Thomas Johnes (the elder)

Last updated June 10, 2019

Thomas Johnes (died c. 1734) of Llanfair Clydogau, Cardiganshire and Dolau Cothi, Carmarthenshire, was a Welsh Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1713 to 1715.

The House of Commons is the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada and historically was the name of the lower houses of the Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Great Britain, Kingdom of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Southern Ireland. Roughly equivalent bodies in other countries which were once part of the British Empire include the United States House of Representatives, the Australian House of Representatives, the New Zealand House of Representatives, and India's Lok Sabha.

Johnes was the only surviving son of Thomas Johnes of Llanfair, Cardiganshire, and his wife Anne Lloyd, daughter of David Lloyd of Crymlyn, Monmouthshire. He succeeded to his father's estates in about 1698. He married Jane Herbert, daughter of William Herbert of Hafod Uchdryd, Llanfihangel-y-Creuddyn, Cardiganshire and then as his second wife, Blanche Van, daughter of David Van of Llanwern, Monmouthshire.^[1]

Johnes was High Sheriff of Cardiganshire for the year 1704 to 1705. He stood as a Whig for Parliament at Cardiganshire at the 1708 British general election but was defeated and was unsuccessful in two succeeding petitions. At the 1713 general election he was returned as Member of Parliament for Cardiganshire, but lost the seat in 1715.^[1]

The office of High Sheriff of Cardiganshire was established in 1541, since when a high sheriff was appointed annually until 1974 when the office was transformed into that of High Sheriff of Dyfed as part of the creation of Dyfed from the amalgamation of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. Between the Edwardian Conquest of Wales in 1282 and the establishment of the High Sheriff of Cardiganshire, the sheriff's duties were mainly the responsibility of the coroner and the Custos Rotulorum of Cardiganshire. The office of High Sheriff remained first in precedence in the county until the reign of Edward VII when an Order in Council in 1908 gave the Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire the prime office under the Crown as the sovereign's personal representative.

The 1708 British general election was the first general election to be held after the Acts of Union had united the Parliaments of England and Scotland.

The 1713 British general election produced further gains for the governing Tory party. Since 1710 Robert Harley had led a government appointed after the downfall of the Whig Junto, attempting to pursue a moderate and non-controversial policy, but had increasingly struggled to deal with the extreme Tory backbenchers who were frustrated by the lack of support for anti-dissenter legislation. The government remained popular with the electorate, however, having helped to end the War of the Spanish Succession and agreeing on the Treaty of Utrecht. The Tories consequently made further gains against the Whigs, making Harley's job even more difficult. Contests were held in 94 constituencies in England and Wales, some 35 per cent of the total, reflecting a decline in partisan tension and the Whigs' belief that they were unlikely to win anyway.

Johnes died in 1734 without issue by either wife and nominated as his heir Thomas Johnes of Pen-y-bont, Radnorshire, a first cousin once removed.^[1]

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References

1 2 3 ".JOHNES, Thomas (d. c.1734), of Llanfair Clydogau, Card. and Dolau Cothi, Carm". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 6 August 2018.

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Sir Humphrey Mackworth	Member of Parliament for Cardiganshire 1713– 1715	Succeeded by Lewis Pryse
Honorary titles
Preceded by Morgan Howells	High Sheriff of Cardiganshire 1704–1705	Succeeded by John Lloyd of Llangennech

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[HOP-1] 1 2 3 ".JOHNES, Thomas (d. c.1734), of Llanfair Clydogau, Card. and Dolau Cothi, Carm". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 6 August 2018.