# Carmarthenshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Carmarthenshire was a parliamentary constituency in Wales which returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was increased to two members for the 1832 general election.
At the 1885 general election, it was divided into two new single-member seats: East Carmarthenshire and West Carmarthenshire.

## History

For most of its history, the Carmarthenshire constituency was dominated by a small number of powerful families. Chief among these were the Rice family of Dynevor, who could claim descent from the medieval Lord Rhys of Deheubarth. They drew upon traditional loyalty and the connotations linked to the Dynevor name to maintain their status as the leading political family of the county and leaders of the Red or Tory faction.
In 1790 the influence of the Dynevor family was re-asserted when George Talbot Rice was elected unopposed. Four years later, he was elevated to the House of Lords and the family would not be in a position to represent the county again until 1820 when his yet unborn son would have came of age.
A celebrated contest took place in 1802 between James Hamlyn Williams and William Paxton. The contest was said to have cost Paxton a total of £15,000. This included 11,070 breakfasts, 36,901 dinners, 25,275 gallons of ale, 11,068 bottles of spirits, 8,879 bottles of porter, 460 of sherry, 509 of cider and gallons of milk punch. The contest became known as ‘Lecsiwn Fawr’ (the Great Election). Paxton was defeated and spent two years settling his debts.
In 1820, George Rice Trevor was elected MP for Carmarthenshire and held the seat until 1831, when he stood down over his opposition to reform.

### Reformed elections

Following the Reform Act 1832, the county was awarded a second seat. In 1832, Rice Trevor resumed his parliamentary career and served until 1852 when he was elevated to the House of Lords upon inheriting the title of Lord Dynevor. He was succeeded by David Jones of Pantglas, who served until 1868.
The second seat was held by supporters of the Whig party until John Jones of Ystrad unseated James Hamlyn-Williams in 1837. Jones was succeeded by another Tory, D.A. Saunders Davies who served until his death in 1857. At this point, however, the seat was occupied by David Pugh, who was regarded as a Liberal-Conservative, and who in later life migrated to the Liberal Party.
At the 1868 general election, following a lengthy and lively campaign characterized by accusations of coercion, Edward Sartoris captured a seat for the Liberals. He was defeated in 1874 but in 1880 the Liberals again captured a seat. Following the Third Reform Act the constituency was divided into two single-member seats.

## Members of Parliament
### MPs 1542–1640

| Parliament | member |
| 1542–1545 | Unknown (returns lost) |
| 1545 | Hon. Richard Devereux. Died on day of re-election in October 1547 |
| 1548 | Sir John Perrott |
| 1553 | Henry Jones |
| 1555 | Richard Jones |
| 1558 | Sir Thomas Jones (of Haroldston) |
| 1559 | Richard Jones |
| 1563 | Sir Henry Jones |
| 1572 | John Vaughan died and replaced 1576 by Walter Vaughan |
| 1584 | Walter Rice |
| 1586 | Sir Thomas Jones |
| 1588 | Herbert Croft |
| 1593 | Walter Vaughan |
| 1597 | Sir Thomas Jones |
| 1601 | John Vaughan |
| 1604 | Sir Robert Mansell|- |
| 1620 | Sir John Vaughan |
| 1624 | Richard Vaughan |
| 1629–1640 | No Parliament summoned |

### MPs 1640–1832

| Year | Member | Member | Party |
| April 1640 | | Henry Vaughan | Royalist |
| February 1644 | Vaughan disabled from sitting – seat vacant | Vaughan disabled from sitting – seat vacant | Vaughan disabled from sitting – seat vacant |
| 1646 | | John Lloyd | |
| December 1648 | Lloyd excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant | Lloyd excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant | Lloyd excluded in Pride's Purge – seat vacant |
| 1653 | Carmarthenshire was not represented in the Barebones Parliament | Carmarthenshire was not represented in the Barebones Parliament | Carmarthenshire was not represented in the Barebones Parliament |
| Year | First Member | Second Member |
| Representation increased to two members in First Protectorate Parliament |||
| 1654 | John Claypole | Rowland Dawkins |
| 1656 | John Claypole,sat for Northants. | Rowland Dawkins |
| 1656 | Robert Atkyns | Rowland Dawkins |
| Representation reverted to one member from January 1659 |||
| Year | Member | Member | Party |
| January 1659 | | Thomas Hughes | |
| May 1659 | Carmarthenshire was not represented in the restored Rump | Carmarthenshire was not represented in the restored Rump | Carmarthenshire was not represented in the restored Rump |
| April 1660 | | John Lloyd | |
| 1661 | | Francis Vaughan (died 1668) | |
| 1668 | | Sir Henry Vaughan (died 1676) | |
| 1677 | | Altham Vaughan | |
| 1679 | | John Vaughan | |
| 1685 | | John Vaughan | |
| 1689 | | Sir Rice Rudd | |
| 1701 | | Griffith Rice | Whig |
| 1710 | | Sir Thomas Powell | Tory |
| 1715 | | Charles Powlett | Whig |
| 1717 | | Sir Thomas Stepney | |
| 1722 | | Edward Rice | |
| 1724 | | Sir Nicholas Williams | |
| 1745 | | John Vaughan I | |
| 1754 | | George Rice | |
| 1779 | | John Vaughan II | |
| 1784 | | Sir William Mansel | |
| 1790 | | Hon. George Rice | Tory |
| 1793 | | Sir James Hamlyn | |
| 1802 | | James Hamlyn-Williams | |
| 1806 | | Sir William Paxton | Whig |
| 1807 | | Lord Robert Seymour | Tory |
| 1820 | | Hon. George Rice-Trevor | Tory |
| 1831 | | Sir James Hamlyn-Williams | Whig |
| 1832 | Representation increased to two members by the Reform Act 1832 | Representation increased to two members by the Reform Act 1832 | Representation increased to two members by the Reform Act 1832 |

