.

Wynn retained the seat unopposed till his death in 1749, on which Pelham urged John Myddelton’s son Richard, ‘to push for the county’.Pelham to Myddelton, 30 Sept. 1749, Chirk Castle mss E. 613. Myddelton, however, preferring his safe seat for Denbigh Boroughs, arranged for the return of Sir Lynch Cotton, the head of Denbighshire’s third leading family, on condition that he would vote with the ministry in Parliament.Thomas Brereton to Myddelton, 1 Oct. 1749, Chirk Castle mss E. 593; P. D. G. Thomas ‘Wynnstay v. Chirk Castle: Parl. Elections Denb. 1716-41’, NLW Jnl. (1959).