Number of members one | ||
 | ||
East Glamorganshire was a parliamentary 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.
Contents
Overview
The constituency was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 for the 1885 general election, and abolished for the 1918 general election. Throughout its existence it was held by the Liberal Party and it was a constituency largely dominated by the coal mining industry.
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 Llantwit Fardre, Church Village, Tonteg, Pentyrch, Creigiau, Pontypridd, Caerphilly, Abercynon, Llanfabon, Gelligaer, Hengoed. It was scrapped in the next redistribution of seats that took place in 1918.
Elections in the 1880s
Following the creation of the seat in 1885, there was a contest for the nomination. Following a meeting at Pontypridd, a number of candidates were proposed and invited to address public meetings. They included T. Marchant Williams, Lewis Morris and the Rev Aaron Davies. Ultimately the two leading candidates proved to be Alfred Thomas, a prominent figure in the public life of Cardiff, where he had served as Mayor in 1881/2, and William Bowen Rowlands, a Pembrokeshire-born lawyer. A leading Baptist, Thomas's victory owed much to his nonconformist connections, upon which this 'amiable and benevolent man' based much of his political outlook.
Election results 1885-1918
The seat was held in 1886 by the Liberals who were unopposed.
Elections in the 1890s
The seat was held in 1892 by the Liberals who obtained a majority of 2,967.
Elections in the 1900s
In the General Election of January/February 1906 Sir Alfred Thomas of the Liberal Party was returned Unopposed.