# Haverfordwest (UK Parliament constituency)

Haverfordwest was a parliamentary constituency. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

## History

The constituency was enfranchised in 1545, as the second borough constituency in the historic county of Pembrokeshire. In the previous election of 1542, the first at which Wales is known to have sent members to the Parliament of England, this borough was one of the ancient boroughs contributing to the wages and being in some sense represented by the member for Pembroke.
During the eighteenth century, Haverfordwest was considered to be little more than a pocket borough for the Philipps family of Picton Castle.
From 1832 to 1885, it was a district of boroughs constituency, consisting of the three boroughs of Haverfordwest, Fishguard and Narberth.
The constituency was abolished for the 1885 general election, and merged into the newly created constituency of Pembroke and Haverfordwest.

## Members of Parliament
### 1543–1660

| Parliament | Member |
| 1547 | Richard Howell |
| 1553 (Mar) | Richard Howell |
| 1553 (Oct) | Richard Taylor |
| 1554 (Apr) | Richard Howell |
| 1554 (Nov) | Richard Howell |
| 1555 | John Bolton or Button |
| 1558 | Thomas ab Owen |
| 1559 | Hugh Harris |
| 1562–3 | Rice Morgan |
| 1571 | John Garnons (Alban Stepneth cheated of seat by Sheriff) |
| 1572 | Alban Stepneth |
| 1584 | Alban Stepneth |
| 1586 | Alban Stepneth |
| 1588 | Sir John Perrot |
| 1593 | Sir Nicholas Clifford |
| 1597 | Sir James Perrot |
| 1601 | John Canon |
| 1604-1611 | Sir James Perrot |
| 1614 | Sir James Perrot |
| 1621-22 | Sir James Perrot |
| 1624 | Lewis Powell |
| 1625 | Sir Thomas Canon |
| 1626 | Sir James Perrot |
| 1628 | Sir James Perrot |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliaments summoned |
| 1640 (Apr) | Hugh Owen |
| 1640 (Nov) | Sir John Stepney, 3rd Baronet, disabled 1643 |
| 1645 | Sir Robert Needham, secluded 1648 |
| 1653 | Not represented in Barebones Parliament |
| 1654 | Not represented in 1st Protectorate Parliament |
| 1656 | John Upton |
| 1659 | John Upton |
| 1660 | William Philipps |

### 1660–1885

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1660 (Apr) | William Philipps, election declared void, June 1660 | |
| | 1660 (Aug) | William Philipps re-elected | |
| | 1661 | Isaac Lloyd, election declared void, May 1663 | |
| | 1663 (c.Jun) | Sir William Morton, made judge | |
| | 1666 | Sir Frederick Hyde, died | |
| | 1667 | Sir Herbert Perrott | |
| | 1679 | William Wogan | |
| | 1679 | Thomas Owen | |
| | 1681 | Thomas Howard | |
| | 1685 | William Wogan | |
| | 1701 (Jan) | William Wheeler | |
| | 1702 | John Laugharne, died | |
| | 1715 | John Barlow, died | |
| | 1718 | Sir John Philipps, 4th Baronet | |
| | 1722 | Francis Edwardes, died | |
| | 1726 | Sir Erasmus Philipps, died | |
| | 1743 | George Barlow | |
| | 1747 | William Edwardes (Baron Kensington from 1776) | |
| | 1780 | William Edwardes (Baron Kensington from 1776) | Whig |
| | 1784 | The Lord Milford | |
| | 1786 | The Lord Kensington | Whig |
| | 1801 | Seat vacant | Seat vacant |
| | 1802 | The Lord Kensington | Whig |
| | 1818 | William Henry Scourfield | Tory |
| | 1826 | Richard Philipps | Whig |
| | 1835 | William Henry Scourfield | Conservative |
| | 1837 | Sir Richard Philipps, Bt | Whig |
| | 1847 | John Evans | Whig |
| | 1852 | John Scourfield | Conservative |
| | 1868 | Hon. William Edwardes (Baron Kensington from 1872) | Liberal |
| Constituency seat abolished ||||

## Election results
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Richard Philipps | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 500 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1831: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Richard Philipps | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 500 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1832: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | Richard Philipps | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 723 | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1835: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | William Henry Scourfield | 241 | 65.8 |
| | Whig | Jonathan Haworth Peel | 125 | 34.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 116 | 31.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 366 | 68.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 538 | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig |
General election 1837: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Richard Philipps | 247 | 60.0 | +25.8 |
| | Conservative | William Henry Scourfield | 165 | 40.0 | −25.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 82 | 20.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 412 | 58.4 | −9.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 706 | | |
| | Whig gain from Conservative | Whig gain from Conservative | Swing | +25.8 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Richard Philipps | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 667 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1847: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Evans | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 667 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Philipps | 297 | 59.4 | New |
| | Whig | John Evans | 203 | 40.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 94 | 18.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 500 | 73.3 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 682 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1857: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Philipps | 258 | 50.2 | −9.2 |
| | Radical | William Rees | 256 | 49.8 | +9.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2 | 0.4 | −18.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 514 | 69.5 | −3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 740 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −9.2 | |
General election 1859: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Philipps | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 777 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Scourfield | 314 | 58.6 | N/A |
| | Liberal | William Edwardes | 222 | 41.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 92 | 17.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 536 | 80.1 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 669 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1868: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Edwardes | 638 | 56.2 | +14.8 |
| | Conservative | Samuel Pitman | 497 | 43.8 | −14.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 141 | 12.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,135 | 74.4 | −5.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,526 | | |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +14.8 | |

### Elections in the 1870s

Edwardes was appointed a Groom in Waiting, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 26 Nov 1873: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Edwardes | 609 | 52.2 | −4.0 |
| | Conservative | Xavier de Castanos Royds Peel | 558 | 47.8 | +4.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 51 | 4.4 | −8.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,167 | 73.3 | −1.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,592 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −4.0 | |
General election 1874: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Edwardes | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,357 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
The election was declared void on petition, causing a by-election, after a separate potential candidate, Mr Davis, had been refused his nomination by the local sheriff without a deposit for security of costs. However, in the resulting by-election, Davis did not stand and Edwardes was re-elected.
By-election, 12 Jun 1874: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Edwardes | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,357 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Edwardes | 686 | 56.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Edward Denman Thornburgh-Cropper | 522 | 43.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 164 | 13.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,208 | 78.3 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,543 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
Edwardes was appointed Comptroller of the Household, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 12 May 1880: Haverfordwest :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Edwardes | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |