VAUGHAN, Richard II (c.1665-1734), of Cors-y-Gedol, Merion.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715, ed. D. Hayton, E. Cruickshanks, S. Handley, 2002
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

29 Apr. 1701 - 28 Mar. 1734

Family and Education

b. c.1665, 2nd s. of William Vaughan of Cors-y-Gedol by Anne, da. of Griffith Nanney of Nannau Hall, Llanfachreth, Merion.  educ. L. Inn 1686.  m. 10 Feb. 1701, Margaret (d. 1758), da. and h. of Sir Evan Lloyd, 2nd Bt. (d. 1700), of Bodidris, Yale, Denb., 2s. (1 d.v.p.) 3da. (1 d.v.p.).  suc. bro. at Cors-y-Gedol 1697.

Offices Held

Sheriff, Merion. 1697–8, Caern. 1699–1700; constable Harlech Castle 1704–16.1

Biography

Within the space of four years Vaughan inherited the family estate on the death of his elder brother, married an heiress whose fortune was said to be worth some £15,000 a year, twice held the office of high sheriff, for his own and a neighbouring county, and finally in 1701 followed his cousin and brother-in-law Hugh Nanney as knight of the shire for Merioneth. While undeniably a Tory, and classed as such by Robert Harley* in a list of December 1701, he was not consumed by party zeal. It is conceivable that he was the ‘Mr Vaughan’ recommended by the Duke of Marlborough (John Churchill†) to Lord Treasurer Godolphin (Sidney†) in July 1702 for some office ‘in which you may think he can do no hurt’, for he was given the constableship of Harlech Castle in 1704, after which he did not vote for the Tack on 28 Nov. and was described as ‘Low Church’ in an analysis of the 1705 Parliament. However, he voted against the Court candidate in the division on the Speakership on 25 Oct. 1705, and thereafter scarcely deviated from a party line. He was twice listed as a Tory in 1708; voted against the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell in 1710; was included among the ‘worthy patriots’ who in the 1710–11 session exposed the mismanagements of the previous ministry; was possibly listed among the ‘Tory patriots’ who in 1711 had opposed the continuation of the war; and was marked as a Tory in the Worsley list. A glut of Vaughans in the House, and especially the presence of an exact namesake, makes it impossible to assign to him with certainty any particular activity, although he can be identified with some confidence as the Richard Vaughan who in January and February 1705 managed through the Commons a private bill on behalf of the widow of Hugh Nanney. His absence from any recorded division after 1710 suggests that he became progressively less active, and much of his later life seems to have been given over to the supervision of considerable improvements to his house and estate. He died on 28 Mar. 1734, aged 68, having retained his parliamentary seat for 33 years without once having to face a contest. He was buried at Llandwye, Merioneth, and was succeeded, in the estate and in Parliament, by his elder son William.2

Ref Volumes: 1690-1715

Author: D. W. Hayton

Notes

  • 1. J. E. Griffith, Peds. Anglesey and Caern. Fams. 279; Arch. Camb. ser. 4, vi. 13–14, 16; ser. 1, ii. 132.
  • 2. Chirk Castle Accts. 1666–1753 ed. Myddelton, 455; Marlborough–Godolphin Corresp. 81, 88; Arch. Camb. ser. 4, vi. 14.