A single-member constituency (known as Merthyr) existed from 1918 until 1945 and, by the 1950 general election, it had been renamed Merthyr Tydfil. The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election, when it was largely replaced by the new Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency.
Merthyr was regarded as a Liberal seat throughout the nineteenth century and particularly after the landmark election of 1868. There were tensions within the constituency, however and these were manifested by the rivalry between Merthyr and Aberdare, which became more pronounced as the latter grew in importance after 1850. Increasingly, also, the constituency was affected by the debate about working-class representation. Thomas Halliday contested Merthyr as a 'labour' candidate as early as 1874 and the return of Keir Hardie in 1900 was a notable landmark in the growth of the Labour Party. From 1922 onwards, Merthyr was a safe Labour seat.
1832–1867edit
The Reform Act 1832 was the first significant review of the arrangements for the election of MPs to the House of Commons, Patterns of representation had remained essentially unchanged for centuries and no recognition was given to the growth of urban settlements in the wake of the industrial revolution. The discontent of the late 1820s, culminating in serious disturbances in 1831, including the Merthyr Rising persuaded the government to take action in favour of reform. Within the Act of 1832 the one significant change in Wales was the carving out of a new parliamentary constituency, centred at Merthyr Tydfil, from the county of Glamorgan.
From the Point on the North of Merthyr Tydvil at which the Northern Boundary of the Hamlet of Gellydeg meets the River called the Great Taff, Northward, along the Great Taff, to the Point at which the same is cut by the Southern Fence of Cilsanos Common; thence, Eastward, along the Fence of Cilsanos Common to the Point at which the same cuts the Brecon Road; thence, Southward, along the Brecon Road to the Point at which the same meets the Vainor Road; thence, Eastward, along the Vainor Road to the Point at which the same meets a Bye Road leading to Cefn-coed-y-Cwymner; thence in a straight Line to the Point at which the Little Taff would be cut by a straight Line to be drawn from the Point last described to the Southern Mouth of a Culvert on the Eastern Side of the Little Taff; thence, up the Little Taff, along the Boundary of the Parish of Merthyr Tydvil to the Point at which the Cwm Bargoed Stream is joined by a little Brook from the Coli Ravine; thence in a straight Line to the North eastern Corner of the Stone Fence of Pen-dwy-cae Vawr Farm; thence along the Road which passes Pen-dwy-cae Vawr Farmhouse to the Point at which the same meets the Mountain Track from Dowlais to Quakers Yard; thence, Southward, along the said Track, between the Farms of Pen-dwy-cae Vach and Pen-dwy-cae Vawr, to the Point at which such Track meets a Road running nearly due West, by a Stone Quarry, to Pen-y-rhw Gymra Cottage; thence along the last-mentioned Road to the Point at which the same reaches the Southern Side of Pen-y-rhw Gymra Cottage; thence in a straight Line to the Point at which the Southern Boundary of Troed-y-rhw Farm meets the Cardiff Road; thence along the Southern Boundary of Troed-y-rhw Farm to the Point at which the same meets the Great Taff; thence in a straight Line to the Bridge over the Cardiff Canal called Pont-y-nant Maen; thence, Northward, along the Cardiff Canal to the Point at which the same is intersected by the Cwmdu Brook; thence along the Cwmdu Brook to its Source; thence in a straight Line drawn due West to the Boundary of the Parish of Aberdare; thence, Southward, along the Boundary of the Parish of Aberdare to the Point at which the same meets the Boundary of the Hamlet of Gellydeg; thence, Eastward, along the Boundary of the Hamlet of Gellydeg to the Point first described.
Electoral Politics 1832–67edit
When the constituency was established the vast majority of the electorate were resident in Merthyr Tydfil and its environs, such as the industrial township of Dowlais. In contrast the electorate of the neighbouring Aberdare Valley was relatively small, numbering 3,691 compared with 22,083 in Merthyr.[2] The first member for Merthyr Tydfil was Sir Josiah John Guest who served, albeit with some opposition until his death in 1852.
Guest was succeeded by Henry Austin Bruce who, again, served with little opposition until the Second Reform Act of 1867. Bruce was a prominent Liberal although associated with the less radical wing of the Liberal Party and was criticised for his role in events such as the 1857 Aberdare Strike.
