Caernarvonshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Caernarvonshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1918–1950
Replaced by Caernarvon and Conway
Created from Arfon and Eifion
1542–1885
Replaced by Arfon and Eifion

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.

Members of Parliament

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MPs 1542–1604

ParliamentMember
1542 ?John "Wynn" ap Maredudd [1]
1545 John Puleston[1]
1547 Sir 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]
1555 Sir Rhys Gruffydd [1]
1558 William Wynn Williams [1]
1558–1559 Robert Pugh [2]
1563 (Jan) Morris Wynn[2]
1571 John Wynn ap Hugh [2]
1572 (Apr) John Gwynne, died 1574
and replaced by William Thomas[2]
1584 William Thomas [2]
1586 John Wynn [2]
1588 (Oct) Hugh Gwyn Bodvel [2]
1593 William 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
1826 Sir Thomas Wynn, 3rd Baronet
1830 Charles Griffith-Wynne
1832 Thomas Assheton Smith Conservative
1837 John Ralph Ormsby-Gore Conservative
1841 Edward Douglas-Pennant Conservative
1866 George Douglas-Pennant Conservative
1868 Love Jones-Parry Liberal
1874 Hon. George Douglas-Pennant Conservative
April 1880 Charles James Watkin Williams Liberal
December 1880 William Rathbone Liberal
1885 Constituency abolished
1918 Constituency re-created
1918 Charles Edward Breese Coalition Liberal
1922 Robert Thomas Jones Labour
1923 Goronwy Owen Liberal
1945 Goronwy Owen Roberts Labour
1950 Constituency abolished

Uncontested elections 1832 - 1865

Thomas Assheton Smith (Conservative) was elected unopposed in 1832 and 1835.

John Ralph Ormsby-Gore Conservative) was elected unopposed in 1837.

Edward Henry Douglas Pennant (Conservative) was elected unopposed in 1841, 1847, 1852, 1857, 1859 and 1865. Henry Douglas Pennant became a member of the House of Lords on the death of his father in 1866

Edward's son Douglas Henry Pennant (Conservative) was elected unopposed in 1865, he lost his seat to Love Jones Parry in a contested election in 1868.

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918

Electorate 36,460

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal 10,488 n/a
Independent Labour Robert Thomas Jones 8,145 n/a
Independent Liberal Ellis William Davies 4,937 n/a
Majority n/a
Turnout n/a
Liberal win

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1922

Electorate 37,450

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Thomas Jones 14,016
National Liberal Charles Edward Breese 12,407
Majority
Turnout
Labour gain from Liberal Swing
General Election 6 December 1923

Electorate 38,136

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Goronwy Owen 15,043
Labour Robert Thomas Jones 13,521
Majority 1,522
Turnout
Liberal gain from Labour Swing
General Election 1924:

Electorate 38,647

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Goronwy Owen 15,033
Labour Robert Thomas Jones 14,564
Majority 469
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
General Election 1929

Electorate 47,481

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Goronwy Owen 18,507
Labour Robert Thomas Jones 14,867
Unionist D. Fowden Jones 4,669 n/a
Plaid Cymru Rev. Lewis Edward Valentine 609 n/a
Majority 3,640
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1931

Electorate 48,003

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Goronwy Owen 14,993 39.0
Labour William Elwyn Edwards Jones 14,299 37.2
National W P O Evans 7,990 20.8
Plaid Cymru Prof. John Edward Daniel 1,136 3.0
Majority 694 1.8
Turnout 38,418 80.0
Liberal hold Swing
General Election 1935

Electorate 49,284

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Goronwy Owen 17,947 48.6
Labour William Elwyn Edwards Jones 16,450 44.5
Plaid Cymru Prof. John Edward Daniel 2,534 6.9
Majority 1,497 4.1
Turnout 36,931 74.9
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

Electorate 51,249

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Goronwy Owen Roberts 22,043 55.3
Liberal Sir Goronwy Owen 15,637 39.3
Plaid Cymru William Ambrose Bebb 2,152 5.4
Majority 6,406 16.1
Turnout 77.7
Labour gain from Liberal Swing

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 2011-08-29.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 "History of Parliament". Retrieved 2011-08-29.