1898 Glamorgan County Council election

The Glamorgan County Council election, 1898 was the fourth contest for seats on this authority. It was preceded by the 1895 election and followed by the 1901 election. Glamorgan was by far the largest county in Wales in terms of population. 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.

Overview of the result

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 a number of sources. The include an account of unopposed returns in the Evening Express, and results from the same newspaper as well as the Cambrian and Pontypridd Chronicle.

Boundary changes

There were no boundary changes at this election.

Retiring aldermen

All eleven retiring aldermen were Liberals. Gwilym Jones, W.H. Mathias, J.C. Meggitt, Herbert Evans and the Rev Aaron Davies all sought re-election. Jones and Mathias were returned unopposed while Meggitt's only opponent withdrew before polling day. Herbert Evans was opposed by the sitting Liberal councillor whom he eventually narrowly defeated (see Cwmavon, below). Aaron Davies was defeated at Pontlottyn. At Aberdare, David Price Davies was also nominated but withdrew rather than face a contest with the sitting councillor.

Results

Aberaman

Aberaman

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

Aberavon

Aberavon 1898

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

Aberdare Town

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.

Aberdare Town 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John William Evans*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Barry

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.

Barry 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Claxton Meggitt**	507
		W. Thomas	56
	Liberal hold		Swing

Blaengwawr

Blaengwawr 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Howell*	Unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Cadoxton

Cadoxton 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Dr P.J. O' Donnell	514
	Conservative	Dr E. Treharne*	367
Majority			147
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Bridgend

Bridgend 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Morgan Randall	Unopposed
	Independent gain from Liberal		Swing

Briton Ferry

Jenkin Hill recaptured the seat he lost three years previously.

Briton Ferry 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Jenkin Hill	506
	Conservative	Dr E. Valentine Pegge*	315
Majority			191
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Caeharris

Caeharris 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Edward Pritchard Martin	unopposed

Caerphilly

A narrow victory.

Caerphilly 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H.E. Morgan Lindsay*	846
	Liberal	Edward Edwards	843
Majority			3
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Cilfynydd

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.

Cilfynydd 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Roberts Davies	Unopposed
	Liberal win (new seat)

Coedffranc

Coedffranc 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J. Newell Moore*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Coity

Coity 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Howell*	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

Cowbridge

Cowbridge

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	R.T. Bassett	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Cwmavon

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

Cwmavon 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Herbert Evans**	471
	Liberal	Llewellyn Griffiths*	451
Majority			20
	Liberal hold		Swing

Cyfarthfa

Thomas Thomas recaptured the seat he lost three years previously.

Cyfarthfa 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Lib-Lab	Thomas Thomas	515
	Liberal	Thomas Davies	266
Majority
	Lib-Lab gain from Liberal		Swing

Cymmer

Cymmer 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Morgan Williams*	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

Dinas Powys

Dinas Powys 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Oliver Henry Jones*	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

Dowlais

Dowlais

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

Dulais Valley

Dulais Valley

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

Ferndale

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.

Ferndale 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev Silas Charles	778
	Liberal	Thomas Samuel	629

Gadlys

Gadlys 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Charles Kenshole	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Garw Valley

Garw Valley

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Thomas*	unopposed

Gellifaelog

Gellifaelog

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Evan Lewis*	unopposed

Gelligaer

Gelligaer

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Henry William Martin	unopposed

Gower

Gower 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		George E. Gordon	314
		John Holland	192
		Richard Hopkin James	129

Kibbor

Kibbor

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Lewis*	unopposed

Llandaff

Llandaff

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Robert Forrest*	unopposed

Llandeilo Talybont

Llandeilo Talybont 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rees Harries*	Unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llansamlet

Llansamlet 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Jordan	Unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llantrisant

Llantrisant

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

Llwydcoed

Llwydcoed 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Rees Hopkin Rhys	unopposed

Llwynypia and Clydach

Llwynypia and Clydach

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Richard Lewis	unopposed

Gowerton and Penderry

Gowerton and Penderry 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Samuel Thomas*	Unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Maesteg

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.

Maesteg

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Jenkin Jones*	972
	Liberal	James Barrow**	842

Margam

Margam 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Edward Knox	unopposed

Merthyr Town

Merthyr Town

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

Merthyr Vale

Merthyr Vale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Prosser	538
	Liberal	Walter Bell	523
Majority			15

Morriston

Morriston

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

Mountain Ash

Mountain Ash

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

Neath (North)

Neath (North) 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Hopkin Morgan	unopposed
	Unionist hold		Swing

Neath (South)

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

Neath (South) 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W.B. Trick	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Independent gain from Liberal

Newcastle

Newcastle 1898

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

Ogmore

Ogmore 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J.I.D. Nicholl*	Unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Ogmore Valley

Ogmore Valley 1898

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

Oystermouth

Oystermouth 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	Sir John Jones Jenkins	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Liberal Unionist hold

Penarth North

Penarth North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	W.B. Shepherd*	377
		J.L. Norris	240
	Liberal hold		Swing

Penarth South

Penarth South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Frederick Henry Jotham	unopposed

Penrhiwceiber

Penrhiwceiber

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

Pentre

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. Davies was an active Congregationalist, freemason and president of the Rhondda Cymmrodorion.

