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Party Conflict and Political Stability in Monmouthshire, 1690–1740

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2009

Philip Jenkins
Philip Jenkins
Affiliation:
Pennsylvania State University
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Extract

In the 1960s Professor Plumb discussed The growth of political stability in England 1675–1725. In the seventeenth century, he noted, party violence and political conflict were frequent events, resulting in open civil war in the 1640s and several perilous crises in later years. Stability (he argued) developed from the 1720s by means of the ubiquitous use of political patronage by the Whig government, and Sir Robert Walpole's judicious ability to avoid too many controversies that stirred political passions. The government simply offered too many tempting jobs and places for any but the staunchest tory to resist. At the same time, elections became more expensive and less frequent, so a parliamentary seat was a long-term investment for a wealthy family. Of course, this account has been challenged. The tory opposition continued to exist, and to develop creative new methods of organization and propaganda. However, Britain clearly had a much more stable and secure political system in the eighteenth century.

Type
Articles
Information
The Historical Journal , Volume 29 , Issue 3 , September 1986 , pp. 557 - 575
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

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References

1 Plumb, J H, The growth of political stability in England (London, 1969)Google Scholar

2 Holmes, G S, British politics in the age of Anne (London, 1967)Google Scholar, Colley, Linda, In defiance of oligarchy (Cambridge 1982)CrossRefGoogle Scholar, Clark, J C D, The dynamics of change (Cambridge, 1982)CrossRefGoogle Scholar, Jenkins, J P, The making of a ruling class the Glamorgan gentry, 1640–1790 (Cambridge, 1983)CrossRefGoogle Scholar

3 Sources used generally in this article include Williams, David, History of Monmouthshire (London, 1796)Google Scholar, Bradney, J A, A history of Monmouthshire (4 vols London, 1904–1932)Google Scholar, Morgan, G Blacker, Historical and genealogical memories of the Morgan Family (2 vols London, 1891)Google Scholar, Morgan, W T, ‘County elections in Monmouthshire, 1705–1847’, National Library of Wales Journal, X (1957–1958)Google Scholar, Jenkins, J P ‘A Welsh Lancashire?’, Recusant History (1980), 176–88Google Scholar, idem, ‘Antipopery on the Welsh Marches in the seventeenth century’, Historical Journal, XXIII, 2 (1980), 275 93

Monmouthshire also has two antiquarian publications which have often published articles on individual gentry families These are the Monmouthshire Antiquary and Gwent History (formerly Presenting Monmouthshire, 1956–76) In the 1950s a series of local and family studies was published by the Chepstow Society and the local Historical Association, with work by Ivor Waters, Arthur Clark and others

4 Most Welsh counties had only one member for the county and one for the borough. Monmouthshire was unique in having two county M.P.s. Identification of M.P.s is based on: Havill, E. E., ‘Parliamentary representation of Monmouthshire, 1536–1832’, M. A. thesis, University of Wales, 1949Google Scholar; Williams, W. R., Parliamentary history of Wales (Brecon, 1895)Google Scholar; N[ational] L[ibrary of] Wfales] Badminton MSS 14854–5; Henning, B. D., The House of Commons, 1660–90 (3 vols. London: History of Parliament Trust, 1983)Google Scholar; Sedgwick, R., The House of Commons, 1715–54 (2 vols. London, 1970)Google Scholar ; Namier, L. and Brooke, J., The House of Commons, 1754–90 (2 vols. London)Google Scholar. For political loyalties see A collection of White and Black Lists (London, 1715)Google Scholar.

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6 J. P.Jenkins, ‘The demographic decline of the landed gentry in the eighteenth century’, Welsh History Review, XI (1) (1982), 31–49Google Scholar. For the wealth of Tredegar see NLW Tredegar MS 6; NLW Penrice and Margam MSS, 1926.

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8 These were the squires of Llangattock, Tredegar, Rhymney, Llantarnam, Penallt Argoed, Llanarth, Llangibby, Dingestow, Cefn Mabli, Coldbrook, Wernddu, Bigsweir, Tintern.

9 This list omits the Morgans of Tredegar, one of the greatest families. The last head of the family had just died, and his successor had not yet been appointed to the lieutenancy. NLW, Additional MS 17071E (Llangibby MSS). Phillips, J. R. S., The justices of the peace in Wales and Monmouthshire (Cardiff, 1975)Google Scholar .

10 Jenkins, ‘Welsh Lancashire’. For the wealth of the Monmouthshire Catholics see Bodleian Library Rawl. MSD 387 (about 1720).

11 Plumb, , Growth, p. 15Google Scholar.

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13 O'Keefe, M. M. C., ‘The popish plot in South Wales and the Marches’, MA thesis, University of Galway (1969)Google Scholar.

14 For the survival of civil war factions see A letter from the marquess of Worcester to the committee of parliament sitting in the county of Monmouth (London, 1646)Google Scholar; Clark, A., The Story of Monmouthshire (Llandybie, 1962)Google Scholar and idem, Raglan Castle and the civil war in Monmouthshire (Chepstow, 1953).

15 Rogers, N., The memoirs of Monmouthshire (London, 1708)Google Scholar.

16 P. R. O., State Papers, Domestic, 35/32 fo. 148.

17 For Chepstow and the Marten affair, see Waters, Ivor, Chepstow parish records (Chepstow, 1955)Google Scholar; Kissack, K., Monmouth: the making of a county town (London, 1975), pp. 125–35Google Scholar. Windsor Castle, Stuart MSS 65/16 for the list of potential Jacobite rebels. For opposition to the 1707 Act of Union see NLW Penrice and Margam L 1431–2.

