Matthew Vaughan-Davies, 1st Baron Ystwyth

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.

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.

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.

[6] 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.

[7] Vaughan Davies was regarded as an outsider who was also sternly opposed by the Aberystwyth-based Cambrian News, who stated that his selection was 'a more complete defeat of Liberalism than if Mr Harford, the Conservative candidate, had been placed at the head of the poll by a large majority'.

Although his majority fell by 800 votes from that recorded by Bowen Rowlands in 1892, it remained a comfortable victory over J.C. Harford of Falcondale, one of the ablest local landlords in the county.

In the meantime, Vaughan Davies remained on poor terms with prominent Liberals, including John Gibson of the Cambrian News.