William Bulkeley Hughes

William Bulkeley Hughes (26 July 1797 – 8 March 1882) was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1837 to 1859 and 1865 to 1882. He was elected for Member of Parliament for Carnarvon Boroughs constituency[1].

William Bulkeley Hughes by the photographer John Thomas

Hughes was the eldest son of Sir William Bulkeley Hughes of Plas Coch, Llanidan, Anglesey and Elizabeth, of Coed Alun, Caernarfon. He was educated at Harrow School and called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1825.[2]

As a prospector in railway shares, he made significant gains in the 1840s, and organised a banquet given to Robert Stephenson to commemorate the opening of the Britannia Bridge in 1850. He was the chairperson of the Anglesey Central Railway from its founding until it was absorbed by the London and North Western Railway in 1876. He was justice of the peace of Anglesey and Caernarvonshire, and was High Sheriff of Anglesey in 1861.[3]

Hughes was initially elected as a Conservative of Carnarvon Boroughs in 1837. In 1846 he sided with the pro-Free Trade wing of the party led by Sir Robert Peel who became known as the Peelites. Hughes appears to have left the Peelites by 1859 as he stood as a 'Liberal' in the 1859 general election but lost to a Conservative. A few weeks later the Peelites merged with Radicals and Whigs to create the Liberal Party.

Hughes was re-elected as MP for Carnarvon Boroughs as a Liberal in 1865 and held the seat until his death in 1882,[1] aged 85. He is buried in the churchyard of St Edwen's Church, Llanedwen, Anglesey.[4]

Hughes married first Elizabeth Wormald, daughter of Jonathan Nettleship of Mattersey Abbey near Bawtry and widow of Harry Wormald in 1825. He married second Elizabeth Donkin, daughter of William Donkin, in 1866.[2]

References
  1. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 1)
  2. Debretts House of Commons and the Judicial Bench 1881
  3. National Library of Wales Biography
  4. Jones, Geraint I. L. (2006). Anglesey Churches. Gwasg Carreg Gwalch. pp. 77–78. ISBN 1-84527-089-4.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Sir Love Jones-Parry		 Member of Parliament for Carnarvon
1837–1859		 Succeeded by
Charles Wynne
Preceded by
Charles Wynne		 Member of Parliament for Carnarvon
1865–1882		 Succeeded by
Love Jones-Parry
Preceded by
Thomas Bazley		 Oldest Member of Parliament?
(not Father of the House)
1880–1882		 Succeeded by
Michael Thomas Bass


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