View source for Matthew Vaughan-Davies, 1st Baron Ystwyth

{{Short description|British politician (1840–1935)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
[[File:Matthew Vaughan-Davies.jpg|thumb|right|Matthew Vaughan-Davies]]
'''Matthew Lewis Vaughan-Davies, 1st Baron Ystwyth''' (17 December 1840 &ndash; 21 August 1935) was a [[Wales|Welsh]] [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal Party]] politician and was Liberal MP for the [[Cardiganshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiganshire]] Division from 1895 until 1921.

==Background==
He was born at [[Tan-y-Bwlch, Aberystwyth|Tan-y-Bwlch]], [[Ceredigion|Cardiganshire]], the only son of Matthew Davies of Tan-y-Bwlch.<ref name="Debrett's House of Commons 1901">Debrett's House of Commons 1901</ref> He was educated at [[Harrow School]], but only stayed for a year. He married, in 1889, Mrs Mary Jenkins. She died in 1926. They had no children.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ystwyth, 1st Baron cr 1921, of Tan-y-Bwlch, (Matthew Lewis Vaughan-Davies) (17 Dec. 1840–21 Aug. 1935) |url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/search?q=Ystwyth%2C+1st+Baron+cr+1921%2C+of+Tan-y-Bwlch%2C+%28Matthew+Lewis+Vaughan-Davies%29+%2817+Dec.+1840%E2%80%9321+Aug.+1935%29 |website=WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO |access-date=2 August 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

==Early political career==
He served as [[High Sheriff of Cardiganshire]] in 1875. He served as a [[Justice of the Peace]] and a [[Deputy Lieutenant]] in Cardiganshire.<ref name="Debrett's House of Commons 1901"/> He was the Conservative candidate in the seat in 1885 but then went over to [[William Ewart Gladstone|William Gladstone]].<ref>British parliamentary election results 1885–1918, Craig, F. W. S.</ref>

In 1889, Vaughan Davies sought election as Conservative candidate for Llanfarian at the inaugural [[Cardiganshire County Council]] elections but was defeated by another Conservative, Morris Davies, by fifteen votes. Three years later, however, Davies stood as a Liberal candidate. This was an unexpected development as he had been a pillar of Conservatism in Cardiganshire for many years, and one factor may have been his marriage to Mrs Mary Jenkins, a wealthy widow from [[Swansea]], in 1889. She was later elected president of the Aberystwyth Women's Liberal Association, and was a keen supporter of women's suffrage.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Morgan|title=Cardiganshire Politics|pages=326}}</ref>

Vaughan Davies captured the seat, and remained a member of the County Council for over fifteen years.

==Member for Cardiganshire==

===The 1895 General Election===
Having actively supported the sitting member, [[William Bowen Rowlands]] at the 1892 General Election it soon became known that Davies was interested in the Liberal nomination. This was strongly resisted by leading figures in the local Liberal Association, such as the Aberaeron merchant [[John Morgan Howell|J.M. Howell]] who suspected Davies's commitment to Liberal policies, a suspicion later borne out by embarrassing evidence of his behaviour towards tenants on his own Tanybwlch estate.

However, Davies was eventually chosen as candidate defeating Wynford Phillips by 160 votes to 111 at a delegate conference.<ref name="AO 4-7-95 LibCand">{{cite news|title=Representation of Cardiganshire. Selection of Liberal Candidate|url=http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3047348/ART11|access-date=8 October 2014|agency=Aberystwyth Observer|date=4 July 1895}}</ref> [[Kenneth O. Morgan]] has argued that this was due to his support among rural areas where electors 'resented the social climbing of the Aberystwyth bourgeoisie;.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Morgan|title=Cardiganshire Politics|pages=326–7}}</ref> It was reported at the time that the influence of the Aberystwyth element within the Liberal Association had been resented ever since the Cardiganshire County Council was formed in 1889.<ref name="AO 4-7-95 Lib edit" /> Vaughan Davies was regarded as an outsider who was also sternly opposed by the Aberystwyth-based ''Cambrian News'', who stated that his selection was 'a more complete defeat of Liberalism than if Mr Harford, the Conservative candidate, had been placed at the head of the poll by a large majority'.<ref name="CN 5-7-95 edit">{{cite news|title=The Contest in Cardiganshire (editorial)|url=http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3314632/ART20|access-date=4 October 2014|newspaper=Cambrian News|date=5 July 1895}}</ref> There is no doubt that his selection created divisions in the Liberal ranks.<ref name="AO 4-7-95 Lib edit">{{cite news|title=The Liberal Split (editorial)|url=http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3047348/ART4|access-date=6 October 2014|newspaper=Aberystwyth Observer|date=4 July 1895}}</ref> Some compared the extent of the divisions with the position in 1886 when [[David Davies (industrialist)|David Davies]] had defected to the Liberal Unionists.<ref name="CN 5-7-95 edit" /> Nevertheless, a closer examination of the way delegates from individual wards voted at the selection conference indicates that both candidates drew support from rural wards and while the nineteen delegates from Aberystwyth voted for Phillips the eleven delegates from the county town of Cardigan supported Davies.<ref name="AO 4-7-95 LibCand" />

He was elected at the 1895 General Election. Although his majority fell by 800 votes from that recorded by [[William Bowen Rowlands|Bowen Rowlands]] in 1892, it remained a comfortable victory over J.C. Harford of [[Falcondale]], one of the ablest local landlords in the county.

