1895 Glamorgan County Council election

The third election to Glamorgan County Council was held on 4 March 1895.^[1] It was preceded by the 1892 election and followed by the 1898 election.

Glamorgan County Council had been established by the 1888 Local Government Act, and the first elections held in early 1889. The county of Glamorgan was at this time becoming heavily industrialised, although some areas such as the Vale of Glamorgan remained essentially rural. The rise of nonconformist liberalism, especially since the 1860s, throughout Wales, had challenged the prevailing influence of the landed gentry. However, even in 1889, the traditional forces remained influential and no working men were elected to the Council. This changed in 1892 with the unopposed return of David Morgan in Aberdare and the success of Isaac Evans in Resolven.

As in most parts of Wales, the Liberal Party was once again triumphant and won a majority of the seats. In 1895 there were more unopposed results than in previous elections and the Conservatives made some headway, reflecting the position in the United Kingdom as a whole where the party took power that year.

Results are drawn from the Cardiff Times.^[2] Results also appeared in the Celt (Bala).^[3] Some additional results are drawn from local newspapers in South Wales.

There were some boundary changes at this election. In the Aberdare area the wards were reorganised to reflect those operating for the new Aberdare Urban District Council.^[4]

An additional ward was created at Cadoxton following the division of the existing Barry division.

As in previous elections there were a fair number of unopposed returns, including some seats not contested by the Liberals.^[5][6]

Of the eleven retiring aldermen, two were Conservatives. Following the episode in 1892 when all but two aldermen did not seek re-election, only for the Council to decide that this was a pre-requisite for election as aldermen, a larger number sought re-election. Each was re-elected, including Sir John Llewelyn at Loughor and Penderry, although he faced Liberal opposition unlike in 1889.

Those who did not seek re-election included F.L. Davis at Ferndale.

There were more uncontested elections than in the previous two contests for the County Council and the vast majority of those contested were straight fights between Liberal and Conservative candidates (or in some cases Independents who were widely regarded as Conservatives). In a small number of cases, Liberals faced each other.

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]

Aberaman 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Davies*	481
	Independent	Thomas Rees	375
Majority			106
	Liberal hold		Swing

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

Aberavon 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Morgan Smith*	unopposed

Aberdare Town 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John William Evans*	586
	Liberal	Thomas Thomas*	376
Majority			210
	Liberal hold		Swing

The former seat of Barry and Cadoxton was divided.

Barry 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Cory*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

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

Blaengwawr 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Howell	unopposed

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

Bridgend 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Powell	447
	Conservative	W.M. O'Gaull	399
Majority			48
	Liberal hold		Swing

Briton Ferry 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dr E.V. Pegge	425
	Liberal	Jenkin Hill*	404
Majority			21
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Boundary Changes. A new seat of Cadoxton was created.

Cadoxton 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dr Edward Treharne	367
	Liberal	Rev William Williams	318
Majority			49
	Conservative win (new seat)

Caeharris 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Edward Pritchard Martin	Unopposed	N/A	N/A

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]

Caerphilly 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Edzell Morgan Lindsay*	864
	Liberal	Richard Hill Male*	489
Majority			365
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Cilfynydd 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Lewis	unopposed
	Liberal win (new seat)

Coedffranc 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Newell Moore*	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Conservative hold

Coity 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Howell*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Cowbridge 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ralph Thurstan Bassett	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Conservative hold

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.

Cwmavon

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Llewellyn Griffiths	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

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]

Cyfarthfa 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Watkin Moss	547
	Lib-Lab	Thomas Thomas*	540
Majority			7
	Lib-Lab hold		Swing

Cymmer 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Dr Naunton Davies**	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Dinas Powys 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Oliver Henry Jones*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Dowlais 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Jenkins*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Dulais Valley 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Evan Evans Bevan*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

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

Ferndale 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	D. Thomas	643
	Liberal	Morgan Thomas*	597
Majority			46
	Liberal hold		Swing

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

Gadlys 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Lib-Lab	David Morgan*	770
	Liberal	William Thomas	355
Majority			415
	Lib-Lab hold		Swing

Garw Valley 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Thomas*	unopposed

Gellifaelog 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Evan Lewis*	unopposed

Gelligaer 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Henry William Martin	unopposed

Gower 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Frank Cory Yeo*	unopposed

Kibbor 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Lewis*	unopposed

Llandaff 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Forrest*	unopposed

Llandeilo Talybont

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rees Harries*	unopposed

Llansamlet

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Sims	unoppposed

Llantrisant

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J. Blandy Jenkins*	unopposed

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.

Llwydcoed 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rees Hopkin Rhys*	577
	Liberal	Rev Richard Morgan*	561

Llwynypia and Clydach 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Richard Lewis	unopposed

Lougher and Penderry 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Sir John Llewellyn**	636
	Liberal	S. Thomas	433

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 of Barrow's supporters paraded through the locality on horseback but were attacked by women who threw buckets of water and ashes over them.^[12]

Maesteg 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James Barrow*	938
	Liberal	Jenkin Jones	883

Margam

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Arthur Pendarves Vivian*	unopposed

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

Merthyr Town 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J.W. Lewis	706
	Liberal	Alfred Edwards	597

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

Merthyr Vale 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Walter Bell	721
	Liberal	David Prosser*	587
Majority			134

Morriston

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Williams	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Mountain Ash 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Morris	549
	Liberal	Samuel Evans	459
	Liberal	John Lewis	316
Majority			90
	Liberal hold		Swing

Neath (North) 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	John Henry Rowland*	unopposed
	Liberal Unionist hold		Swing

Neath (South) 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	W.B. Trick	unopposed
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Newcastle 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas J. Hughes	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