### MPs 1832–1885

| Election | First member | First member | First Party | Second member | Second member | Second Party |
| 1832 | | Hon. George Rice-Trevor | Conservative | | Edward Hamlyn Adams | Whig |
| 1835 | | Hon. George Rice-Trevor | Conservative | | Sir James Hamlyn-Williams | Whig |
| 1837 | | Hon. George Rice-Trevor | Conservative | | John Jones of Ystrad | Conservative |
| 1842 by-election | | Hon. George Rice-Trevor | Conservative | | David Arthur Saunders Davies | Conservative |
| 1852 by-election | | David Jones | Conservative | | David Arthur Saunders Davies | Conservative |
| 1857 by-election | | David Jones | Conservative | | David Pugh | Peelite |
| 1859 | | David Jones | Conservative | | David Pugh | Liberal |
| 1868 | | Edward John Sartoris | Liberal | | John Jones | Conservative |
| 1874 | | Viscount Emlyn | Conservative | | John Jones | Conservative |
| 1880 | | Viscount Emlyn | Conservative | | W. R. H. Powell | Liberal |
| 1885 | Constituency abolished: see East Carmarthenshire, West Carmarthenshire | Constituency abolished: see East Carmarthenshire, West Carmarthenshire | Constituency abolished: see East Carmarthenshire, West Carmarthenshire | Constituency abolished: see East Carmarthenshire, West Carmarthenshire | Constituency abolished: see East Carmarthenshire, West Carmarthenshire | Constituency abolished: see East Carmarthenshire, West Carmarthenshire |

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

General election 1830: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | George Rice-Trevor | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 3,000 | |
| | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold | Tory hold |
General election 1831: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Whig | James Hamlyn-Williams | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | c. 3,000 | |
| | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory | Whig gain from Tory |
General election 1832: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Tory | George Rice-Trevor | 1,853 | 37.1 |
| | Whig | Edward Hamlyn Adams | 1,638 | 32.8 |
| | Whig | James Hamlyn-Williams | 1,504 | 30.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,502 | 90.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 3,887 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 215 | 4.3 |
| | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) | Tory win (new seat) |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 134 | 2.7 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1835: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Rice-Trevor | 2,204 | 36.8 | +18.3 |
| | Whig | James Hamlyn-Williams | 1,939 | 32.3 | −30.6 |
| | Conservative | John Jones | 1,851 | 30.9 | +12.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,685 | 87.2 | −2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,227 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 265 | 4.5 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +16.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 88 | 1.4 | −1.3 |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Swing | −30.7 | |
General election 1837: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Rice-Trevor | 2,486 | 37.0 | +0.2 |
| | Conservative | John Jones | 2,173 | 32.3 | +1.4 |
| | Whig | James Hamlyn-Williams | 2,068 | 30.7 | −1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 105 | 1.6 | −2.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,315 | 84.2 | −3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,125 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.5 | |
| | Conservative gain from Whig | Conservative gain from Whig | Swing | +1.1 | |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | George Rice-Trevor | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,614 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Jones' death caused a by-election.
By-election, 27 December 1842: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Arthur Saunders Davies | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1847: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Rice-Trevor | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | David Arthur Saunders Davies | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,261 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

Rice-Trevor succeeded to the peerage, becoming 4th Baron Dynevor and causing a by-election.
By-election, 13 May 1852: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1852: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | David Arthur Saunders Davies | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,791 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
General election 1857: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Conservative | David Arthur Saunders Davies | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,272 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
Davies' death caused a by-election.
By-election, 12 June 1857: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Peelite | David Pugh | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative | Peelite gain from Conservative |
General election 1859: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal-Conservative | David Pugh | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,491 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Liberal-Conservative gain from Conservative | Liberal-Conservative gain from Conservative | Liberal-Conservative gain from Conservative | Liberal-Conservative gain from Conservative | Liberal-Conservative gain from Conservative |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal-Conservative | David Pugh | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,833 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Liberal-Conservative hold | Liberal-Conservative hold | Liberal-Conservative hold | Liberal-Conservative hold | Liberal-Conservative hold |
General election 1868: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Edward John Sartoris | 3,280 | 31.6 | N/A |
| | Conservative | John Jones | 2,942 | 28.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Henry Lavallin Puxley | 2,828 | 27.2 | N/A |
| | Liberal-Conservative | David Pugh | 1,340 | 12.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,165 (est) | 76.8 (est) | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,026 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 338 | 3.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,602 | 15.4 | N/A |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Carmarthenshire :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frederick Campbell | 3,389 | 28.8 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative | John Jones | 3,261 | 27.7 | −0.6 |
| | Liberal | W. R. H. Powell | 2,799 | 23.8 | +10.9 |
| | Liberal | Edward John Sartoris | 2,331 | 19.8 | −11.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 462 | 3.9 | −11.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,890 (est) | 72.2 (est) | −4.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,161 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +6.7 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −5.8 | |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Carmarthenshire (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | W. R. H. Powell | 4,101 | 41.7 | −1.9 |
| | Conservative | Frederick Campbell | 3,030 | 30.8 | +2.0 |
| | Conservative | John Jones | 2,712 | 27.6 | −0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,131 (est) | 83.0 (est) | +10.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,593 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,389 | 14.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal gain from Conservative | Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | −1.5 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | N/A | |