Pembroke Boroughs

Single Member Borough

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Background Information

Right of Election:

in the freemen of Pembroke, Tenby, and Wiston

Number of voters:

about 500

Elections

DateCandidate
2 May 1754Hugh Barlow
2 Apr. 1761Sir William Owen
25 Mar. 1768Sir William Owen
14 Oct. 1774Hugh Owen
13 Sept. 1780Hugh Owen
6 Apr. 1784Hugh Owen

Main Article

Pembroke was under the influence of the Owen family of Orielton but their control of the constituency was not complete, for Wiston was ruled by the Wogan family. At the general election of 1761, when Sir William Owen and Sir John Philipps were contesting the county, Charles Townshend was instigated by Philipps and Wogan to make a bid for the boroughs by a large-scale creation of freemen in Wiston. Owen thereupon ceded the county seat to Philipps; Wogan called off Townshend; and the Owens were again secure in Pembroke Boroughs.

Author: Peter D.G. Thomas

Notes