Glamorganshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Glamorganshire was a parliamentary constituency in Wales, returning two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the English and later British House of Commons. The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 divided it into five new constituencies: East Glamorganshire, South Glamorganshire, Mid Glamorganshire, Gower and Rhondda.

Glamorganshire
Former county constituency for the House of Commons
1536–1885
Seats	two
Replaced by	East Glamorganshire, South Glamorganshire, Mid Glamorganshire, Gower and Rhondda

Boundaries

This constituency comprised the whole of Glamorganshire.

History

For most of its history, the county constituency was represented by landowners from a small number of aristocratic families and this pattern continued until the nineteenth century. Following the Great Reform Act 1832 a second county seat was created.

By the 1850s it had become virtually impossible for a Tory candidate to be elected as a county member since the industrial and urban vote could be rallied against him. This was proved in 1857 when Nash Vaughan Edwards-Vaughan failed in his attempt to dislodge one of the sitting members.^[1] Thereafter, until redistribution in 1885 led to the abolition of the constituency, the representation was shared by C. R. M. Talbot and Hussey Vivian. In line with Liberal party policy in two-member constituencies to run candidates from both wings of the party, the Whig aristocrat Talbot collaborated well with the more Radical Vivian.^[1]

Members of Parliament

MPs 1541–1832

Election	Member		Party
1541		Sir George Herbert
1545		not known
1547		John Bassett
1553 (Mar)		George Mathew
1553 (Oct)		Anthony Mansell
1554 (Apr)		Edward Mansell
1554 (Nov)		Sir Edward Carne
1555		not known
1558		William Herbert I
1559		William Herbert I
1562–3		William Bassett
1571		William Bassett
1572		William Herbert II, died and replaced 1577 by William Mathew
1584		Robert Sidney
1586		Thomas Carne
1588		Thomas Carne
1593		Sir Robert Sidney
1597		Sir Thomas Mansell
1601		Sir John Herbert
1604		Philip Herbert, ennobled and replaced 1605 by Sir Thomas Mansell
1614		Sir Thomas Mansell
1621		William Price
1624		Sir Robert Mansell
1625		Sir Robert Mansell
1626		Sir John Stradling
1628		Sir Robert Mansell
1640 (Apr)		Sir Edward Stradling
1640 (Nov)		Philip, Lord Herbert (inherited peerage 1649)
1653		Not represented in Barebones Parliament
1654		Philip Jones Edmund Thomas
1656		Philip Jones Edmund Thomas
1659		Evan Seys
1660		Sir Edward Mansel
1661		William Herbert, later Earl of Pembroke
1670		Sir Edward Mansel
1679		Bussy Mansel
1681		Sir Edward Mansel
1689		Bussy Mansel
1699		Thomas Mansel, later Baron Mansel
1712		Robert Jones
1716		Sir Charles Kemeys
1734		William Talbot, later Earl Talbot
1737		Bussy Mansel, later Baron Mansel
1745		Thomas Mathews
1747		Charles Edwin
1756		Thomas William Mathews
1761		Sir Edmund Thomas
1767		Richard Turbervill
1768		George Venables-Vernon, later Baron Vernon
1780		Charles Edwin
1789		Thomas Wyndham	Tory[2]
1814		Benjamin Hall	Whig[2]
1817		Sir Christopher Cole	Tory[2]
1818		John Edwards	Whig[2]
1820		Sir Christopher Cole	Tory[2]
1830		Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	Whig[2]

MPs 1832–1885

Election	First member		1st Party	2nd member		2nd Party
1832	representation increased to two members under the Reform Act 1832
1832		Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	Whig[2][3][4][5]		Lewis Weston Dillwyn	Whig[2][4][3][6][7]
1837					Edwin Wyndham-Quin, Viscount Adare	Conservative[2][8]
1851					George Tyler	Conservative[8]
1857					Sir Henry Vivian	Whig[9][10][11]
1859			Liberal[8]			Liberal[8]
1885	constituency abolished: see East Glamorganshire, South Glamorganshire, Mid Glamorganshire, Gower and Rhondda

Election results

Elections in the 1830s

General election 1830: Glamorganshire^[2][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	Unopposed
Registered electors			c. 3,000
	Whig gain from Tory

General election 1831: Glamorganshire^[2][12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	Unopposed
Registered electors			c. 3,000
	Whig hold

General election 1832: Glamorganshire^[2][8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	Unopposed
	Whig	Lewis Weston Dillwyn	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,680
	Whig hold
	Whig win (new seat)

General election 1835: Glamorganshire^[2][8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Whig	Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	Unopposed
	Whig	Lewis Weston Dillwyn	Unopposed
Registered electors			3,611
	Whig hold
	Whig hold

General election 1837: Glamorganshire^[2][8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Edward Wyndham-Quin	2,009	37.3
	Whig	Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	1,794	33.3
	Whig	John Josiah Guest	1,590	29.5
Turnout			3,601	82.3
Registered electors			4,373
Majority			419	7.8
	Conservative gain from Whig
Majority			204	3.8
	Whig hold

Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Glamorganshire^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edwin Wyndham-Quin	Unopposed
	Whig	Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	Unopposed
Registered electors			5,384
	Conservative hold
	Whig hold

General election 1847: Glamorganshire^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edwin Wyndham-Quin	Unopposed
	Whig	Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	Unopposed
Registered electors			5,775
	Conservative hold
	Whig hold

Elections in the 1850s

Wyndham-Quin was appointed Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, causing a by-election.

By-election, 25 February 1851: Glamorganshire^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Tyler	Unopposed
	Conservative hold

General election 1852: Glamorganshire^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	George Tyler	Unopposed
	Whig	Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	Unopposed
Registered electors			6,424
	Conservative hold
	Whig hold

General election 1857: Glamorganshire^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Whig	Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	3,161	38.3	N/A
	Whig	Henry Vivian	3,002	36.4	N/A
	Conservative	Nash Vaughan Edwards-Vaughan[13]	2,088	25.3	N/A
Majority			914	11.1	N/A
Turnout			5,170 (est)	81.3 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			6,356
	Whig hold		Swing	N/A
	Whig gain from Conservative		Swing	N/A

General election 1859: Glamorganshire^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Vivian	Unopposed
	Liberal	Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	Unopposed
Registered electors			6,600
	Liberal hold
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Glamorganshire^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Vivian	Unopposed
	Liberal	Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	Unopposed
Registered electors			6,759
	Liberal hold
	Liberal hold

General election 1868: Glamorganshire^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Vivian	Unopposed
	Liberal	Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	Unopposed
Registered electors			11,329
	Liberal hold
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Glamorganshire^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Vivian	4,100	35.7	N/A
	Liberal	Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	4,040	35.1	N/A
	Conservative	Ivor Guest	3,355	29.2	New
Majority			685	5.9	N/A
Turnout			7,425 (est)	74.2 (est)	N/A
Registered electors			10,006
	Liberal hold
	Liberal hold

Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Glamorganshire^[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot	Unopposed
	Liberal	Henry Vivian	Unopposed
Registered electors			12,811
	Liberal hold
	Liberal hold