Mid Glamorganshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Mid Glamorganshire was a county constituency in Glamorganshire, Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.

Mid Glamorganshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1918
Number of membersone
Replaced byNeath and Aberavon

Overview

The constituency was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election, as a result of the division of the old two-member Glamorgan county constituency into five seats. The new constituency had an overwhelmingly working-class electorate. It was abolished for the 1918 general election.

Boundaries

Created in the redistribution of seats in 1885 & from the old Glamorganshire constituency which had been in existence since 1541, the seat covered a wide area that included Maesteg, Llangeinor, Llynfi Valley, Aberpergwm, Margam Park, Briton Ferry, Glyncorrwg, Resolven. It was scrapped in the next redistribution of seats that took place in 1918.

History

C.R.M. Talbot

Following the creation of the seat in 1885, this predominantly mining constituency, which included the Llyfni, Garw and Ogmore valleys, was initially represented by the Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan, Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, who had served as a member for the Glamorgan county seat since 1830. Despite his venerable status, a meeting of the Liberal Association held at Maesteg initially considered other candidates including Gwilym Williams and J. Carvell Williams.[1] Although a leading member of the county aristocracy, Talbot did at this time support the principle of electing working men to parliament, especially in mining constituencies, and endorsed the efforts of the Rhondda miners to have William Abraham (Mabon) selected as Liberal candidate for the new Rhondda constituency.[2]

Despite adopting a number of Gladstonian principles, Talbot remained opposed to Irish Home Rule, and this was inevitably going to present a difficulty at the 1886 general election.[3] There was criticism of Talbot's views in the more industrial parts of the constituency, such as the Maesteg area. He wrote to his fellow county member, Hussey Vivian, that he had a meeting with Maesteg Liberals and although they were friendly to his face, 'I am told that [they] became quarrelsome after I left, and suggested various substitutes'.[4] A number of alternative candidates were suggested, including Abel Thomas, John Cory, Thomas Williams of Merthyr, R.D. Burnie and Cyril Flower. However, none of these was prepared to consent to be nominated in opposition to Talbot.[5] Some few weeks later, however, a meeting of the Association at Briton Ferry which, significantly, was not attended by delegates from some industrial districts, unanimously re-adopted Talbot, stating that he had 'made great progress towards the views they, as an association, held'.[5]

Samuel T. Evans

Upon Talbot's death in 1890, his successor was Samuel Thomas Evans, a grocer's son from Skewen who was initially a militant nonconformist radical and supporter of Welsh Home Rule through Cymru Fydd. Evans, however, later toned down his radicalism on achieving ministerial office.[6]

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1885 Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot Liberal
1892 Samuel Thomas Evans Liberal
Apr 1910 Frederick William Gibbins Liberal
Dec 1910 John Hugh Edwards Liberal
1918 constituency abolished

Elections

Elections in the 1880s
General election 1885: Mid Glamorganshire [7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot Unopposed
Liberal win (new seat)
General election 1886: Mid Glamorganshire [7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot Unopposed
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1890s
1890 Mid Glamorganshire by-election [7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Samuel Thomas Evans Unopposed
Liberal hold
S.T. Evans
General election 1892: Mid Glamorganshire [7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Samuel Thomas Evans 5,941 77.5 N/A
Conservative F.C. Grove 1,725 22.5 New
Majority 4,216 55.0 N/A
Turnout 7,666 67.4 N/A
Registered electors 11,373
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election 1895: Mid Glamorganshire [7][9][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Samuel Thomas Evans 5,612 65.7 −11.8
Conservative John Edwards-Vaughan 2,935 34.3 +11.8
Majority 2,677 31.4 −23.6
Turnout 8,547 68.2 +0.8
Registered electors 12,534
Liberal hold Swing −11.8

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Mid Glamorganshire [7][9][10][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Samuel Thomas Evans 7,027 75.8 +10.1
Conservative H. Phillips 2,244 24.2 −10.1
Majority 4,783 51.6 +20.2
Turnout 9,271 67.8 −0.4
Registered electors 13,666
Liberal hold Swing +10.1
General election 1906: Mid Glamorganshire [7][10][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Samuel Thomas Evans Unopposed
Liberal hold

Evans is appointed Recorded of Swansea, prompting a by-election.

1906 Mid Glamorganshire by-election [7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Samuel Thomas Evans Unopposed
Liberal hold

Evans is appointed Solicitor-General, prompting a by-election.

1908 Mid Glamorganshire by-election [8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Samuel Thomas Evans Unopposed
Liberal hold
S.T. Evans

Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: Mid Glamorganshire [10][11][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Samuel Thomas Evans 13,175 79.6 N/A
Conservative Godfrey Williams 3,382 20.4 New
Majority 9,793 59.2 N/A
Turnout 16,557 82.7 N/A
Registered electors 20,017
Liberal hold Swing N/A

Evans is appointed president of the probate, divorce and admiralty division of the High Court of Justice, prompting a by-election.

April 1910 Mid Glamorganshire by-election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Frederick William Gibbins 8,920 59.0 −20.6
Labour Vernon Hartshorn 6,210 41.0 New
Majority 2,710 18.0 −41.2
Turnout 15,130 75.6 −7.1
Registered electors 20,017
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General election December 1910: Mid Glamorganshire [11][12][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Hugh Edwards 7,624 55.5 −24.1
Labour Vernon Hartshorn 6,102 44.5 N/A
Majority 1,522 11.0 −48.2
Turnout 13,726 68.6 −14.1
Registered electors 20,017
Liberal hold Swing N/A

General Election 1914/15

Another General Election was scheduled to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

See also

Notes and references
  1. "Mid-Glamorgan Parliamentary Division". Weekly Mail. 9 May 1885. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  2. "Mr C.R.M. Talbot MP on Labour Representation". Cardiff Times. 25 April 1885. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  3. Campbell 2000, p. 67.
  4. Campbell 2000, p. 78.
  5. "Selection of Mr C.R.M. Talbot". Cardiff Times. 3 July 1886. p. 8. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  6. Morgan 1960, p. 10.
  7. The Liberal Year Book, 1907
  8. Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  9. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
  10. The Times House of Commons Guide 1910, 1911, 1919, Politico's Publishing Page 92 1910 Section
  11. Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
  12. The Times House of Commons Guide 1910, 1911, 1919, Politico's Publishing Page 101 1911 Section

Sources

Books and Journals
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