Post by Harry Hayfield on Apr 4, 2020 9:39:23 GMT
The Ceredigion constituency (first formed in 1885 by the merger of the borough and county constituencies, then reformed in 1997) matches exactly with the borders of Ceredigion district (1973 - 1995) and Ceredigion County (1996 - present) making it one of the few constituencies in the UK that is its own council area as well. Since it's formation in 1885, one party has been dominant and that is the Liberals who (in one form or another) had an MP for 111 years out of the 134 years the constituency had been in existence.
The first MP for the newly created Ceredigion county constituency was David Davies (Liberal) born in the village of Llandinam in Montgomeryshire who was a railway constructor and coal mine owner. Prior to becoming the MP for the county constituency, he had been the MP for the borough constituency from 1874 - 1875. He was then followed by William Bowen Rowlands (when Mr. Davies supported the Liberal Unionists in the 1886 general election). Mr. Rowlands was born in Broad Haven in Pembrokeshire, and was educated at Jesus Oxford. He was a headmaster in Haverfordwest before being called to the bar in 1871, becoming a Queen's Counsel in 1882. Elected as the MP from 1886 - 1895, he was the Recorder for Swansea in 1893 and after standing down as the MP in 1895, became a County Court Judge in 1910. He was followed by Matthew Lewis Vaughan Davies, a very local lad born in Plas Tanybwlch near Aberystwyth and educated at Harrow. High Sheriff of Ceredigion in 1875 he was elected in 1895 and remained in position until 1921 when he was made a peer of the realm in that year's New Year's Honours List and in doing so, set about a crisis in the Liberal party in Ceredigion.
The elevation to the Lords caused a by-election and when nominations closed there were two candidates W Llewellyn Williams (for the Liberals) and Ernest Evans (for the National Liberals) and although both Liberals they represented the battle that was raging at the heart of the party with the National Liberals, led by Lloyd George (that famous Welsh Prime Minister) who believed that the future of the party was its continued wartime coalition with the Conservatives, a view opposed by the mainstream Liberal party. In the by-election the mainstream view won and Mr. Evans was duly elected by 3,590 votes. Mr. Evans was also a local lad, born in Aberystwyth, and educated at Llandovery College as well as the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He was a barrister and was the private secretary to Lloyd George between 1918 and 1920. He won one more election in Ceredigion (1922) before being defeated in 1923 and ending up as the MP for the University of Wales seat between 1924 and 1943 when he was appointed a County Court Judge and had to vacate the seat.
(TBC)
The first MP for the newly created Ceredigion county constituency was David Davies (Liberal) born in the village of Llandinam in Montgomeryshire who was a railway constructor and coal mine owner. Prior to becoming the MP for the county constituency, he had been the MP for the borough constituency from 1874 - 1875. He was then followed by William Bowen Rowlands (when Mr. Davies supported the Liberal Unionists in the 1886 general election). Mr. Rowlands was born in Broad Haven in Pembrokeshire, and was educated at Jesus Oxford. He was a headmaster in Haverfordwest before being called to the bar in 1871, becoming a Queen's Counsel in 1882. Elected as the MP from 1886 - 1895, he was the Recorder for Swansea in 1893 and after standing down as the MP in 1895, became a County Court Judge in 1910. He was followed by Matthew Lewis Vaughan Davies, a very local lad born in Plas Tanybwlch near Aberystwyth and educated at Harrow. High Sheriff of Ceredigion in 1875 he was elected in 1895 and remained in position until 1921 when he was made a peer of the realm in that year's New Year's Honours List and in doing so, set about a crisis in the Liberal party in Ceredigion.
The elevation to the Lords caused a by-election and when nominations closed there were two candidates W Llewellyn Williams (for the Liberals) and Ernest Evans (for the National Liberals) and although both Liberals they represented the battle that was raging at the heart of the party with the National Liberals, led by Lloyd George (that famous Welsh Prime Minister) who believed that the future of the party was its continued wartime coalition with the Conservatives, a view opposed by the mainstream Liberal party. In the by-election the mainstream view won and Mr. Evans was duly elected by 3,590 votes. Mr. Evans was also a local lad, born in Aberystwyth, and educated at Llandovery College as well as the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He was a barrister and was the private secretary to Lloyd George between 1918 and 1920. He won one more election in Ceredigion (1922) before being defeated in 1923 and ending up as the MP for the University of Wales seat between 1924 and 1943 when he was appointed a County Court Judge and had to vacate the seat.
(TBC)
