Pembroke was controlled by the Owens of Orielton, Whigs, who always returned members of their family or nominees. In 1715 a Tory, Sir George Barlow, encouraged by a House of Commons decision in 1712 that the borough of Wiston had the right to vote in Pembroke elections,1 which weakened the Owen interest, unsuccessfully challenged Thomas Ferrers, the Owen candidate. Both sides created new freemen, but Barlow failed in his attempt to poll the Wiston voters.2 Thereafter the Owen candidates were returned unopposed until 1741, when William Owen was opposed by Rawleigh Mansel of Carmarthen. Mansel, who was defeated, claimed in an unsuccessful petition that his supporter

were obstructed and prevented from going into the ... hall, by a great number of persons, who were placed on the stairs leading to the said hall armed with pitchforks and other offensive weapons.3