1867–1918edit
The Representation of the People Act 1867, which increased the number of members returned to two, also widened the constituency boundaries. To the existing parliamentary borough were added some additional parts of the parish of Aberdare, part of the parishes of Merthyr and "Faenor" (Vaynor), and part of the district of Mountain Ash.[3][4]
The same boundaries were retained in 1885, and can be seen on the boundary commissioners' map.[5]
1868 general electionedit
Merthyr Tydfil saw one of the most remarkable contests of the 1868 general election. Resulting directly from a tenfold increase in the electorate. Henry Richard was returned at the expense of the sitting member, Henry Austin Bruce.
Bruce had served as member since 1832 and his position was secure until the reforms of 1867. Even thereafter, the immediate interest appeared to be in who would occupy the second seat rather than whether or nor Bruce would be re-elected. The Merthyr element of the constituency had dominated the representation since its formation in 1832 but in recent years the population of the neighbouring Aberdare valley had grown considerably, mainly as a result of the development of the steam coal trade, that they should determine the identity of the second member. The Merthyr electorate had traditionally been far larger than that of Aberdare but by 1868, Aberdare's electorate formed almost half the total (11,446 in Aberdare; 13,329 in Merthyr).[2] As a result, there was a widespread view amongst the industrialists and tradesmen of the Aberdare Valley that they should have a say in the selection of a second Liberal candidate to contest the seat alongside Bruce.
These commercial interests of the Aberdare Valley soon became allied with the powerful nonconformist interest, which was led by the key figure of Thomas Price, minister of Calfaria, Aberdare. Price, and other nonconformist ministers, were considered to have considerable influence over the largely chapel-going industrial workers who had been newly enfranchised. During 1867 these groupings rallied around Richard Fothergill, owner of the Aberdare Ironworks and also a figure of some influence in Merthyr due to his ownership of the Plymouth Ironworks. It was confidently expected that Fothergill would be returned alongside Bruce.
This remained the position until Henry Richard entered the fray in the summer of 1868. Richard's candidature was also opposed by members of the Irish community, on account of alleged comments by Richard about the Pope during a speech at Brecon.[6]
1868–1888edit
Richard and Fothergill were re-elected in 1874. By 1879, however, Fothergill was in financial difficulties and there were calls for him to step aside. A deputation of tradesmen and working men who attended a meeting at Swansea to request to offer himself once again as a candidate but he eventually declined.[7] He was replaced by Charles Herbert James. member of a long-standing politically active family in Merthyr. Both served until 1888 when Richard died and James stood down, leading to two by-elections within a twelve-month period. These led to the return of David Alfred Thomas and William Pritchard Morgan. Thomas and Morgan had much in common. Both were nonconformists, both were wealthy industrialists and both placed Welsh issues high on their list of political priorities. However, they also shared 'a hearty loathing' for each other.[8]
Morgan's return, in particular, was significant, as he defeated Foulkes Griffiths, the official candidate of the Liberal Association. The result was also regarded as a defeat for the Cymru Fydd element in the Welsh Liberal Party. The Merthyr Liberal Association broke up after this election and did not function again until 1909.[8]
1888–1918edit
David Thomas
Relations between Thomas and Morgan were not good, leading ultimately to a Liberal split which contributed to the success of Keir Hardie at the 1900 general election. For the first decade of the twentieth century Merthyr was represented by the unusual combination of David Alfred Thomas and Hardie. In 1910, Thomas chose to contest Cardiff instead and was succeeded by Sir Edgar Jones.
1918–1950edit
The two-member Merthyr Boroughs constituency was replaced at the 1918 general election by two separate constituencies, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil.
NB: Davies claimed to be 83 in 1970 and his Constituency Labour Party felt that he was too old and ought to stand down. They thus de-selected him in favour of a younger man. However, although his true birth date is unconfirmed, Davies was undoubtedly several years older than he claimed, and was probably close to 90 years old when he fought and won the election as an Independent.
^Mair, Robert Henry (1870). Debrett's Illustrated House of Commons and the Judicial Bench(PDF). London: Dean & Son. p. 341. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
^"Electoral registers for Merthyr Tydfil: Summary of the Merthyr Tydfil Electoral District". Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
^"Glamorganshire. New Divisions of County". Report of the Boundary Commissioners for England and Wales. londonancestor.com. 1885.
^"Helyntion yr Etholiad". Gwladgarwr. 26 September 1868. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
^"Representation of Merthyr. Conference at Swansea". Merthyr Telegraph. 1 August 1879. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
^First Schedule: Parliamentary Constituencies, Part II: Wales, Representation of the People Act, 1948 (11&12 Geo. 6.) C. 65
^ abcdStooks Smith, Henry (1845). The Parliaments of England, from 1st George I., to the Present Time. Vol II: Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive. London: Simpkin, Marshall, & Co. p. 193.
