John Pugh (c. 1675–1737) of

Mathafarn Mathafarn is a house and farm near Llanwrin, in Wales. The earliest house here was built before 1485, and Mathafarn plays a significant role in Welsh and English history. History The earliest reference to Mathafarn is in 1485. Henry Tudor was ...

, Llanwrin,

Montgomeryshire Montgomeryshire, also known as ''Maldwyn'' ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn meaning "the Shire of Baldwin's town"), is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It is named after its county tow ...

, was a British lawyer and Tory politician who sat in the English and

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 mem ...

from 1705 to 1727. Pugh was the eldest son of William Pugh of Mathafarn and his wife Margaret Lloyd, daughter of John Lloyd of Ceiswyn and Aberllefenni, Merionethshire. He was admitted at Inner Temple in 1690 and matriculated at Jesus College, Oxford on 13 June 1691, aged 15.In 1700 he was called to the bar. Having been appointed to the commission of the peace, he was removed in about 1702, but was then named as a Deputy Lieutenant for the county in 1703. He married Elizabeth Scudamore, daughter of John Scudamore, 2nd Viscount Scudamore in about.1708. Pugh was returned unopposed as Member of Parliament for

Cardiganshire Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cere ...

at the 1705 general election, probably by the influence of

Lewis Pryse Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...

and was restored to the commission of the peace. In Parliament he voted against the Court candidate in the division on the Speaker on 25 October 1705, and told on the Tory side on 22 January 1706. At the

1708 general election Seventeen or 17 may refer to: *17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18 * one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017 Literature Magazines * ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine * ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...

, he changed seats to Montgomery Boroughs, where his family had an interest and was returned unopposed. He was present at a meeting of Tory gentlemen in Aberystwyth in 1710 when Lewis Pryse and the assembled company drank the Pretender's health on their knees. He was a Tory on his unopposed return to Parliament in

1710 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Saturday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – In Prussia, Cölln is merged with Alt-Berlin b ...

although frequently absent. At the

1713 general election Events January–March * January 17 – Tuscarora War: Colonel James Moore leads the Carolina militia out of Albemarle County, North Carolina, in a second offensive against the Tuscarora. Heavy snows force the troops to take re ...

, he was returned unopposed again. He was a teller on 29 June 1714 in a division on the Southwark election and on 12 August 1714 presented a bill to correct mistakes in the 1714 Land Tax Act. Pugh was returned for Montgomery Boroughs at the

1715 general election Events For dates within Great Britain and the British Empire, as well as in the Russian Empire, the "old style" Julian calendar was used in 1715, and can be converted to the "new style" Gregorian calendar (adopted in the British Empire i ...

but was inactive in Parliament. In 1719, he was taken into custody for defaulting on a call of the House. He succeeded his father in 1719 and became a dominant figure in Montgomeryshire politics. At the 1722 general election, he was returned again, with the help of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, 3rd Baronet. He did not stand at the 1727 general election, but there was a double return at Montgomery and he was called to testify as a witness for the Tory candidate on the election petition. Pugh died on 30 November 1737, and was buried at Llanwrin. He had one son who predeceased him. His heiress was a niece, the wife of Thomas Pryse of Gogerddan. The Mathafarn estate was subsequently sold to the trustees of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn for £33,400, and merged into the Wynnstay estate.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pugh, John 1670s births 1737 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Welsh constituencies British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1713–1715 British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727