18 Jenkins, ‘Welsh Lancashire’, idem ‘A new source for the history of eighteenth century Monmouthshire’, Monmouthshire Antiquary, IV (1980), 46–9; ‘Jacobites and freemasons in eighteenth century Wales’, Welsh History Review, IX (4) (1979), 391–406Google Scholar.

19 NLW Kemys–Tynte MSS, many unsorted letters not precisely dated, found in ‘bundle 21’. In 1688, before James's fall, a proposed new parliament was to include Sir Trevor Williams and Thomas Morgan for the county, Arnold for the borough – a very whiggish trio. (Ibid., Romsey to Sir Charles, 21 July 1688).

20 NLW Kemys–Tynte MSS, Arnold, J. to SirCharles, , 3 11 1695Google Scholar.

21 NLW Kemys–Tynte MSS, Perkins, E. to SirCharles, , 1 11 1695Google Scholar.

22 NLW Penrice and Margam MSS, L 298.

23 NLW Kemys–Tynte MSS, Arnold, John to SirCharles, , 10 01 1700Google Scholar.

24 Ibid., Charles Price, John Floyer and others to Sir Charles, 3 Oct. 1695. For voting patterns in parliament see Burton, et al. ‘Political parties in the reigns of William and Anne’, Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research (1968)Google Scholar, special supplement no. 7.

25 NLW Kemys-Tynte MSS, Lord Abergavenny to Sir Charles, 23 July 1698. John Floyer to Sir Charles, 15 April 1698.

26 Ibid., Arnold to George Kemys, 7 Feb. 1700; Arnold to Sir Charles, 28 February; Sir John Williams to Sir Charles, 29 Feb.; Christopher Price to Sir Charles, 5 March; W. Thomas to Sir Charles, 5 March; E. Perkins to Sir Charles, 9 March; W. Lancaster to Sir Charles, 9 March; Charles Hughes to Tracy Catchmayd, 11 March; Catchmayd to Sir Charles, 13 March (all 1700). Canvass list in bundle 21 (unsorted). In the 1670s the correspondence between Arnold and Kemys had regularly used phrases such as ‘unparalleled malice’, ‘the highest arrogancy’ and so on. See ibid., Kemys to Arnold, 5 Sept. 1679.

27 NLW Tredegar MSS 211–13 contains pollbooks for 1705, 1708, 1713 and 1727. Ibid. 53/94–7.

28 Ibid. MS 211. The previous year, Sir Hopton had been gathering support as an alleged ally of Tredegar. NLW Penrice and Margam L 570.

29 NLW Tredegar MS 53/98–104.

30 Ibid. 53/107–9.

31 P[ublic] R[ecord] O[ffice] C234/87.

32 The hardcore of whig activists can be identified from the list of J.P.s ejected between 1711 and 1714. These were: Christopher Price of Llanfoist; Henry Romsey; Charles Jones of Ford; Henry Tomkins of Caerleon; George Kemys of Kemys; James Hughes of Gelly; Henry Probert, Jr, of Penallt Argoed; Charles Morgan of Llangattock; William Blethin of Dinham; John Prichard of Campston and William Jones of Usk Priory. Most were restored by the end of 1714.

33 Jenkins, , Making, pp. 157–62Google Scholar. P.R.O. State Papers 35/43, fo. 19; 35/32, fo. 91; 35/58, fos. 34, 53; Cambridge University Library, Cholmondeley-Houghton MSS 745, 2620, 2730; NLW Tredegar MSS, 53/111–12.

34 NLW Tredegar MSS 53/120–2; PRO State Papers 36/21, fo. 162.

35 PRO State Papers 36/28, fo. 100; 36/21, fos. 199–210; B.L. Add. MSS 32891, fo. 453; 32912, fo. 360; 32916, fo. 88; 32869, fo. 130; and many others.

36 NLW Tredegar MSS 66/1–2. In 1720 Sir Charles Kemys and Edward Kemys were dreading a contested county election after their experiences in 1713: NLW Kemys-Tynte MSS, John Tynte to E. Kemys, 18 Jan. 1720.

37 Jenkins, ‘Demographic decline’. For the genealogies of individual families the main source is Bradney, Monmouthshire. However, see also these manuscript collections: Newport Public Library – Kemys-Tynte MSS; Gwent Record Office – Lewis of Pentwyn; Hanbury-Williams; Jones of Llanarth; St Pierre; Llanfihangel Crucorney; Coldbrook and John Capel Hanbury collections.

38 James, B. L., ‘The great landowners of Wales in 1873’, National Library of Wales Journal, XIV (1965–1966), 301–20Google Scholar; Locke, A. A., The Hanbury family (2 vols. London, 1916)Google Scholar; Durant, Horatia, The Somerset sequence (London, 1951)Google Scholar.

39 NLW Tredegar MSS 66/5–18; 53/206–18, 290–5; Waters, I., ‘Valentine Morris’, Presenting Monmouthshire, XIV (1962), 30–5Google Scholar.

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41 The oligarchical political system described here survived well into the nineteenth century, at least into the 1870s, despite the first two Reform Bills. For most of that century the Somersets represented one of the county seats as well as the borough. The Morgans continued to hold one of the Breconshire seats until 1875. Of course by that point challenges to their power were coming from new sources: from industrialists like the Baileys and from chartists and radicals like John Frost, who began his political career as a critic of Tredegar. Morgan, , ‘Chartism in Wales’, in Briggs, Asa (ed.), Chartist studies (London, 1959), pp. 220–48Google Scholar; Jones, D. J. V., Before Rebecca (London, 1973)Google Scholar. Stone, Lawrence and Stone, Jeanne F., An Open Elite (Oxford, 1984)Google Scholar.