Matthew Vaughan-Davies, 1st Baron Ystwyth

Matthew Lewis Vaughan-Davies, 1st Baron Ystwyth (17 December 1840 – 21 August 1935) was a Welsh Liberal Party politician and was Liberal MP for the Cardiganshire Division from 1895 until 1921.

Background He was born at Tan-y-Bwlch, Cardiganshire, the only son of Matthew Davies of Tan-y-Bwlch. He was educated at Harrow School, but only stayed for a year. He married, in 1889, Mrs Mary Jenkins. She died in 1926. They had no children.

Early political career He served as High Sheriff of Cardiganshire in 1875. He served as a Justice of the Peace and a Deputy Lieutenant in Cardiganshire.

In 1889, Vaughan Davies sought election as Conservative candidate for Llanfarian at the inaugural Cardiganshire County Council elections but was defeated by another Conservative, Morris Davies, by fifteen votes. Three years later, however, Davies stood as a Liberal candidate. This was an unexpected development as he had been a pillar of Conservatism in Cardiganshire for many years, and one factor may have been his marriage to Mrs Mary Jenkins, a wealthy widow from Swansea, in 1889. She was later elected president of the Aberystwyth Women's Liberal Association, and was a keen supporter of women's suffrage.

Vaughan Davies captured the seat, and remained a member of the County Council for over fifteen years.

Member for Cardiganshire

The 1895 General Election Having actively supported the sitting member, William Bowen Rowlands at the 1892 General Election it soon became known that Davies was interested in the Liberal nomination. This was strongly resisted by leading figures in the local Liberal Association, such as the Aberaeron merchant J.M. Howell who suspected Davies's commitment to Liberal policies, a suspicion later borne out by embarrassing evidence of his behaviour towards tenants on his own Tanybwlch estate.

However, Davies was eventually chosen as candidate defeating Wynford Phillips by 160 votes to 111 at a delegate conference. Kenneth O. Morgan has argued that this was due to his support among rural areas where electors 'resented the social climbing of the Aberystwyth bourgeoisie. It was reported at the time that the influence of the Aberystwyth element within the Liberal Association had been resented ever since the Cardiganshire County Council was formed in 1889. There is no doubt that his selection created divisions in the Liberal ranks. Some compared the extent of the divisions with the position in 1886 when David Davies had defected to the Liberal Unionists. Electorate 12,994

Later career Five years later, against the same opponent, his majority was reduced.

Election box begin | title=General election 1900 Cardiganshire

Election box begin | title=General election 1906 Cardiganshire He was the oldest member of the House of Commons between 1918 and 1921.

He held the seat until 1921 when he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Ystwyth, of Tan-y-Bwlch in the County of Cardigan, in the 1921 New Year Honours. As Lord Ystwyth had no children the title became extinct on his death in August 1935, aged 94.