Commons 1754-1790

There were more voters in Ayrshire than in any other Scottish county. The leading interest was that of the Earl of Eglintoun, but the Earls of Cassillis and Loudoun also carried weight. There were in addition many independent freeholders, strong enough to defeat a combination of the three earls in 1774. The electoral pattern depended upon the pacts between these groups, and their relationship to the Government of the day. Hence, Ayrshire was a county with considerable political activity.

Aberdeen was one of the largest of the Scottish counties: the leading interests belonged to the Duffs of Braco and the Duke of Gordon. At the general election of 1754 the Duke of Argyll promoted the candidature of Lord Adam Gordon, and Newcastle, anxious to avoid a clash, persuaded the sitting Member, Andrew Mitchell, to withdraw, in exchange for a promise of assistance at the earliest opportunity.Cathcart to Loudoun, 26 Mar. 1754, Loudoun mss. Attempts were made to rally an opposition to Gordon, but the declaration of the Duff family in his favour proved decisive.Add.

Useful, though not disinterested, accounts of the electoral state of Radnorshire were given by Chase Price to the Duke of Portland on 12 and 15 Sept. 1765 when urging him to buy the Maesllwch estate,Portland mss. and to the Duke of Grafton on 1 Oct. 1766 when urging him to assume as first lord of the Treasury direct control over the King’s manors in Radnorshire:Chatham mss. the two, the estate and the stewardship of the manors, ‘grafted one upon t’other’ would determine elections both in the county and the borough.

There were three electoral interests in this constituency: the corporation of New Radnor, which controlled the election of its own freemen; the steward of the King’s manors, who controlled the creation of freemen (both resident and non-resident) in Knighton, Rhayader, and Knucklas; and the Price family, who had considerable interest in Knighton and Kevenlleece. The sitting Member at the dissolution in 1754 was Thomas Lewis, who had represented the constituency since 1715 and whose brother was steward of the King’s manors, and he was again returned unopposed at the general election.

Two interests were dominant in Haverfordwest: those of the Edwardes family of Johnston and of the Philipps family of Picton Castle. But it was generally understood between them that William Edwardes should be allowed to represent the borough, in return for supporting the Philipps family in the county. This arrangement broke down in 1784 when Lord Milford, defeated in Pembrokeshire, canvassed Haverfordwest; and forced Lord Kensington (as Edwardes had become) to decline. When Milford vacated his seat in 1786 in order to stand for the county, Kensington came in again for Haverfordwest.

Pembroke was under the influence of the Owen family of Orielton but their control of the constituency was not complete, for Wiston was ruled by the Wogan family. At the general election of 1761, when Sir William Owen and Sir John Philipps were contesting the county, Charles Townshend was instigated by Philipps and Wogan to make a bid for the boroughs by a large-scale creation of freemen in Wiston. Owen thereupon ceded the county seat to Philipps; Wogan called off Townshend; and the Owens were again secure in Pembroke Boroughs.

Electorally Pembrokeshire was the largest of the Welsh counties. Throughout this period its politics turned round the rivalry between its two leading families, the Owens of Orielton and the Philippses of Picton Castle. The struggle was fought between Sir William Owen and Sir John Philipps, and then between their sons, Hugh Owen (who succeeded his father in 1781) and Sir Richard Philipps (created Baron Milford in the Irish peerage in 1776).

The Vaughans of Corsygedol had represented Merioneth unopposed since 1701, and throughout this period they had the support of the Wynns of Wynnstay, the next leading interest in the county.

The two leading families in Montgomeryshire were the Wynns of Wynnstay and the Herberts of Powis Castle; and Edward Kynaston, who held the seat unopposed from 1747 till his death in 1772, was supported by both families. In 1772 he was succeeded by Watkin Williams, a cousin of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn of Wynnstay; but after the death of Lord Powis in September 1772, the alliance between the two families broke down.