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

Ogmore 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J.D. Nicholl	458
	Liberal	Evan Evans*	372
Majority			86
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Ogmore Valley 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Llewellyn*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Oystermouth 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	Sir John Jones Jenkins	unopposed
	Liberal Unionist hold		Swing

Penarth North 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	W.B. Shepherd*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Penarth South 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Frederick Henry Jotham	unopposed

Penrhiwceiber

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Dr. R. W. Jones	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Pentre 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Richard Morris*	473
	Lib-Lab	Howell Price	348
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Penydarren 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Davies*	516
	Conservative	Thomas Edward Morgan	370
Majority			146

Pontardawe 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Ernest Hall Hedley*	578
	Liberal	W.D. Thomas	143
Majority			435

Plymouth 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Watkin Lewis*	603
	Conservative	Arthur Daniel	440
Majority			163

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

Pontlottyn 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Benjamin Owen	280
	Liberal	Rev John Penry Williams	257
	Liberal	R. Williams	178
	Conservative	Alfed Phillips	7
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Pontypridd 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Walter T. Morgan**	unopposed

Porth and Penygraig 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Jones Griffiths**	779
	Conservative	J.W. Jones	224
Majority			555
	Liberal hold		Swing

Resolven 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Lib-Lab	Isaac Evans*	Unopposed
	Lib-Lab hold		Swing

Sketty 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Sir Robert Armine Morris	433
	Liberal	Rev John Davies	395
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Boundary Change

Swansea Valley 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Llewellyn Davies	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Treforest 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Leyshon	684
	Liberal	William Spickett*	520
Majority			164

Treherbert 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Morgan**	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Treorchy 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Lib-Lab	Daronwy Isaac*	unopposed
	Lib-Lab hold		Swing

Trealaw and Tonypandy 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Williams*	497
	Liberal	D. Thomas	400
Majority			97
	Liberal hold		Swing

Tylorstown and Ynyshir 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	T.H. Morris	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Ystalyfera

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dr David Thomas*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Ystrad 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Clifford J. Cory*	804
		J.B. Price	133
Majority			671
	Liberal hold		Swing

In addition to the 66 councillors the council consisted of 22 county aldermen. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term. Following the 1895 election, there were twelve Aldermanic vacancies (the additional one following the death of a sitting alderman).

The following aldermen were appointed by the newly elected council.^[14] They included three miners' agents who, together with Moses Moses, elected as alderman in 1892, made four labour members on the aldermanic bench. Conversely, following the retirement of Sir William Thomas Lewis, Sir John Llewellyn was now the only Conservative among the aldermen. Lewis and another retiring alderman, the prominent Liberal, Thomas Williams of Gwaelod y Garth, received some votes (presumably from Conservative councillors) but the liberal group held to the convention that only elected councillors could be made aldermen.^[14]

• J. T. D. Llewellyn, Conservative, retiring alderman (elected councillor at Lougher and Penderry)
• Walter H. Morgan, Liberal, retiring alderman (elected councillor at Pontypridd)
• John Jones Griffiths, Liberal, retiring alderman (elected councillor at Porth)
• Dr H. Naunton Davies, Liberal, retiring alderman (elected councillor at Cymmer)
• William Morgan, Liberal, retiring alderman (elected councillor at Treherbert)
• Evan Lewis, Liberal (elected councillor at Gellifaelog)
• Richard Lewis, Liberal (elected councillor at Llwynypia and Clydach)
• Isaac Evans, Liberal-Labour (elected councillor at Resolven)
• David Davies, Liberal (elected councillor at Penydarren)
• David Morgan, Liberal-Labour (elected councillor at Gadlys)
• John Thomas, Liberal-Labour (elected councillor at Garw Valley)

elected for three years

• James Barrow, Liberal (elected councillor at Maesteg)

Cymmer by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Dr Naunton Davies**	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

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]

Gadlys by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Richard Morgan	763
		T. Whitty Evans	199
Majority			564
	Liberal hold		Swing

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]

Garw Valley by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	D. Johns	469
	Liberal	Thomas Lewis	319
	Liberal	J. Maddocks	134
Majority			150
	Liberal hold		Swing

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]

Gellifaelog by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Evans	281
	Liberal	John Lloyd Atkins	225
	Conservative	Thomas Edward Morgan	154
Majority			56
	Liberal hold		Swing

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.

Loughor and Penderry by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Samuel Thomas	601
	Conservative	John Roper Wright	506
Majority			95
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llwynypia and Clydach 1895 by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal
	Liberal hold		Swing

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

Maesteg by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Jenkin Jones	1,024
	Liberal	Thomas Rees	759
Majority			265
	Liberal hold		Swing

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]

Penydarren by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Williams**	530
	Conservative	Dan Thomas	372
Majority			158

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

Pontypridd by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Hopkin Smith Davies*	478
	Conservative	R.l. Phillips	381
	Liberal	Patrick Gowan	320

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

Porth and Penygraig by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J.R. Evans	641
	Lib-Lab	Thomas Evans	541
Majority			100
	Liberal hold		Swing

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

Resolven by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Daniel Evans	388
	Liberal	Llew Howell	357
	Liberal	A. Russell Thomas	272
	Liberal	Edmund Law	194
Majority			31
	Lib-Lab hold		Swing

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]

Treherbert by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Walters*	600
	Independent	W.H. Davies	307
	Liberal hold		Swing

• Parry, Jon (1989). "Labour Leaders and Local Politics 1888-1902: The Example of Aberdare". Welsh History Review. 14 (3): 399–416. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
• Williams, Chris (1996). Democratic Rhondda: Politics and society 1885-1951. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.