1922 Welsh local government election
The 1922 Glamorgan County Council election to Glamorgan County Council, south Wales, took place in March 1922. It was preceded by the 1919 election and followed by the 1925 election.
Overview of the result
By the early 1920s, the Labour Party was making significant progress in Glamorgan, capturing the majority of the parliamentary constituencies. This was reflected in the county council elections of 1919, when Labour with 40 out of 66 councillors and 11 of the 22 aldermen secured a majority on the County Council for the first time. In 1922 it suffered a minor setback, causing the Western Mail to gleefully report that the party had been "routed once again" owing to a number of individual losses. However, Labour still had a commanding majority following the election.
Boundary changes
There were no boundary changes but some wards were given different names to those used in 1919. Garw Valley ward was known in 1922 as Pontycymmer and the Llantrisant ward as Pontyclun. Margam ward appears to have been divided into two, named Port Talbot East and Port Talbot West.
Candidates
At least 32 candidates were returned unopposed.
A number of retiring aldermen sought re-election. W.H. Davies (Lib, Cilfynydd), Hopkin Morgan (Lib, Neath North) and the Rev William Saunders (Lab, Garw Valley) were returned unopposed.
Contested elections
At least 32 councillors were returned unopposed. Most of the contested elections featured a Labour candidate facing one opponent, whether Conservative, Liberal or Independent. In the Ogmore Valley ward an unusual situation arose where two Labour candidates faced each other, with the railwaymen opposing the nominated candidate of the SWMF
Outcome
In contrast to the 1919 election, Labour suffered a minor setback at the election with a net loss of four seats. Several of these were high-profile contests. At Bargoed, Walter Lewis failed to hold the seat recently vacated by Morgan Jones when he was elected MP for Caerphilly. At Mountain Ash, the wartime pacifist Emrys Hughes failed to dislodge the sitting Liberal councillor while prominent miners' leaders Meth Jones and Ted Williams fell short at Port Talbot and Bridgend respectively. Labour also lost the Gower seat which was a surprise gain three years earlier. Overall, however, Labour was still in the ascendancy.
Results
Aberaman 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Liberal
|
Thomas Luther Davies**
|
Unopposed
|
|
Liberal hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Aberdare Town 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Liberal
|
Frederick William Mander*
|
Unopposed
|
|
Liberal hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Bargoed
Walter Lewis failed to hold the seat previously held by Morgan Jones MP.
Barry 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Labour
|
J.C. Finch*
|
Unopposed
|
Majority
|
|
|
|
|
Labour hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Barry Dock
Barry Dock 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Liberal
|
W.M. Davies*
|
Unopposed
|
Majority
|
|
|
|
|
Liberal hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Blaengwawr 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Liberal
|
Gwilym Alexander Treharne*
|
Unopposed
|
|
Liberal hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Cilfynydd 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Liberal
|
William Roberts Davies**
|
Unopposed
|
|
Liberal hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Cwm Aber
Cwm Aber 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Labour
|
Hubert Jenkins**
|
Unopposed
|
Majority
|
|
|
|
|
Labour hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Cwmavon
Cwmavon 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Labour
|
John Jones Edwards*
|
Unopposed
|
Majority
|
|
|
|
|
Labour hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Morgan Williams held the seat he had represented for twenty years without opposition.
Dulais Valley 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Labour
|
William Davies*
|
Unopposed
|
|
Labour hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Ferndale 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Labour
|
Jabez Davies*
|
Unopposed
|
Majority
|
|
|
|
|
Labour hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Gadlys
Hengoed
Hengoed 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Liberal
|
Edward Richards*
|
1,757
|
|
|
|
Labour
|
Elwyn T. Morgan
|
792
|
|
|
Majority
|
965
|
|
|
|
Liberal hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Hopkinstown
Hopkinstown 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Labour
|
J. Tristram*
|
Unopposed
|
|
Labour hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Llandeilo Talybont
Llandeilo Talybont 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Labour
|
David Geoffrey Williams*
|
Unopposed
|
Majority
|
|
|
|
|
Labour hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Llanfabon
Llwydcoed 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Liberal
|
William Morgan Llewellyn*
|
Unopposed
|
|
Liberal hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Llwynypia and Clydach 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Liberal
|
James Evans**
|
Unopposed
|
|
Liberal hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Maesteg, Caerau and Nantyffyllon
Maesteg, Caerau and Nantyffyllon 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Labour
|
John Evans*
|
Unopposed
|
|
Labour hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Maesteg, East and West
The ward was known as Duffryn in 1922.