^Stooks Smith, Henry. (1973) [1844–1850]. Craig, F. W. S. (ed.). The Parliaments of England (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 72. ISBN0-900178-13-2. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
^"Merthyr Tydfil Election". Merthyr Telegraph, and General Advertiser for the Iron Districts of South Wales. 7 May 1859. p. 1. Retrieved 22 August 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^"The Political Unity of Wales". South Wales Daily News. 27 September 1888. p. 7. Retrieved 4 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
^ abDebrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1901
^Debrett's House of Commons & Judicial Bench, 1916
Bibliographyedit
Jones, Ieuan Gwynedd (1965). "Dr Thomas Price and the election of 1868 in Merthyr Tydfil: a study in nonconformist politics (Part Two)" (PDF). Welsh History Review. 2 (3): 251–70.
Morgan, Kenneth O. (1960). "Democratic Politics in Glamorgan, 1884–1914". Morgannwg. 4: 5–27.
May 04, 2024
merthyr, tydfil, parliament, constituency, confused, with, electoral, district, merthyr, merthyr, tydfil, parliamentary, constituency, centred, town, merthyr, tydfil, glamorgan, from, 1832, 1868, returned, member, parliament, house, commons, parliament, united. Not to be confused with Electoral district of Merthyr Merthyr Tydfil was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Merthyr Tydfil in Glamorgan From 1832 to 1868 it returned one Member of Parliament MP to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and in 1868 this was increased to two members The two member constituency was abolished for the 1918 general election Merthyr TydfilFormer Borough constituencyfor the House of Commons1832 1918Created fromGlamorganReplaced byMerthyrAberdare1950 1983Created fromMerthyrReplaced byMerthyr Tydfil and Rhymney A single member constituency known as Merthyr existed from 1918 until 1945 and by the 1950 general election it had been renamed Merthyr Tydfil The constituency was abolished for the 1983 general election when it was largely replaced by the new Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency Contents 1 History 2 1832 1867 2 1 Electoral Politics 1832 67 3 1867 1918 3 1 1868 general election 3 2 1868 1888 3 3 1888 1918 4 1918 1950 5 1950 1983 6 Members of Parliament 6 1 MPs 1832 1868 6 2 MPs 1868 1918 6 3 MPs 1950 1983 7 Elections 1832 1867 7 1 Elections in the 1830s 7 2 Elections in the 1840s 7 3 Elections in the 1850s 7 4 Elections in the 1860s 8 Elections 1868 1918 8 1 Elections in the 1860s 8 2 Elections in the 1870s 8 3 Elections in the 1880s 8 4 Elections in the 1890s 8 5 Elections in the 1900s 8 6 Elections in the 1910s 9 Elections 1950 1979 9 1 1950s 9 2 1960s 9 3 1970s 10 References 11 BibliographyHistory editMerthyr was regarded as a Liberal seat throughout the nineteenth century and particularly after the landmark election of 1868 There were tensions within the constituency however and these were manifested by the rivalry between Merthyr and Aberdare which became more pronounced as the latter grew in importance after 1850 Increasingly also the constituency was affected by the debate about working class representation Thomas Halliday contested Merthyr as a labour candidate as early as 1874 and the return of Keir Hardie in 1900 was a notable landmark in the growth of the Labour Party From 1922 onwards Merthyr was a safe Labour seat 1832 1867 editThe Reform Act 1832 was the first significant review of the arrangements for the election of MPs to the House of Commons Patterns of representation had remained essentially unchanged for centuries and no recognition was given to the growth of urban settlements in the wake of the industrial revolution The discontent of the late 1820s culminating in serious disturbances in 1831 including the Merthyr Rising persuaded the government to take action in favour of reform Within the Act of 1832 the one significant change in Wales was the carving out of a new parliamentary constituency centred at Merthyr Tydfil from the county of Glamorgan The Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 defined the new Parliamentary Borough of Merthyr Tydvil in great detail 1 From the Point on the North of Merthyr Tydvil at which the Northern