1922 Glamorgan County Council 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.^[1] 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.^[2] However, Labour still had a commanding majority following the election.^[1]

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.^[3]

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.^[1] Labour also lost the Gower seat which was a surprise gain three years earlier. Overall, however, Labour was still in the ascendancy.

Results

Aberaman

Aberaman 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Luther Davies**	Unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Aberavon

Aberavon 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Edward Lewis Hare*	1,334
	Ratepayers	Andrew Scott	1,035
Majority			299
	Labour hold		Swing

Abercynon

Abercynon 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Dr J. Llewelyn Morris*	2,410
	Ind. Labour Party	Emrys Hughes	1,723
Majority			687
	Liberal hold		Swing

Aberdare Town

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.

Bargoed 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Dr B.H.E. McCrae	998
	Labour	Walter Lewis	913
Majority			85
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing

Barry

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

Blaengwawr 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Gwilym Alexander Treharne*	Unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Bridgend

Bridgend 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	D Llewellyn Powell	1,863
	Labour	Ted Williams	527
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Briton Ferry

Briton Ferry 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	M.G. Roberts	1,791
	Labour	Joseph Branch*	1,342
Majority			449
	Conservative gain from Labour		Swing

Cadoxton

Cadoxton 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J.R. Llewellyn*	Unopposed
Majority
	Conservative hold		Swing

Caerphilly

Caerphilly 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Thomas Edwards*	1,736
	Labour	Evan Phillips	1,250
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Cilfynydd

Cilfynydd 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Roberts Davies**	Unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Coedffranc

Coedffranc 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dr W.D. Lewis Jones*	1,232
	Independent	W. Phillip Jenkins	1,230
Majority			2
	Conservative hold		Swing

Coity

Coity 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W.A. Howell*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Cowbridge

Cowbridge 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Colonel H.R. Homfray*	Unopposed
	Conservative 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

Cymmer

Morgan Williams held the seat he had represented for twenty years without opposition.

Cymmer 1922

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

Dinas Powys

Dinas Powys 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Claude D. Thompson*	Unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Dulais Valley

Dulais Valley 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Davies*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Ferndale

Ferndale 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jabez Davies*	Unopposed
Majority
	Labour hold		Swing

Gadlys

Gadlys 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	T. Marchant Harries	1,584
	Labour	Idwal Thomas*	590
Majority			994
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing

Glyncorrwg

Glyncorrwg 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Tom John	1,458
	Independent	Dr Henry Davies*	1,044
Majority			414
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Gower

Gower 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Fredrick William Davies	1,214
	Labour	Charles Bevan*	1,085
Majority			209
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing

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

Kibbor

Kibbor 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Henry Lewis**	Unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llandaff

Llandaff 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Lewis Lougher	Unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llandeilo Talybont

Llandeilo Talybont 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Geoffrey Williams*	Unopposed
Majority
	Labour hold		Swing

Llanfabon

Llanfabon 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Phillips	1,009
	Independent	H.E. Morgan-Lindsay*	910
Majority			99
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Llwydcoed

Llwydcoed 1922

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

Llwynypia

Llwynypia and Clydach 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James Evans**	Unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Loughor

Loughor 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas J. Thomas	1,108
	Labour	W.M. Moses**	850
	Independent	Albert Harding*	568
Majority
	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

Maesteg East and West 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Thomas E. Hopkins	1,457
	Labour	George John*	1,295
Majority			162
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing

Mountain Ash

The ward was known as Duffryn in 1922.