Mountain Ash 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Liberal
|
Lord Aberdare
|
Unopposed
|
|
Liberal hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Neath (North) 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Liberal
|
Hopkin Morgan**
|
Unopposed
|
|
Liberal hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Newcastle 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Labour
|
E.H. Mole*
|
Unopposed
|
|
Labour hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Ogmore Valley
Penarth North
Penarth South
Penarth South
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
|
Frederick Henry Jotham
|
unopposed
|
|
|
Penrhiwceiber
Penrhiwceiber 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Liberal
|
Dr. Ben Phillips-Jones*
|
Unopposed
|
|
Liberal hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Pentre 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Liberal
|
Thomas Alfred Thomas*
|
1,366
|
|
|
|
Labour
|
J.T. Rees
|
1,198
|
|
|
Majority
|
168
|
|
|
|
Liberal hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Pontardawe 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Labour
|
David Daniel Davies*
|
Unopposed
|
|
Labour hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Pontyclun
Port Talbot East
The ward was known as Margam North and Central in 1922.
Port Talbot East 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Labour
|
John Thomas*
|
Unopposed
|
|
Labour hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Port Talbot West
The ward was known as Margam West in 1922.
Porthcawl
No nominations were received for this ward where William Hammond (Lab) was the retiring member.
Pontycymmer
The sitting councillor, Jonathan Maddocks (Ind) withdrew, allowing the retiring Labour alderman to be returned unopposed.
Pontycymmer 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Labour
|
Rev William Saunders**
|
Unopposed
|
Majority
|
|
|
|
|
Labour hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Penygraig 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Labour
|
Nefydd Thomas
|
Unopposed
|
|
Labour hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Porth
Porth 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Liberal
|
William Evans*
|
Unopposed
|
Majority
|
|
|
|
|
Liberal hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Swansea Valley
Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch
Trealaw
Treorchy
Thomas Jones, Co-operative stores manager, was returned unopposed.
Tylorstown
Tylorstown 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Liberal
|
Dr T.H. Morris*
|
Unopposed
|
|
Liberal hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Vale of Neath
Ystalyfera
D.W. Davies regained the seat he lost three years previously.
Election of Aldermen
In addition to the elected councillors the County Council consisted of 22 county aldermen. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term. Following the 1922 election, there were eleven Aldermanic vacancies, which were filled at the annual meeting by re-electing all eleven retiring aldermen.
- Thomas Luther Davies (Lib, Aberaman)
- William Roberts Davies (Lib, Cilfynydd)
- Hubert Jenkins (Lab, Cwm Aber)
- Henry Lewis (Con, Kibbor)
- Hopkin Morgan (Lib, Neath)
- Rev William Saunders (Lab, Garw Valley)
- David Thomas Williams (Lab, Swansea Valley)
- Enoch Davies (Lib, Rhondda)
- James Evans (Lib, Rhondda)
- Morgan Williams (Lib, Rhondda)
- James Norris (Lab, Rhondda)
By-elections
Eleven vacancies were caused by the election of aldermen.
Aberaman by-election
Cwm Aber by-election
Rev D.M. Jones, who stood down in favour of Alderman Hubert Jenkins, was returned unopposed.
Cwm Aber by-election 1922
Party
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
%
|
±%
|
|
Labour
|
Rev David M. Jones
|
1,884
|
|
|
|
Independent
|
E.S. Williams
|
1,436
|
|
|
Majority
|
448
|
|
|
|
Labour hold
|
Swing
|
|
|
Cilfynydd by-election
Cymmer by-election
Garw Valley by-election
Kibbor by-election
H. Spence Thomas, who stood down in favour of Alderman Henry Lewis, was returned unopposed.
Llwynypia by-election
Neath North by-election
Rhondda by-election
Swansea Valley by-election
Treherbert by-election
Notes
- This result can be assumed from previous and subsequent results, and reports from council meetings.
References
- ^ "Glamorgan. Labour Party's Net Loss of Four Seats". Western Mail. 10 March 1922. p. 9. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- "Labour Routed Again. Glamorgan Council Elections". Western Mail. 9 March 1922. p. 6. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- "County Council Elections. Further Nominations for Glamorgan". Western Mail. 1 March 1922. p. 11. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ "County Council Elections. Further Contests in Glamorgan". Western Mail. 2 March 1922. p. 7. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- "Ald. William Llewellyn Chosen for Glamorgan". Western Mail. 17 March 1922. p. 8. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
Bibliography
- Williams, Chris (1996). Democratic Rhondda: Politics and society 1885-1951. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.
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