Breconshire

Single Member Welsh County

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Background Information

Number of voters:

about 1,200

Elections

DateCandidateVotes
8 May 1754Thomas Morgan682
 Howell Gwynne433
1 Apr. 1761Thomas Morgan 
23 Mar. 1768Thomas Morgan 
17 May 1769Charles Morgan vice Thomas Morgan, deceased 
26 Oct. 1774Charles Morgan 
20 Sept. 1780Charles Morgan 
12 Apr. 1784Charles Morgan 
20 June 1787Sir Charles Gould vice Morgan, deceased 

Main Article

The dominant interest was in the Morgans of Tredegar. Three other families possessed considerable influence: Jeffreys of the Priory, Jones of Buckland, and Williams of Gwernyfed. The only challenge to the Tredegar hold came in 1754 when Thomas Morgan, the sitting Member, was opposed by Howell Gwynne, whose uncle Roderick Gwynne bought the Buckland estate about this time.1 Henceforth the Morgans represented Breconshire unopposed until 1806.

Author: Peter D.G. Thomas

Notes

  • 1. Ms poll book, Tredegar ms 33/40; T. Jones, Hist. Brec. iii. 212.