Boundary of the Hamlet of Gellydeg meets the River called the Great Taff Northward along the Great Taff to the Point at which the same is cut by the Southern Fence of Cilsanos Common thence Eastward along the Fence of Cilsanos Common to the Point at which the same cuts the Brecon Road thence Southward along the Brecon Road to the Point at which the same meets the Vainor Road thence Eastward along the Vainor Road to the Point at which the same meets a Bye Road leading to Cefn coed y Cwymner thence in a straight Line to the Point at which the Little Taff would be cut by a straight Line to be drawn from the Point last described to the Southern Mouth of a Culvert on the Eastern Side of the Little Taff thence up the Little Taff along the Boundary of the Parish of Merthyr Tydvil to the Point at which the Cwm Bargoed Stream is joined by a little Brook from the Coli Ravine thence in a straight Line to the North eastern Corner of the Stone Fence of Pen dwy cae Vawr Farm thence along the Road which passes Pen dwy cae Vawr Farmhouse to the Point at which the same meets the Mountain Track from Dowlais to Quakers Yard thence Southward along the said Track between the Farms of Pen dwy cae Vach and Pen dwy cae Vawr to the Point at which such Track meets a Road running nearly due West by a Stone Quarry to Pen y rhw Gymra Cottage thence along the last mentioned Road to the Point at which the same reaches the Southern Side of Pen y rhw Gymra Cottage thence in a straight Line to the Point at which the Southern Boundary of Troed y rhw Farm meets the Cardiff Road thence along the Southern Boundary of Troed y rhw Farm to the Point at which the same meets the Great Taff thence in a straight Line to the Bridge over the Cardiff Canal called Pont y nant Maen thence Northward along the Cardiff Canal to the Point at which the same is intersected by the Cwmdu Brook thence along the Cwmdu Brook to its Source thence in a straight Line drawn due West to the Boundary of the Parish of Aberdare thence Southward along the Boundary of the Parish of Aberdare to the Point at which the same meets the Boundary of the Hamlet of Gellydeg thence Eastward along the Boundary of the Hamlet of Gellydeg to the Point first described Electoral Politics 1832 67 edit When the constituency was established the vast majority of the electorate were resident in Merthyr Tydfil and its environs such as the industrial township of Dowlais In contrast the electorate of the neighbouring Aberdare Valley was relatively small numbering 3 691 compared with 22 083 in Merthyr 2 The first member for Merthyr Tydfil was Sir Josiah John Guest who served albeit with some opposition until his death in 1852 Guest was succeeded by Henry Austin Bruce who again served with little opposition until the Second Reform Act of 1867 Bruce was a prominent Liberal although associated with the less radical wing of the Liberal Party and was criticised for his role in events such as the 1857 Aberdare Strike 1867 1918 editThe Representation of the People Act 1867 which increased the number of members returned to two also widened the constituency boundaries To the existing parliamentary borough were added some additional parts of the parish of Aberdare part of the parishes of Merthyr and Faenor Vaynor and part of the district of Mountain Ash 3 4 The same boundaries were retained in 1885 and can be seen on the boundary commissioners map 5 1868 general election edit Merthyr Tydfil saw one of the most remarkable contests of the 1868 general election Resulting directly from a tenfold increase in the electorate Henry Richard was returned at the expense of the sitting member Henry Austin Bruce Bruce had served as member since 1832 and his position was secure until the reforms of 1867 Even thereafter the immediate interest appeared to be in who would occupy the second seat rather than whether or nor Bruce would be re elected The Merthyr element of the constituency had dominated the representation since its formation in 1832 but in recent years the population of the neighbouring Aberdare valley had grown considerably mainly as a result of the development of the steam coal trade that they should determine the identity of the second member The Merthyr electorate had traditionally