Caernarvonshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Caernarvonshire was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885 and from 1918 until 1950. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system.

Caernarvonshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1918–1950
Created fromArfon and Eifion
Replaced byCaernarvon and Conway
1542–1885
Replaced byArfon and Eifion

Members of Parliament
  • Constituency created (1542)

MPs 1542–1604
ParliamentMember
1542 ?John "Wynn" ap Maredudd[1]
1545John Puleston[1]
1547Sir John Puleston, died 1552
and replaced by John "Wynn" ap Maredudd} [1]
1553 (Mar)John Wynn ap Hugh[1]
1553 (Oct)Morris Wynn[1]
1554 (Apr)Morris Wynn[1]
1554 (Nov)David Lloyd ap Thomas[1]
1555Sir Rhys Gruffydd[1]
1558William Wynn Williams[1]
1558–1559Robert Pugh[2]
1563 (Jan)Morris Wynn[2]
1571John Wynn ap Hugh[2]
1572 (Apr)John Gwynne, died 1574
and replaced by William Thomas[2]
1584William Thomas[2]
1586John Wynn[2]
1588 (Oct)Hugh Gwyn Bodvel[2]
1593William Maurice[2]
1597 (Oct)William Griffith[2]
1601 (Sep)William Jones[2]

MPs 1604–1950
YearMemberParty
1604 Sir William Maurice
1614 Richard Wynn
1621 John Griffith
1624 Thomas Glynn
1625 Thomas Glynn
1626 John Griffith
1628 John Griffith
1640 April Thomas Glynn
1640 November John Griffith junior disabled 1642
1647 Sir Richard Wynn, 4th Baronet
1653 Not represented in Barebones Parliament
YearFirst MemberSecond Member
Two members in first and second protectorate parliaments
1654 Sir John Glynne Thomas Madryn
1656 Sir John Glynne
Henry Lawrence		 Robert Williams
YearMemberParty
1659 William Glynne
1660 Sir John Glynne
1661 Sir Richard Wynn, 4th Baronet
1675 Robert Bulkeley, 2nd Viscount Bulkeley
1679 Thomas Bulkeley
1689 Sir William Williams, 6th Baronet
1697 Thomas Bulkeley
1705 Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet
1713 William Griffith
1715 John Griffith
1740 John Wynn
1741 William Bodvell
1754 Sir John Wynn, 2nd Baronet
1761 Sir Thomas Wynn, 3rd Baronet
1774 Thomas Assheton Smith
1780 John Parry
1790 Sir Robert Williams, 9th Baronet Whig[3]
1826 Sir Thomas Wynn, 3rd Baronet Non Partisan
1830 Charles Griffith-Wynne Tory[3]
1832 Thomas Assheton Smith Tory[3]
1834 Conservative[3]
1837 John Ormsby-Gore Conservative[3]
1841 Edward Douglas-Pennant Conservative[3]
1866 George Douglas-Pennant Conservative
1868 Love Jones-Parry Liberal
1874 Hon. George Douglas-Pennant Conservative
April 1880 Watkin Williams Liberal
December 1880 William Rathbone Liberal
1885 Constituency abolished
1918 Constituency re-created
1918 Charles Edward Breese Coalition Liberal
1922 Robert Jones Labour
1923 Goronwy Owen Liberal
1945 Goronwy Roberts Labour
1950 Constituency abolished

Uncontested elections 1830–1865
General election 1830: Caernarvonshire[3][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Charles Griffith-Wynne Unopposed
Registered electors c. 1,500
Tories gain from Nonpartisan
General election 1831: Caernarvonshire[3][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Charles Griffith-Wynne Unopposed
Registered electors c. 1,500
Tory hold
General election 1832: Caernarvonshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Tory Thomas Assheton Smith Unopposed
Registered electors 1,688
Tory hold
General election 1835: Caernarvonshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Thomas Assheton Smith Unopposed
Registered electors 1,642
Conservative hold
General election 1837: Caernarvonshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Ormsby-Gore Unopposed
Registered electors 1,791
Conservative hold
General election 1841: Caernarvonshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Douglas-Pennant Unopposed
Registered electors 2,162
Conservative hold
General election 1847: Caernarvonshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Douglas-Pennant Unopposed
Registered electors 2,117
Conservative hold
General election 1852: Caernarvonshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Douglas-Pennant Unopposed
Registered electors 1,913
Conservative hold
General election 1857: Caernarvonshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Douglas-Pennant Unopposed
Registered electors 2,060
Conservative hold
General election 1859: Caernarvonshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Douglas-Pennant Unopposed
Registered electors 2,116
Conservative hold
General election 1865: Caernarvonshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Edward Douglas-Pennant Unopposed
Registered electors 2,190
Conservative hold

Elections 1866–1885

Elections in the 1860s

Pennant was elevated to the peerage, becoming Lord Penrhyn, causing a by-election.

