David Pugh (British politician)
David Pugh (1806 – 12 July 1890) was a Welsh landowner and Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1857 until 1868 and again from 1885 until his death in 1890.
Pugh was born at Green Hill, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire (which was later renamed Manoravon), the eldest son of Colonel David Heron Pugh, who was High Sheriff of Carmarthenshire in 1819, and his wife Elizabeth Benyon, daughter of William Beynon of Trewern, Llanddewi Velfrey, Pembrokeshire. His brother, John William Pugh, was Vicar of Llandeilo for fifteen years.
Pugh was educated at Rugby School and Balliol College, Oxford, graduating in 1828. In 1837 he was called to the Bar at Inner Temple and for some years he practiced on the Northern Circuit.
From an early age, Pugh took a close interest in the life of his locality and never devoted himself fully to a legal career. From 1843 until 1852 he was Chairman of the Carmarthesnhire Quarter Sessions, and also served as a Justice of the Peace for Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire and as Deputy Lieutenant. He held a commission as a captain in the Carmarthenshire Rifle Volunteers.
Following the death of his brother in 1852, Pugh abandoned his legal career and settled at Manoravon, where he set about developing the estate. He purchased a considerable proportion of the neighbouring Gulston estate for £45,000 and also owned property through his mother's family in the Teifi valley and at St Clears. He was regarded as a popular landlord, partly due to his practice of supporting local tradesmen rather than those based in London. At the time of his death it was said that he regularly granted rent abatements at times of agricultural depression. This was often cited as a reason for his political success, particularly in later life.
Pugh owned nearly 10,000 acres (40 km2) of land.and was a well known breeder of shorthorn cattle.
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