been far larger than that of Aberdare but by 1868 Aberdare s electorate formed almost half the total 11 446 in Aberdare 13 329 in Merthyr 2 As a result there was a widespread view amongst the industrialists and tradesmen of the Aberdare Valley that they should have a say in the selection of a second Liberal candidate to contest the seat alongside Bruce These commercial interests of the Aberdare Valley soon became allied with the powerful nonconformist interest which was led by the key figure of Thomas Price minister of Calfaria Aberdare Price and other nonconformist ministers were considered to have considerable influence over the largely chapel going industrial workers who had been newly enfranchised During 1867 these groupings rallied around Richard Fothergill owner of the Aberdare Ironworks and also a figure of some influence in Merthyr due to his ownership of the Plymouth Ironworks It was confidently expected that Fothergill would be returned alongside Bruce This remained the position until Henry Richard entered the fray in the summer of 1868 Richard s candidature was also opposed by members of the Irish community on account of alleged comments by Richard about the Pope during a speech at Brecon 6 1868 1888 edit Richard and Fothergill were re elected in 1874 By 1879 however Fothergill was in financial difficulties and there were calls for him to step aside A deputation of tradesmen and working men who attended a meeting at Swansea to request to offer himself once again as a candidate but he eventually declined 7 He was replaced by Charles Herbert James member of a long standing politically active family in Merthyr Both served until 1888 when Richard died and James stood down leading to two by elections within a twelve month period These led to the return of David Alfred Thomas and William Pritchard Morgan Thomas and Morgan had much in common Both were nonconformists both were wealthy industrialists and both placed Welsh issues high on their list of political priorities However they also shared a hearty loathing for each other 8 Morgan s return in particular was significant as he defeated Foulkes Griffiths the official candidate of the Liberal Association The result was also regarded as a defeat for the Cymru Fydd element in the Welsh Liberal Party The Merthyr Liberal Association broke up after this election and did not function again until 1909 8 1888 1918 edit nbsp David Thomas Relations between Thomas and Morgan were not good leading ultimately to a Liberal split which contributed to the success of Keir Hardie at the 1900 general election For the first decade of the twentieth century Merthyr was represented by the unusual combination of David Alfred Thomas and Hardie In 1910 Thomas chose to contest Cardiff instead and was succeeded by Sir Edgar Jones 1918 1950 editThe two member Merthyr Boroughs constituency was replaced at the 1918 general election by two separate constituencies Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil 1950 1983 editMerthyr Tydfil Borough Constituency created by the Representation of the People Act 1948 had an identical area to the County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil 9 The seat was first contested at the 1950 general election The boundaries were unchanged until 1983 Members of Parliament editMPs 1832 1868 edit Election Member Party 1832 Sir John Josiah Guest Whig 10 11 12 13 1852 Henry Bruce Peelite 14 15 16 17 1859 Liberal 1868 representation increased to two members MPs 1868 1918 edit Election 1st Member 1st Party 2nd Member 2nd Party 1868 Henry Richard Liberal Richard Fothergill Liberal 1880 Charles James 1888 by election Mar D A Thomas 1888 by election Oct William Pritchard Morgan 1900 Keir Hardie Labour 1910 Jan Sir Edgar Jones 1915 by election Charles Stanton Ind Labour 18 1918 constituency abolished see Merthyr and Aberdare MPs 1950 1983 edit Election Member Party 1950 constituency re established 1950 S O Davies Labour 1970 Independent Labour 1972 by election Ted Rowlands Labour 1983 constituency abolished see Merthyr Tydfil amp RhymneyElections 1832 1867 editElections in the 1830s edit General election 1832 Merthyr Tydfil 19 10 Party Candidate Votes Whig John Josiah Guest Unopposed Registered electors 502 