At the beginning of the eighteenth century the representation of Flintshire was shared by the heads of its leading Tory families, Sir Thomas Hanmer, Sir John Conway and Sir Roger Mostyn, under agreements ratified at county meetings.
In the early eighteenth century Ruthin was dominated by the Myddeltons of Chirk Castle, Tories, and Holt by the Cottons of Lleweni, Whigs. These two families contended for supremacy in Denbigh till 1715, when it passed under the control of the Myddeltons, whose candidate defeated the sitting Member John Wynne of Melai, previously returned on the Cotton interest.
At George I’s accession the predominant interest in Denbighshire was that of the Myddeltons of Chirk Castle, Tories, whose head, Sir Richard Myddelton, represented the county from 1685 till his death in 1716. At the ensuing by-election the seat was wrested from them by Watkin Williams, later Williams Wynn, a Jacobite, who was again successful after a contest in 1722, and unopposed in 1727.
For over a century the representation of Carmarthen was almost monopolized by the Vaughans of Golden Grove, Whigs, whose family represented it in most Parliaments from 1621. This hegemony came to an end with the death in 1724 of Richard Vaughan, who had held the seat since 1685. He was succeeded by James Phillips, the son of a local alderman, who was defeated in 1727 by Arthur Bevan, recorder of the borough.
During the seventeenth century both the shire and borough of Carmarthen were dominated by the Vaughans of Golden Grove. In 1713 the male line of the main branch of the family ended with the death of the 3rd Earl of Carbery. His only daughter and heiress married the Marquess of Winchester, who was returned as a Whig in 1715. He vacated his seat on being summoned to the House of Lords in 1717, thus clearing the way for other local families to assert old or new claims to a share in the county representation.
The chief interest in Cardigan Boroughs was that of the Pryses of Gogerddan, Tories, who controlled Cardigan and Aberystwyth; Tregaron was controlled by the Powells of Nanteos, also Tories; and Lampeter by the Lloyds of Peterswell, Whigs. Up to 1729 Tories were returned without a contest except in 1725, when Thomas Pryse of Dol unsuccessfully attempted to take advantage of a minority in the Gogerddan family to secure his own return by arranging for a mass admission of freemen at Aberystwyth.W. Powell to Mr.
The Cardiganshire Whigs were headed by the Lisburnes of Crosswood and Thomas Johnes of Llanfair; the Tories by the Pryses of Gogerddan and the Powells of Nanteos. In 1715 Lewis Pryse defeated the sitting Member, Johnes, but was expelled for contempt in 1716. At the ensuing by-election and in 1722 Tories were returned with the support of the Gogerddan and Nanteos interests.Lewis Pryse to Wm. Powell, 30 Oct. 1714; O. Brigstocke to Wm. Powell, 6 Jan. 1717; F. Cornwallis to Wm. Powell, 7 Apr. and 23 Nov.
By 1713 Thomas Wynn of Glynllivon, the leader of the local Whigs, had won control of the constituency from the Tory families by the mass creation of non-resident voters in the boroughs of Nevin and Pwllheli, after which the seat remained under Glynllivon dominance for over 70 years. The only challenge, in 1722, was instigated by William Owen of Brogyntyn, who had retaliated by admitting many non-resident voters in his borough of Criccieth. In 1724 Wynn control was consolidated by the acquisition of the constableship of Caernarvon castle, carrying with it the mayoralty of Caernarvon.
At the beginning of the eighteenth century Caernarvonshire was controlled by a group of Tory families, headed by the Bulkeleys of Baron Hill in Anglesey. In 1713, however, William Griffith of Cefnamwlch, the Tory Member for the Caernarvon Boroughs, allied himself with the local Whigs, led by Thomas Wynn of Glynllivon, and was returned for the county against the official Tory candidate.
The control of Brecon was disputed between two local Whig families, Morgan of Tredegar and Jeffreys of the Priory. In 1715 the sitting Member, supported by the Tredegar interest, was returned unopposed. In 1722 William Morgan of Tredegar was returned without a contest, but made his election for Monmouthshire, putting up his younger brother, Thomas, who was returned both on this occasion and in 1727 against Priory candidates.
