John Pugh (of Mathafarn) facts for kids

John Pugh (born around 1675, died 1737) was an important British lawyer and politician. He came from a place called Mathafarn in Llanwrin, Montgomeryshire, which is in Wales. John Pugh was a member of the English and later the British House of Commons from 1705 to 1727. He belonged to the Tory political group.

Early Life and Education

John Pugh was the oldest son of William Pugh of Mathafarn. His mother was Margaret Lloyd. At the age of 15, in 1691, he started studying at Jesus College, Oxford. Before that, in 1690, he joined Inner Temple, which is a place where people train to become lawyers. By 1700, he officially became a lawyer.

He also held some local government roles. He was part of the "commission of the peace," which meant he helped keep law and order. Later, he became a "Deputy Lieutenant" for his county. Around 1708, John Pugh married Elizabeth Scudamore. She was the daughter of John Scudamore, 2nd Viscount Scudamore.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In 1705, John Pugh was elected to Parliament for the area of Cardiganshire. He didn't have anyone running against him, which means he was "unopposed." This likely happened because of the influence of a person named Lewis Pryse. After being elected, he was also put back on the "commission of the peace."

In Parliament, he often voted with the Tory side. For example, in 1705, he voted against a candidate supported by the King's government.

Changing Seats in Parliament

For the 1708 election, John Pugh decided to run for a different area called Montgomery Boroughs. His family had connections there, and he was again elected without anyone running against him.

He continued to be a Tory politician. In 1710, he was present at a meeting in Aberystwyth where some Tory gentlemen showed support for the "Pretender." The Pretender was someone who claimed he should be the King of England.

John Pugh was re-elected unopposed in 1710 and 1713. Even though he was often absent from Parliament, he did take part in some important votes. For example, in 1714, he helped present a bill to fix some errors in a tax law.

Later Political Career

John Pugh was elected again for Montgomery Boroughs in the 1715 election. However, he was not very active in Parliament during this time. In 1719, he had some trouble and was taken into custody for not showing up when Parliament called for all members to be present.

In 1719, his father passed away, and John Pugh inherited his family's estate. After this, he became a very important person in the politics of Montgomeryshire.

For the 1722 election, he was elected again with help from Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, 3rd Baronet. He did not run for election in 1727. However, there was a problem with the election results in Montgomery, and he was asked to be a witness to help the Tory candidate.

Death and Legacy

John Pugh passed away on November 30, 1737, and was buried in Llanwrin. He had one son, but his son died before him. His main heir was his niece, who was married to Thomas Pryse of Gogerddan.

Later, the Mathafarn estate, which was John Pugh's family home, was sold for a large sum of money. It was bought by the people managing the estate of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn and became part of the Wynnstay estate.