Whig win new seat General election 1835 Merthyr Tydfil 19 10 Party Candidate Votes Whig John Josiah Guest Unopposed Registered electors 561 Whig hold General election 1837 Merthyr Tydfil 19 10 Party Candidate Votes Whig John Josiah Guest 309 69 6 Conservative John Bruce Bruce 20 135 30 4 Majority 174 39 2 Turnout 444 76 3 Registered electors 582 Whig hold Elections in the 1840s edit General election 1841 Merthyr Tydfil 19 Party Candidate Votes Whig John Josiah Guest Unopposed Registered electors 776 Whig hold General election 1847 Merthyr Tydfil 19 Party Candidate Votes Whig John Josiah Guest Unopposed Registered electors 822 Whig hold Elections in the 1850s edit General election 1852 Merthyr Tydfil 19 Party Candidate Votes Whig John Josiah Guest Unopposed Registered electors 938 Whig hold Guest s death caused a by election By election 14 December 1852 Merthyr Tydfil 19 Party Candidate Votes Peelite Henry Bruce Unopposed Peelite gain from Whig General election 1857 Merthyr Tydfil 19 Party Candidate Votes Peelite Henry Bruce Unopposed Registered electors 1 263 Peelite gain from Whig General election 1859 Merthyr Tydfil 19 Party Candidate Votes Liberal Henry Bruce 800 88 3 N A Liberal Edward Merrick Elderton 21 106 11 7 N A Majority 694 76 6 N A Turnout 906 67 2 N A Registered electors 1 349 Liberal hold Swing N A Elections in the 1860s edit Bruce was appointed Vice President of the Committee of the Privy Council for Education requiring a by election By election 25 April 1864 Merthyr Tydfil 19 Party Candidate Votes Liberal Henry Bruce Unopposed Liberal hold General election 1865 Merthyr Tydfil 19 Party Candidate Votes Liberal Henry Bruce Unopposed Registered electors 1 387 Liberal holdElections 1868 1918 editElections in the 1860s edit Seat increased to two members General election 1868 Merthyr Tydfil 19 Party Candidate Votes Liberal Henry Richard 11 683 46 9 N A Liberal Richard Fothergill 7 439 29 9 N A Liberal Henry Bruce 5 776 23 2 N A Majority 1 663 6 7 N A Turnout 12 449 est 85 4 est N A Registered electors 14 577 Liberal hold Swing N A Liberal win new seat Elections in the 1870s edit General election 1874 Merthyr Tydfil 19 Party Candidate Votes Liberal Henry Richard 7 606 39 2 7 7 Liberal Richard Fothergill 6 908 35 6 5 7 Lib Lab Thomas Halliday 4 912 25 3 N A Majority 1 996 10 3 3 6 Turnout 9 713 est 63 0 est 22 4 Registered electors 15 429 Liberal hold Swing Liberal hold Swing Elections in the 1880s edit General election 1880 Merthyr Tydfil 19 Party Candidate Votes Liberal Henry Richard 8 033 40 2 1 0 Liberal Charles James 7 526 37 6 2 0 Conservative William Lewis 22 4 445 22 2 New Majority 3 081 15 4 5 1 Turnout 12 478 est 87 5 est 24 5 Registered electors 14 259 Liberal hold Swing Liberal hold Swing General election 1885 Merthyr Tydfil 23 Party Candidate Votes Liberal Henry Richard Unopposed Liberal Charles James Unopposed Liberal hold Liberal hold General election 1886 Merthyr Tydfil 23 Party Candidate Votes Liberal Henry Richard Unopposed Liberal Charles James Unopposed Liberal hold Liberal hold James resigned causing a by election By election 14 Mar 1888 Merthyr Tydfil 23 Party Candidate Votes Liberal D A Thomas Unopposed Liberal hold Richard died causing a by election nbsp Morgan By election 26 Oct 1888 Merthyr Tydfil 23 Party Candidate Votes Independent Liberal William Pritchard Morgan 7 149 59 1 New Liberal Richard Foulkes Griffiths 24 4 956 40 9 N A Majority 2 193 18 2 N A Turnout 12 105 78 5 N A Registered electors 15 411 Liberal hold Swing N A Elections in the 1890s edit nbsp Thomas General election 1892 Merthyr Tydfil 23 Party Candidate Votes Liberal D A Thomas 11 948 45 9 N A Liberal William Pritchard Morgan 11 756 45 2 N A Conservative Benjamin Francis Williams 2 304 8 9 New Majority 9 452 36 3 N A Turnout 14 093 est 81 6 N A Registered electors 17 271 Liberal hold Swing N A Liberal hold Swing N A nbsp General election 1895 Merthyr Tydfil 23 25 Party Candidate Votes Liberal D A Thomas 9 250 37 1 8 8 Liberal William Pritchard Morgan 8 554 34 2 11 0 Conservative Herbert Clark Lewis 2nd Baron Merthyr 6 525 26 1 17 2 Independent Liberal Labour Allen Upward 659 2 6 New Majority 2 029 8 1 28 2 Turnout 14 998 est 88 1 6 5 Registered electors 17 024 Liberal hold