1898 Glamorgan County Council election

Prior to the election it became apparent that Evans, the sitting councillor and the retiring alderman, David Price Davies, both coveted the seats. Davies however withdrew before the poll.

John Claxton Meggitt

The sitting councillor, John Cory, had withdrawn in favour of retiring alderman John Claxton Meggitt. The defeated candidate withdrew before polling day.[2]

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Jenkin Hill recaptured the seat he lost three years previously.[2]

A narrow victory.[4]

W.R. Davies took the place of Henry Lewis, who did not seek re-election after one term. Davies was chosen as a candidate after a public meeting of local Liberals where both candidates agreed to abide by the vote.[5]

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Two Liberals, a sitting alderman and sitting councillor, opposed each other.

Thomas Thomas recaptured the seat he lost three years previously.[2]

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David Thomas JP, who had ousted fellow Liberal Morgan Williams in 1895, did not seek re-election due to ill-health leading to a contrast between the Rev Silas Charles, Congregational Minister and Thomas Samuel, grocer.[4]

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The same two candidates had faced each other in 1895. On that occasion, Barrow had won and was elected as alderman for a three-year period. Jenkin Jones was then returned at a by-election.

At the previous election, Trick had stood as a Conservative.

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Morris appears to have defected to the Unionists, leading to his defeat. This was considered to be the most significant contest in the valley but, owing to the support of colliery officials and leading tradesmen for the winning candidate, Elias Henry Davies, it was clear that Morris and been defeated before the close of the poll.[4] Davies was an active Congregationalist, freemason and president of the Rhondda Cymmrodorion.[6]

Although a Liberal gain, the shock was the defeat of Alderman Aaron Davies.

A repeat of the contest in 1895, with the same result.

Boundary Change

James Roberts had won the seat at a by-election following the death of the previous member, David Leyshon. His defeat was greeted with surprise by a crowd said to number 4,000 who had gathered to hear the result. Roberts said h was glad to think that he had been the means of overthrowing a member of a 'Pontypridd clique'.[4]

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Following the return of J.W. Evans, David Price Davies and Thomas Thomas (councillor for the ward from 1892 until 1895) were nominated. However, Thomas withdrew allowing Davies to be returned unopposed.

John Cory had been a member of the county council since its formation, and served as alderman from 1889 until 1892. Captain Murrell, in returning thanks for his election, said he came forward as an independent candidate as a protest against the introduction of the foreign element into the representation of the district.[8]

Following the election of Dr R.W. Jones as an alderman, Thomas Morris, who had represented Mountain Ash on the previous council, was elected.[9] Morris was opposed by another Liberal candidate, clerk to the Llanwonno School Board, who stood in opposition to Morris's links to the beer trade.[10] John Williams, checkweigher at a local colliery and a future Labour MP was a possible candidate but withdrew at an early stage.[11]

A by-election was held in Dowlais ward in October 1899 following the elevation of Thomas Jenkins to the aldermanic bench. John Davies, the local miners' agent defeated an Independent candidate, a local chemist.[12]