Mountain Ash 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Lord Aberdare	Unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Neath (North)

Neath (North) 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Hopkin Morgan**	Unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Neath (South)

Neath (South) 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Frederick William Gibbins*	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

Newcastle

Newcastle 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	E.H. Mole*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Ogmore Valley

Ogmore Valley 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David J. Thomas	1,395
	Labour	Thomas A. Job	1,392
Majority			3
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Penarth North

Penarth North 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Rev E.S. Roberts	387
	Liberal	Jenkin Llewellyn	385
Majority			2
	Conservative hold		Swing

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

Pentre 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Alfred Thomas*	1,366
	Labour	J.T. Rees	1,198
Majority			168
	Liberal hold		Swing

Pontardawe

Pontardawe 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David Daniel Davies*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Pontyclun

Pontyclun 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Thomas Jenkins*	1,718
	Labour	D. Harris	623
Majority			1,095
	Conservative hold		Swing

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.

Port Talbot West 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Ratepayers	William Arthur Davies	1,311
	Labour	Meth Jones	672
Majority			639
	Ratepayers hold		Swing

Porthcawl

Porthcawl 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Coalition Unionist	Sir T.G. Jones*	1,338
	Labour	Jenkin Jones	899
Majority			429
	Conservative hold		Swing

Pontlottyn

No nominations were received for this ward where William Hammond (Lab) was the retiring member.^[4]

Pontycymmer

The sitting councillor, Jonathan Maddocks (Ind) withdrew, allowing the retiring Labour alderman to be returned unopposed.^[4]

Pontycymmer 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Rev William Saunders**	Unopposed
Majority
	Labour hold		Swing

Pontypridd

Pontypridd 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Fleming	602
	Liberal	James Roberts*	398
	Conservative	H.M. Gregory	383
Majority			204
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing

Penygraig

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

Swansea Valley 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D.T. Williams*	Unopposed
Majority
	Labour gain from Progressive		Swing

Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch

Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Arthur Jones*	1,496
	Independent	Morgan Lloyd Griffiths	882
	Independent	Levi Morgan	191
Majority			614
	Labour hold		Swing

Trealaw

Trealaw 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Enoch Treharne	Unopposed
Majority
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing

Treforest

Treforest 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J.P. Rees**	1,592
	Labour	W.H. May*	828
Majority			624
	Liberal gain from Labour		Swing

Treherbert

Treherbert 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Enoch Davies**	Unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Treorchy

Thomas Jones, Co-operative stores manager, was returned unopposed.

Treorchy 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Jones*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Tylorstown

Tylorstown 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Dr T.H. Morris*	Unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Vale of Neath

Vale of Neath 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	D.H. Jones	2,381
	Labour	John Davies	1,571
Majority			810
	Independent gain from Liberal		Swing

Ynyshir

Ynyshir 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	George Dalling*	996
	Independent Labour	William Thomas	985
	Liberal	D. Lewis Daniel	715
Majority			11
	Labour hold		Swing

Ystalyfera

D.W. Davies regained the seat he lost three years previously.

Ystalyfera 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	D.W. Davies	1,527
	Labour	Daniel T. Jones*	1,153
Majority			374
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing

Ystrad^{[n 1]}

Ystrad 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Dr W.E. Thomas	Unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

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.^[5]

• 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

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour
	Independent
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

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

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour
	Independent
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Cymmer by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour
	Independent
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Garw Valley by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour
	Independent
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Kibbor by-election

H. Spence Thomas, who stood down in favour of Alderman Henry Lewis, was returned unopposed.

Kibbor by-election 1922

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	H. Spence Thomas
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Llwynypia by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour
	Independent
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Neath North by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour
	Independent
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Rhondda by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour
	Independent
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Swansea Valley by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour
	Independent
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Treherbert by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour
	Independent
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Notes

1. This result can be assumed from previous and subsequent results, and reports from council meetings.

References

1. "Glamorgan. Labour Party's Net Loss of Four Seats". Western Mail. 10 March 1922. p. 9. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
2. "Labour Routed Again. Glamorgan Council Elections". Western Mail. 9 March 1922. p. 6. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
3. "County Council Elections. Further Nominations for Glamorgan". Western Mail. 1 March 1922. p. 11. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
4. "County Council Elections. Further Contests in Glamorgan". Western Mail. 2 March 1922. p. 7. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
5. "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.