Montgomeryshire

The clash between the two leading landed interests in the county, those of the Earl of Powis and the Williams Wynn Family of Wynnstay, had led in 1774 to the return of William (Mostyn) Owen on the Powis interest. Subsequently, however, his politics displeased his patron and if Owen held his seat undisturbed until his death it was because his politics pleased the Williams Wynns and Lord Powis wished to avoid another expensive contest. Having thus gained the upper hand, Sir Watkin Williams Wynn and his allies secured the return of Francis Lloyd by compromise in 1795. Three other candidates had been mentioned, William Owen, an army officer son of the deceased Member then serving abroad, on whose behalf an advertisement appeared, Edward Pryce Lloyd of Bodfach and Robert Corbett of Leighton; but at the county meeting, Lord Powis and Sir Watkin concurred in sponsoring Francis Lloyd and the others withdrew.B. Ellis, Mont. Colls. lxiii. 74 (1973).

Sir Watkin secured the return of his brother Charles on Lloyd’s death in 1799, unopposed and without a canvass. According to Lady Williams Wynn, writing to her brother Tom Grenville, 6 Mar. 1799, Sir Edward Pryce Lloyd ‘affected to canvass for two or three days, and then wrote Watkin word that he should give him and the county no further trouble’. Lord Powis, without a ‘positive promise’ of support, put the Wynns ‘perfectly at ease as to his intentions’.NLW, Glansevern mss 1498; Add. 41855, f. 217. The only other threat to Williams Wynn’s security arose in October 1808 when he fell out with Powis over the disbanding of his militia corps by the latter as lord lieutenant. This quarrel became public knowledge. A ‘violent paper war’ ensued and it was anticipated that Powis, who supported administration while Williams Wynn opposed it, would challenge him at the next election. A reconciliation took place, however, and by 1811 Powis was ‘all civility’. In 1817 their families were united by marriage, a blow to those who thought that ‘the power of these two families is a great curse to the county of Montgomery’.NLW mss 10804, C. Williams Wynn to Powis, 30 Oct., to Emsley, 23 Dec. 1808, to his brother Henry, 23 Jan.; 4814, same to Southey, 29 Jan. 1809; Glansevern mss 2196, 2203, 2218. Thus a member of the Williams Wynn family was returned until 1880, without opposition until 1831.