Thomas Lloyd

Thomas Edward Lloyd (12 April 1820 – 23 September 1909) was a British Conservative Party politician. He was Conservative MP for Cardiganshire from 1874 to 1880.

Lloyd belonged to one of the ancient families of Cardiganshire who came into possession of Coedmore (or Coedmawr in Welsh) in the seventeenth century when another Thomas Lloyd married the heiress of the Lewis family who previously owned the estate.

Lloyd was the son of Thomas Lloyd, who served as Lord Lieutenant of Cardiganshire from 1854 until 1857 and his wife, Charlotte, daughter of Edward Longcroft of Llanina. At the Cardigan Boroughs by-election in 1855, Thomas Lloyd nominated the Liberal candidate, John Evans, who suffered a rare Liberal defeat in the seat to the Conservative candidate, John Lloyd Davies.

Lloyd was educated at Rugby School and was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in 1845. He was a JP for Cardiganshire and neighbouring Carmarthenshire. The sitting Liberal member, Evan Mathew Richards, had won the seat in 1868 in a contest heavily influenced by allegations of coercion, and the introduction of the secret ballot was expected to make the seat safe for the Liberals. Lloyd had also not been involved in conflict with his tenantry, and his candidacy would not therefore attract the same degree of opposition as would face one of the more prominent landowners.

There were suggestions early in the campaign that the contest would be closer than might be expected, as the Liberals had not expected a contest, or at least a contest against a plausible candidate. Lloyd's candidacy was kept a closely guarded secret until nomination day, although his leaflets and campaign literature had been printed. In later years, there were allegations of irregularities, and that a ballot box had been tampered with when kept overnight at Aberaeron.

Lloyd's wife, Clemena, died in 1882. On 27 August 1885, Lloyd married Eliza Mary Bennett at St Thomas Church, Portland Square, London. Edith died in 1908.

Lloyd lived in retirement at Coedmore until his death, aged 89, on 23 September 1909. On the evening of 27 September his remains were taken from Coedmore to Cilgerran Station from where they were transported to London for cremation according to his wishes. His second wife, Eliza, lived on at Coedmore until her death in 1947.