Welsh Journals

The Gogerddan estate thereupon devolved upon his kinsman Lewis Pryse of Woodstock, Oxfordshire, whose daughter and heiress Margaret Pryse married Edward Loveden Loveden of Buscot Park. The Lovedens (who will be discussed later) were able parliamentarians, and, during the Regency period in particular, were very influential in Court circles. On his death in 1784 Edward Loveden Loveden was succeeded by his son Pryse Loveden, who assumed his mother's patronymic and the coat of arms of Gogerddan on her death in 1798. Pryse Pryse represented Cardigan Boroughs in Parliament from 1818 until his death on 4 January 1849. At the election of 1841 he was opposed by John Scandrett Harford of Blaize Castle near Bristol, a member of the Falcondale family. This election made history because of the loss of the Aberystwyth poll books and the consequent double return by the mayor of Cardigan who acted as returning officer. Pryse Pryse thereupon petitioned Parliament which, after an inquiry by the Select Com- mittee appointed to determine the matter, decided in his favour. According to the evidence submitted to the Committee on behalf of the petitioner the poll was taken at Aberystwyth, Lampeter, and Adpar on 5 July, at the close of which the number of votes cast at the various places for each of the candidates was as follows: Pryse Harford Cardigan 57 126 Aberystwyth 142 59 Lampeter 68 84 Adpar 38 16 Total 305 285 From documents in the Gogerddan papers it appears that a dispute had arisen between the parties at Aberystwyth as the result of a request by Mr. Pryse's committee that two polling booths (instead of the proposed one) be erected in the town, to be presided over by Richard Owen Powell, the mayor, and Thomas Owen Morgan. The mayor, who was the official deputy returning officer, had origin- ally intended erecting two booths, but refused his official sanction on the eve of the poll. Nevertheless, a second booth was duly erected and manned by representatives of both candidates. Before polling commenced, however, William Simons, an attorney from Carmarthen, who represented himself as professional agent for Harford, together with other supporters, laid certain objections to the proceedings at the second booth. T. O. Morgan overruled the objections, and 'polling pro- ceeded without interruption except that Mr. Simons and other representatives of Mr. Harford put the questions and oaths to some of Mr. Pryse's voters of whom there were 68 who polled for him, not one vote being given or even tendered for Mr. Harford'. At the other booth 74 votes were recorded for Pryse and 59 for Harford, the last of whom was the Mayor himself. There were also 8 votes ten- dered at that booth for Pryse, but not admitted, and one for Harford,