Swing 13 0 Liberal hold Swing 14 1 Elections in the 1900s edit nbsp Hardie General election 1900 Merthyr Tydfil 23 25 Party Candidate Votes Liberal D A Thomas 8 598 46 9 9 8 Labour Repr Cmte Keir Hardie 5 745 31 3 New Liberal William Pritchard Morgan 4 004 21 8 12 4 Majority 1 741 9 5 N A Turnout 18 347 73 9 14 2 Registered electors 15 400 Liberal hold Swing Labour Repr Cmte gain from Liberal Swing General election 1906 Merthyr Tydfil 23 Party Candidate Votes Liberal D A Thomas 13 971 43 7 3 2 Labour Repr Cmte Keir Hardie 10 187 31 9 0 6 Liberal Henry Radcliffe 7 776 24 4 2 6 Majority 2 411 7 5 2 0 Turnout 31 934 84 9 11 0 Registered electors 21 438 Liberal hold Swing 1 9 Labour Repr Cmte hold Swing 1 9 Elections in the 1910s edit General election January 1910 Merthyr Tydfil 23 26 Party Candidate Votes Liberal Edgar Jones 15 448 41 0 2 7 Labour Keir Hardie 13 841 36 7 4 8 Conservative Arthur Fox Davies 4 756 12 6 New Independent Liberal William Pritchard Morgan 3 639 9 7 New Majority 10 692 28 4 9 1 Majority 9 085 24 1 16 6 Turnout 37 684 93 0 8 1 Labour hold Swing Liberal hold Swing General election December 1910 Merthyr Tydfil Party Candidate Votes Liberal Edgar Jones 12 258 42 2 1 2 Labour Keir Hardie 11 507 39 6 2 9 Liberal Unionist John Henry Watts 5 277 18 2 5 6 Majority 6 981 24 0 4 4 Majority 6 230 21 4 2 7 Turnout 29 042 81 3 11 7 Liberal hold Swing Labour hold Swing 1915 Merthyr Tydfil by election Party Candidate Votes Independent Labour Charles Stanton 10 286 62 8 New Labour James Winstone 6 080 37 2 2 4 Majority 4 206 25 6 N A Turnout 16 366 67 7 13 6 Independent Labour gain from Labour SwingElections 1950 1979 edit1950s edit General election 1950 Merthyr Tydfil Party Candidate Votes Labour S O Davies 29 210 78 91 Conservative LF Haddrill 6 294 17 00 Independent Nationalist Trefor Morgan 1 511 4 08 Majority 22 916 61 91 Turnout 37 015 85 77 Labour hold Swing General election 1951 Merthyr Tydfil Party Candidate Votes Labour S O Davies 28 841 79 57 Conservative James F Lynam 7 405 20 43 Majority 21 436 59 14 Turnout 36 246 84 42 Labour hold Swing General election 1955 Merthyr Tydfil Party Candidate Votes Labour S O Davies 25 630 77 25 Conservative Anthony Arnold 7 548 22 75 Majority 18 082 54 50 Turnout 33 178 77 28 Labour hold Swing General election 1959 Merthyr Tydfil Party Candidate Votes Labour S O Davies 26 608 77 14 Conservative Miranda MM Greenaway 7 885 22 86 Majority 18 723 54 28 Turnout 34 493 81 83 Labour hold Swing 1960s edit General election 1964 Merthyr Tydfil Party Candidate Votes Labour S O Davies 23 275 75 27 Conservative Sidney W Doxsey 4 767 15 42 Plaid Cymru Ioan Bowen Rees 2 878 9 31 New Majority 18 508 59 85 Turnout 30 920 76 27 Labour hold Swing General election 1966 Merthyr Tydfil Party Candidate Votes Labour S O Davies 21 737 74 49 Conservative Gerald L Preece 4 082 13 99 Plaid Cymru Meic Stephens 3 361 11 52 Majority 17 655 60 50 Turnout 29 180 73 92 Labour hold Swing 1970s edit General election 1970 Merthyr Tydfil Party Candidate Votes Independent Labour S O Davies 16 701 51 90 N A Labour Taliesin J Lloyd 9 234 28 69 45 80 Conservative Edward Jones 3 169 9 85 4 14 Plaid Cymru Chris Rees 3 076 9 56 1 96 Majority 7 467 23 21 N A Turnout 32 180 77 92 4 00 Independent Labour gain from Labour Swing 40 30 NB Davies claimed to be 83 in 1970 and his Constituency Labour Party felt that he was too old and ought to stand down They thus de selected him in favour of a younger man However although his true birth date is unconfirmed Davies was undoubtedly several years older than he claimed and was probably close to 90 years old when he fought and won the election as an Independent 1972 Merthyr Tydfil by election Party Candidate Votes Labour Edward Rowlands 15 562 48 58 19 89 Plaid Cymru Emrys Roberts 11 852 37 00 27 44 Conservative Christopher Barr 2 336 7 29 2 56 Communist Arthur Lewis Jones 1 519 4 74 New Liberal Angus Donaldson 765 2 39 New Majority 3 710 11 58 N A Turnout 32 034 79 5 1 6 Labour gain from Independent Labour Swing General election February 1974 Merthyr Tydfil Party Candidate Votes Labour Edward Rowlands 20 486 64 07 Plaid Cymru Emrys Roberts 7 336 22 94 Conservative Michael Knowles 2 622 8 20 Liberal D Bettell Higgins 1 002 3 13 