1895 Glamorgan County Council election

The sitting member, first elected at the 1889 election and re-elected in 1895 was opposed by Thomas Rees, landlord of the Swan Hotel, Aberaman and elected a member of the Aberdare Urban District Council at the inaugural 1894 election. The Merthyr Times opined that there was no necessity for a contest, and that the unsuccessful candidate had wasted his time and money.[7]

John Morgan Smith had previously stood as an Independent, though this was commonly regarded as meaning Conservative.

The former seat of Barry and Cadoxton was divided.

The new Blaengwawr ward was created following boundary changes connected to the formation of the Aberdare Urban District Council.

The election was fought on party lines and covered in detail in the Glamorgan Gazette.[8] The election was said to have attracted 'an exceptionally keen and widespread interest, not only immediately within the town boundaries, but in many an adjacent town, hamlet and village besides'.[9] Against the tide in the county the Liberals captured Bridgend for the first time

Boundary Changes. A new seat of Cadoxton was created.

As a result of boundary changes, two sitting members opposed each other. Hill-Male admitted that he had once been a Conservative but claimed to have been converted to the Liberal cause during his twenty years in Wales.[4]

It was reported that Thomas Davies, the sitting member, was expected to be returned unopposed, but he was opposed by Llewellyn Griffiths, overseer, and a fellow deacon at Penuel Baptist Church, Cwmavon.[10] Davies eventually withdrew.

The result was largely attributed to the fact that Thomas was a member of several public bodies and this was a difficult argument to counter.[11]

Morgan Thomas, the sitting member, was defeated by another Liberal candidate.

Morgan was re-elected although heavily defeated in the Aberdare Urban District Council election a short time before.

As a result of boundary changes, the Hirwaun Ward had been abolished and the sitting member, Richard Morgan, challenged the incumbent, Rees Hopkin Rhys in the Llwydcoed Ward.

James Barrow, the sitting member, was opposed by another Liberal candidate, Jenkin Jones, due to his voting against disestablishment at a council meeting. It was a lively election, with all workmen having a holiday, leaving the streets crowded throughout the day. On the following day, some od Barrow's supporters paraded through the locality on horseback but were attacked by women who threw buckets of water and ashes over them.[12]

This result was attributed by the Merthyr Times to Liberal Party apathy and to publicans' support for the Conservative candidate.[11]

There was initially some uncertainty whether Walter Bell, who had been narrowly defeated in 1892, would oppose the sitting member.[4]

In this largely rural ward, J.D. Nicholl of Merthyr Mawr captured the seat, reversing the result of three years previously.[13]

Two rival Liberal candidates enabled innkeeper David Benjamin Owen to win by 23 votes from Baptist minister John Penry Williams.[5]

Boundary Change

Following the election of David Morgan as alderman, Richard Morgan, member for Hirwaun from 1889 until 1895 was selected as Liberal candidate following a well-attended public meeting.[15] As a result of boundary changes, Morgan had contested Llwydcoed against Rees Hopkin Rhys and had been narrowly defeated. Richard Morgan's selection was not immediately accepted and other meetings were held to promote other candidates, including Benjamin Evans.[16] Eventually, however, Richard Morgan was comfortably elected.[17]

Following the election of John Thomas, miners' agent, as alderman, D. Johns was elected after a contest with two other Liberal candidates, including Thomas Lewis who was also unsuccessful at the initial election.[18]

Following the election of Evan Lewis as alderman, concerns had been expressed that a split Liberal vote would lead to a Conservative victory.[15] But this did not prove to be the case.[17]

Following the election of Sir John Llewelyn as alderman, Samuel Thomas, defeated by Llewelyn at the original election, was now returned. His opponent had sought to succeed Llewelyn on his appointment as alderman in 1889 but was defeated on that occasion by Edward Rice Daniel.[19] This can be considered a Liberal hold as Daniel had stood down at the original election in favour of Llewelyn.

Following the election of James Barrow as alderman, Jenkin Jones, narrowly defeated in a hotly contested initial election, was on this occasion successful.[18]

The by-election took place following the election of David Davies, Glebeland, as alderman. Thomas Williams, Gwaelodygarth, Merthyr, vice-chairman of the previous council, did not seek re-election partly due to the desire of Davies, as the sitting councillor, to contest the seat but also because Williams himself was visiting Palestine and Egypt.[17]

Following the re-election of Walter Morgan as alderman, Hopkin Smith Davies, who stood down in his favour, was returned amongst 'great enthusiasm'.[19]

The election followed John Jones Griffiths's re-election as alderman.[19]

Following the election of Isaac Evans as alderman, Daniel Evans of Abergwynfi was elected in a four-cornered contest.[18]

Following the re-election of William Morgan as alderman, John Walters, who had stood down to enable Morgan to be re-elected, retained his seat.[19]