By-election, 14 Aug 1866: Caernarvonshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Douglas-Pennant Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1868: Caernarvonshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Love Jones-Parry 1,968 52.0 New
Conservative George Douglas-Pennant 1,815 48.0 N/A
Majority 153 4.0 N/A
Turnout 3,783 78.0 N/A
Registered electors 4,852
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Elections in the 1870s
General election 1874: Caernarvonshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Douglas-Pennant 2,750 54.3 +6.3
Liberal Love Jones-Parry 2,318 45.7 -6.3
Majority 432 8.6 N/A
Turnout 5,068 80.6 +2.6
Registered electors 6,286
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +6.3

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: Caernarvonshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Watkin Williams 3,303 60.0 +14.3
Conservative George Douglas-Pennant 2,206 40.0 -14.3
Majority 1,097 20.0 N/A
Turnout 5,509 82.8 +2.2
Registered electors 6,652
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +14.3

Williams resigned after being appointed a judge of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice

By-election, 2 Dec 1880: Caernarvonshire[6][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal William Rathbone 3,180 59.7 -0.3
Conservative Hugh Ellis-Nanney[7] 2,151 40.3 +0.3
Majority 1,029 19.4 -0.6
Turnout 5,331 80.1 -2.7
Registered electors 6,652
Liberal hold Swing -0.3

Elections 1918–1945

Elections in the 1910s
General election 1918: Caernarvonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
C Liberal Charles Edward Breese 10,488 44.5
Independent Labour Robert Jones 8,145 34.6
Independent Liberal Ellis William Davies 4,937 21.0
Majority 2,343 9.9
Turnout 23,570 64.6
Liberal win
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government.

Elections in the 1920s
General election 1922: Caernarvonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Jones 14,016 53.0 +18.4
National Liberal Charles Edward Breese 12,407 47.0 +2.5
Majority 1,609 6.0 −3.9
Turnout 26,423 70.6 +6.0
Labour gain from National Liberal Swing
General election 1923: Caernarvonshire [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Goronwy Owen 15,043 52.7 +5.7
Labour Robert Jones 13,521 47.3 −5.7
Majority 1,522 5.4 N/A
Turnout 28,564 74.9 +4.3
Liberal gain from Labour Swing +5.7
General election 1924: Caernarvonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Goronwy Owen 15,033 50.8 −1.9
Labour Robert Jones 14,564 49.2 +1.9
Majority 469 1.6 −3.8
Turnout 29,597 76.6 +1.7
Liberal hold Swing −1.9
General election 1929: Caernarvonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Goronwy Owen 18,507 47.8 −3.0
Labour Robert Jones 14,867 38.5 −10.7
Unionist D. Fowden Jones 4,669 12.1 New
Plaid Cymru Lewis Valentine 609 1.6 New
Majority 3,640 9.3 +7.7
Turnout 38,652 81.4 +4.8
Liberal hold Swing +3.9

Elections in the 1930s
General election 1931: Caernarvonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Goronwy Owen 14,993 39.0 -8.8
Labour Elwyn Jones 14,299 37.2 -1.3
National W P O Evans 7,990 20.8 New
Plaid Cymru John Edward Daniel 1,136 3.0 +1.4
Majority 694 1.8 -7.5
Turnout 38,418 80.0 -1.4
Liberal hold Swing
  • Owen opposed the National Government
General election 1935: Caernarvonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Goronwy Owen 17,947 48.6 +9.6
Labour Elwyn Jones 16,450 44.5 +7.3
Plaid Cymru John Edward Daniel 2,534 6.9 +3.9
Majority 1,497 4.1 +2.3
Turnout 36,931 74.9 -5.1
Liberal hold Swing

General Election 1939–40:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected;

Elections in the 1940s
General election 1945: Caernarvonshire
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Goronwy Roberts 22,043 55.3 +10.8
Liberal Goronwy Owen 15,637 39.3 −9.3
Plaid Cymru Ambrose Bebb 2,152 5.4 −1.5
Majority 6,406 16.0 +11.9
Turnout 39,832 77.7 +2.8
Labour gain from Liberal Swing +10.0

Sources
  1. "History of Parliament". Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  2. "History of Parliament". Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  3. Stooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. p. 185. Retrieved 5 May 2020 – via Internet Archive.
  4. Escott, Margaret. "Caernarvonshire". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  5. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. p. 519. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  6. "Carnarvonshire Election". The Cornishman. No. 125. 2 December 1880. p. 5.
  7. "The Nanney-Ites in Carnarvonshire". Liverpool Mercury. 16 November 1880. p. 7. Retrieved 18 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. Etholiadau'r ganrif 1885-1997, Beti Jones
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