Communist A Jones 369 1 15 N A Workers Revolutionary R Battersby 160 0 50 New Majority 13 150 41 13 Turnout 32 015 81 06 Labour gain from Independent Swing General election October 1974 Merthyr Tydfil Party Candidate Votes Labour Edward Rowlands 21 260 70 61 Plaid Cymru Emrys Roberts 4 455 14 80 Conservative LJ Walters 2 587 8 59 Liberal D Bettall Higgins 1 300 4 32 Communist T Roberts 509 1 69 Majority 16 805 55 81 Turnout 30 111 75 82 Labour hold Swing General election 1979 Merthyr Tydfil Party Candidate Votes Labour Edward Rowlands 22 386 71 32 Conservative AR de Wilde 4 426 14 10 Plaid Cymru Eurfyl ap Gwilym 2 962 9 44 Liberal RD Oliver 1 275 4 06 Communist CC Dennett 223 0 71 Workers Revolutionary GT Gould 114 0 36 New Majority 17 960 57 22 Turnout 31 386 79 10 Labour hold SwingReferences edit Schedule O Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 c 64 a b Jones Thomas Price Part Two 251 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Mair Robert Henry 1870 Debrett s Illustrated House of Commons and the Judicial Bench PDF London Dean amp Son p 341 Retrieved 12 May 2009 Electoral registers for Merthyr Tydfil Summary of the Merthyr Tydfil Electoral District Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council Retrieved 4 June 2010 Glamorganshire New Divisions of County Report of the Boundary Commissioners for England and Wales londonancestor com 1885 Helyntion yr Etholiad Gwladgarwr 26 September 1868 Retrieved 26 January 2014 Representation of Merthyr Conference at Swansea Merthyr Telegraph 1 August 1879 Retrieved 9 July 2014 a b Morgan Democratic Politics 10 11 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help First Schedule Parliamentary Constituencies Part II Wales Representation of the People Act 1948 11 amp 12 Geo 6 C 65 a b c d Stooks Smith Henry 1845 The Parliaments of England from 1st George I to the Present Time Vol II Oxfordshire to Wales Inclusive London Simpkin Marshall amp Co p 193 Stooks Smith Henry 1973 1844 1850 Craig F W S ed The Parliaments of England 2nd ed Chichester Parliamentary Research Services p 72 ISBN 0 900178 13 2 Retrieved 22 August 2018 Dod Charles Roger Dod Robert Phipps 1847 Dod s Parliamentary Companion Volume 15 Dod s Parliamentary Companion p 177 General Election 1841 Morning Post 29 June 1841 pp 2 4 Retrieved 22 August 2018 via British Newspaper Archive Newcastle Courant 17 December 1852 p 7 Retrieved 22 August 2018 via British Newspaper Archive Parry J P 1986 Democracy amp Religion Gladstone and the Liberal Party 1867 1875 Cambridge Cambridge University Press p 76 ISBN 0 521 30948 4 John Bull 6 December 1852 pp 12 13 Retrieved 22 August 2018 via British Newspaper Archive The Elections Hereford Times 28 March 1857 p 13 Retrieved 22 August 2018 via British Newspaper Archive Charles Butt Stanton 1873 1946 PDF The National Library of Wales p 163 Retrieved 9 January 2022 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Craig F W S ed 1977 British Parliamentary Election Results 1832 1885 e book 1st ed London Macmillan Press ISBN 978 1 349 02349 3 Page 3 The Welshman 28 July 1837 Retrieved 5 May 2020 via British Newspaper Archive Merthyr Tydfil Election Merthyr Telegraph and General Advertiser for the Iron Districts of South Wales 7 May 1859 p 1 Retrieved 22 August 2018 via British Newspaper Archive The General Election Western Mail 30 March 1880 p 5 Retrieved 4 December 2017 via British Newspaper Archive a b c d e f g h i British Parliamentary Election Results 1885 1918 FWS Craig The Political Unity of Wales South Wales Daily News 27 September 1888 p 7 Retrieved 4 December 2017 via British Newspaper Archive a b Debrett s House of Commons amp Judicial Bench 1901 Debrett s House of Commons amp Judicial Bench 1916 Leigh Rayment s Historical List of MPs Constituencies beginning with M part 2 Bibliography editJones Ieuan Gwynedd 1965 Dr Thomas Price and the election of 1868 in Merthyr Tydfil a study in nonconformist politics Part Two PDF Welsh History Review 2 3 251 70 Morgan Kenneth O 1960 Democratic Politics in Glamorgan 1884 1914 Morgannwg 4 5 27 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Merthyr Tydfil UK Parliament constituency amp oldid 1198283616, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