{{Election box begin | title=[[1895 United Kingdom general election|General election 1895]] [[Cardiganshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiganshire]]<ref name="ReferenceA">British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)</ref>
Electorate 12,994}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Liberal Party (UK)
 |candidate = Matthew Lewis Vaughan-Davies
 |votes = 4,927
 |percentage = 56.8
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate = [[Harford baronets|John Charles Harford]]
 |votes =3,748
 |percentage = 43.2
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes = 1,179
 |percentage = 13.6
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes = 
 |percentage = 66.8
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     =Liberal Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

===Later career===
Five years later, against the same opponent, his majority was reduced.

{{Election box begin | title=[[1900 United Kingdom general election|General election 1900]] [[Cardiganshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiganshire]]<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
Electorate 13,299}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Liberal Party (UK)
 |candidate = Matthew Lewis Vaughan-Davies
 |votes = 4,568
 |percentage = 54.7
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate =  [[Harford baronets|John Charles Harford]]
 |votes = 3,787
 |percentage = 45.3
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes = 781
 |percentage = 9.4
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes = 
 |percentage = 62.8
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     =Liberal Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

Thereafter, Vaughan Davies was comfortably returned at each election but the vitality of the Liberal Association was in serious decline, and by 1914 it was heavily dependent on Vaughan Davies's role as treasurer to keep it going. In the meantime, Vaughan Davies remained on poor terms with prominent Liberals, including John Gibson of the Cambrian News.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Morgan|title=Cardiganshire Politics|pages=328–9}}</ref>

{{Election box begin | title=[[1906 United Kingdom general election|General election 1906]] [[Cardiganshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiganshire]]<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
Electorate 13,215}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Liberal Party (UK)
 |candidate = Matthew Lewis Vaughan-Davies
 |votes = 5,829
 |percentage = 66.3
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Liberal Unionist Party (UK)
 |candidate = C E D M Richardson
 |votes =2,960
 |percentage = 33.7
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes = 2,869
 |percentage = 32.6
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes = 
 |percentage = 66.5
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Liberal Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin |
  |title=[[January 1910 United Kingdom general election|General election January 1910]] [[Cardiganshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiganshire]]<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
Electorate 13,333}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Liberal Party (UK)
 |candidate = Matthew Lewis Vaughan-Davies
 |votes = 6,348
 |percentage = 68.3
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
 |party = Conservative Party (UK)
 |candidate = George Fossett Roberts
 |votes = 2,943
 |percentage = 31.7
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box majority|
 |votes = 3,405
 |percentage = 36.6
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box turnout|
 |votes = 
 |percentage = 69.7
 |change = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Liberal Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box end}}
In December 1910, he was returned unopposed at the second general election of that year. He sought re-election at the 1918 General election and was the endorsed candidate of Lloyd George's Government. He faced no opponent, so was returned unopposed.<ref>British parliamentary election results 1885–1918, Craig,

F. W. S.</ref> 
He was the oldest member of the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] between 1918 and 1921.

He held the seat until 1921 when he was elevated to the peerage as '''Baron Ystwyth''', of [[Tan-y-Bwlch, Aberystwyth|Tan-y-Bwlch]] in the [[County of Cardigan]], in the [[1921 New Year Honours]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=32196 |date=18 January 1921 |page=455 }}</ref> As Lord Ystwyth had no children the title became extinct on his death in August 1935, aged 94.

{{S-start}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{succession box
  | title  = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Cardiganshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiganshire]]
  | years  = [[1895 United Kingdom general election|1895]]&ndash;[[1921 Cardiganshire by-election|1921]]
  | before = [[William Bowen Rowlands]]
  | after  = [[Ernest Evans (politician)|Ernest Evans]]
}}
{{succession box
  | title  = Oldest Member of Parliament<br />(not [[Father of the House]])
  | years  = 1918&ndash;1921
  | before = [[Jesse Collings]]
  | after  = [[Sir Donald Macmaster, 1st Baronet|Donald Macmaster]]
}}
{{s-reg|uk}}
{{s-new | creation}}
{{s-ttl
 | title  = [[Baron Ystwyth]]
 | years  = 1921–1935
}}
{{s-non | reason = Extinct }}
{{s-end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
*Obituary, ''[[The Times]]'', 23 August 1935
* {{cite book |last=Craig |first=F. W. S. |author-link= F. W. S. Craig  |title=British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 |orig-year=1969 |edition= 3rd |year=1983 |publisher= Parliamentary Research Services |location=Chichester |isbn= 0-900178-06-X}}
*{{Rayment|date=February 2012}}
*{{Rayment-hc|date=March 2012}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite journal|last=Morgan|first=Kenneth O.|title=Cardiganshire Politics: The Liberal Ascendancy 1885-1923|journal=Ceredigion|year=1967|volume=5|issue=4|pages=311–346|url=http://welshjournals.llgc.org.uk/browse/viewobject/llgc-id:1094650/article/000025743}}
* {{cite journal|last=Palmer|first=Caroline|title=Matthew Lewis Vaughan Davies - ambitious cad or assiduous politician?|journal=Ceredigion|year=2004|volume=14|issue=4|pages=73–104|url=http://welshjournals.llgc.org.uk/browse/viewobject/llgc-id:1109864/article/000027058}}

== External links ==
* {{Hansard-contribs | mr-matthew-vaughan-davies | Matthew Vaughan-Davies }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vaughan-Davies, Matthew}}
[[Category:1840 births]]
[[Category:1935 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Ceredigion|Ystwyth]]
[[Category:People educated at Harrow School|Ystwyth]]
[[Category:Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom|Ystwyth]]
[[Category:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1895–1900]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1900–1906]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1906–1910]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1910]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1910–1918]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1918–1922]]
[[Category:UK MPs who were granted peerages]]
[[Category:Councillors in Wales]]
[[Category:Members of Cardiganshire County Council]]
[[Category:Barons created by George V]]
[[Category:Welsh justices of the peace]]