Pentre 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	E.H. Davies	643
	Unionist	Richard Morris*	457
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Penydarren

Penydarren

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Davies*	516
	Conservative	T.E. Morgan	270
Majority			146

Pontardawe

Pontardawe 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Frank Gilbertson	500
	Liberal	Dr Griffiths	478
Majority			22

Plymouth

Plymouth 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry W. Lewis*	603
	Conservative	A. Daniel	440

Pontlottyn

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

Pontlottyn 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Alfred Phillips	570
	Liberal	Rev Aaron Davies**	355
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Pontypridd

Pontypridd 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Hopkin Smith Davies*	692
	Independent	Dr Hamlen Williams	605

Porth and Penygraig

Porth and Penygraig

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J. Jones Griffiths**	779
	Conservative	J.W. Jones	424
Majority			555
	Liberal hold		Swing

Resolven

Resolven 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Daniel Evans	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Sketty

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

Sketty 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Sir Robert Armine Morris*	498
	Liberal	Rev John Davies	405
	Liberal hold		Swing

Swansea Valley

Boundary Change

Swansea Valley 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Llewellyn Davies	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Liberal hold

Treforest

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 he was glad to think that he had been the means of overthrowing a member of a 'Pontypridd clique'.

Treforest 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Samuel Evans	671
	Liberal	James Roberts*	614
Majority			57

Treherbert

Treherbert 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Morgan**	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Liberal hold

Treorchy

Treorchy 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Lib-Lab	Daronwy Isaac*	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Lib-Lab hold

Trealaw and Tonypandy

Tonypandy 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	D.W. Davies	570
	Liberal	William Lawrence	398
Majority			172
	Liberal hold		Swing

Tylorstown and Ynyshir

Tylorstown and Ynyshir 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	W.H. Mathias**	Unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Ystalyfera

Ystalyfera 1898

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

Ystrad

Ystrad

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

Election of aldermen

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 1898 election, there were twelve Aldermanic vacancies. These comprised the eleven vacancies due to retiring alderman with the twelfth being vacant following the death of Isaac Evans.

The following aldermen were appointed by the newly elected council.

elected for six years

• Gwilym Jones, Liberal, retiring alderman (elected councillor at Mountain Ash)
• W.H. Mathias, Liberal, retiring alderman (elected councillor at Tylorstown and Ynyshir)
• J.C. Meggitt, Liberal, retiring alderman (elected councillor at Barry)
• Llewellyn Davies, Liberal (elected councillor at Swansea Valley)
• T.J. Hughes, Liberal (elected councillor at Newcastle)
• William Llewellyn, Liberal (elected councillor at Ogmore Valley)
• J.W. Evans, Liberal (elected councillor at Aberdare Town)
• William Howell, Liberal (elected councillor at Coity)
• Rees Harris, Liberal (elected councillor at Llandeilo Talybont)
• David Prosser, Liberal (elected councillor at Merthyr Vale)
• Dr R.W. Jones, Liberal (elected councillor at Penrhiwceber)

elected for three years

• Daniel Evans, Liberal (elected councillor at Resolven)

All eleven aldermen were Liberals, as were the retiring aldermen.

By-elections

Aberdare Town by-election

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.

Aberdare Town by-election 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Price Davies*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Barry by-election

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.

Barry by-election 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Captain Hamilton Murrell	595
	Liberal	John Cory*	568
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing

Coity by-election

Coity by-election 1898

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

Llandeilo Talybont by-election

Llandeilo Talybont by-election 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rees Harries*	unopposed

Merthyr Vale by-election

Merthyr Vale by-election 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Prosser	538
	Liberal	Walter Bell	523
Majority			153

Mountain Ash by-election

Mountain Ash by-election 1898

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

Newcastle by-election

Newcastle by-election 1898

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

Ogmore Valley by-election

Ogmore Valley by-election 1898

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

Penrhiwceiber by-election

Following the election of Dr R.W. Jones as an alderman, Thomas Morris, who had represented Mountain Ash on the previous council, was elected. 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. John Williams, checkweigher at a local colliery and a future Labour MP was a possible candidate but withdrew at an early stage.

Penrhiwceiber by-election 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Morris*	582
	Liberal	S. Shipton	484
	Conservative	W.N. Matthews	322
	Liberal hold		Swing

Resolven by-election

Resolven by-election 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Daniel Evans	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Swansea Valley by-election

Swansea Valley by-election 1898

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

Tylorstown and Ynyshir by-election

Tylorstown and Ynyshir by-election 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	W.H. Mathias**	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

By-elections 1898-1901

Dowlais by-election

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.

Dowlais by-election 1899

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Lib-Lab	John Davies	311
	Independent	R.P. Rees	295
Majority			16
	Lib-Lab gain from Conservative		Swing

Bibliography

• 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.