Cardiff was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Cardiff in South Wales which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1542 until it was abolished for the 1918 general election.
Under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542, most Welsh shire towns returned one MP, including Cardiff as the shire town of Glamorgan; however, other ancient boroughs in the shire contributed to the expense of the borough MP and in return gained a share in the vote.[1] In the case of Cardiff, the relevant "contributory boroughs" were Llantrisant and Cowbridge, and until 1832 also Swansea, Loughor, Neath, Aberavon, and Kenfig.[2] Elections were often held at Bridgend, which was not a contributory borough but was conveniently central in Glamorgan.[3] The Reform Act 1832 separated the contributory boroughs other than Llantrisant and Cowbridge into the new Swansea District of Boroughs. As proposed in 1830, the reform bill would have added Llandaff, Aberdare, and Merthyr Tydfil as Cardiff contributory boroughs, but in the event Merthyr and Aberdare became a separate borough while Llandaff remained part of Glamorgan county constituency, which gained a second seat.[4] The Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 extended the boundary of the Cardiff District of Boroughs constituency to include those parts of the Cardiff parishes of St Mary's and St. John outside the old borough boundary.[5] The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 extended the parliamentary boundary to Cardiff's enlarged municipal borough boundary.[6]
Elections in the 1830s
General Election 1830: Cardiff Boroughs [7][12]Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
---|
| Whig | Patrick Crichton-Stuart | Unopposed |
---|
| Whig hold |
General Election 1831: Cardiff Boroughs [7][12]Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
---|
| Whig | Patrick Crichton-Stuart | Unopposed |
---|
| Whig hold |
General Election 1832: Cardiff Boroughs [7][13]Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
---|
| Tory | John Iltyd Nicholl | 342 | 64.2 |
| Whig | Patrick Crichton-Stuart | 191 | 35.8 |
Majority | 151 | 28.4 |
---|
Turnout | 533 | 77.6 |
---|
Registered electors | 687 | |
---|
| Tory gain from Whig |
General Election 1835: Cardiff Boroughs [7][13]Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
---|
| Conservative | John Iltyd Nicholl | Unopposed |
---|
Registered electors | 672 | |
---|
| Conservative hold |
Nicholl was appointed as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, causing a by-election.
By-election, 20 March 1835: Cardiff Boroughs [7][13]Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
---|
| Conservative | John Iltyd Nicholl | Unopposed |
---|
| Conservative hold |
General Election 1837: Cardiff Boroughs [7][13]Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
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| Conservative | John Iltyd Nicholl | Unopposed |
---|
Registered electors | 635 | |
---|
| Conservative hold |
Elections in the 1840s
General Election 1841: Cardiff Boroughs [13]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Conservative | John Iltyd Nicholl | Unopposed |
---|
Registered electors | 765 | | |
---|
| Conservative hold |
Nicholl was appointed Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 17 September 1841: Cardiff Boroughs [13]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Conservative | John Iltyd Nicholl | Unopposed |
---|
| Conservative hold |
General Election 1847: Cardiff Boroughs [13]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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| Conservative | John Iltyd Nicholl | Unopposed |
---|
Registered electors | 797 | | |
---|
| Conservative hold |
Elections in the 1850s
General Election 1852: Cardiff Boroughs [13]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Radical | Walter Coffin | 490 | 51.4 | New |
| Conservative | John Iltyd Nicholl | 464 | 48.6 | N/A |
Majority | 26 | 2.8 | N/A |
---|
Turnout | 954 | 98.6 | N/A |
---|
Registered electors | 2,072 | | |
---|
| Radical gain from Conservative | Swing | N/A | |
---|
General election 1857: Cardiff Boroughs [13]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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| Whig | James Crichton-Stuart | Unopposed |
---|
Registered electors | 1,640 | | |
---|
| Whig gain from Radical |
General election 1859: Cardiff Boroughs [13]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Liberal | James Crichton-Stuart | Unopposed |
---|
Registered electors | 1,793 | | |
---|
| Liberal hold |
Elections in the 1860s
General election 1865: Cardiff Boroughs [13]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Liberal | James Crichton-Stuart | Unopposed |
---|
Registered electors | 2,072 | | |
---|
| Liberal hold |
General election 1868: Cardiff Boroughs [13]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Liberal | James Crichton-Stuart | 2,501 | 54.9 | N/A |
| Conservative | Hardinge Giffard | 2,055 | 45.1 | New |
Majority | 446 | 9.8 | N/A |
---|
Turnout | 4,556 | 84.6 | N/A |
---|
Registered electors | 5,388 | | |
---|
| Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
---|
Elections in the 1870s
General election 1874: Cardiff Boroughs [13]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Liberal | James Crichton-Stuart | 2,780 | 50.1 | −4.8 |
| Conservative | Hardinge Giffard | 2,771 | 49.9 | +4.8 |
Majority | 9 | 0.2 | −9.6 |
---|
Turnout | 5,551 | 83.4 | −1.2 |
---|
Registered electors | 6,656 | | |
---|
| Liberal hold | Swing | −4.8 | |
---|
Elections in the 1880s
General election 1880: Cardiff Boroughs [13]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Liberal | Edward Reed | 3,831 | 53.1 | +3.0 |
| Conservative | Arthur Guest | 3,383 | 46.9 | −3.0 |
Majority | 448 | 6.2 | +6.0 |
---|
Turnout | 7,214 | 86.4 | +3.0 |
---|
Registered electors | 8,350 | | |
---|
| Liberal hold | Swing | +3.0 | |
---|
General election 1885: Cardiff Boroughs [14][15]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Liberal | Edward Reed | 5,569 | 50.6 | −2.5 |
| Conservative | Henry Harben (businessman) | 5,429 | 49.4 | +2.5 |
Majority | 140 | 1.2 | −5.0 |
---|
Turnout | 10,998 | 87.3 | +0.9 |
---|
Registered electors | 12,605 | | |
---|
| Liberal hold | Swing | −2.5 | |
---|
Reed was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, requiring a by-election.
By-election, 27 Feb 1886: Cardiff Boroughs [14]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Liberal | Edward Reed | 5,708 | 54.1 | +3.5 |
| Conservative | John Dillwyn-Llewelyn | 4,845 | 45.9 | -3.5 |
Majority | 863 | 8.2 | +7.0 |
---|
Turnout | 10,553 | 83.7 | -3.6 |
---|
Registered electors | 12,605 | | |
---|
| Liberal hold | Swing | +3.5 | |
---|
General election 1886: Cardiff Boroughs [14]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Liberal | Edward Reed | 5,307 | 51.7 | +1.1 |
| Liberal Unionist | Henry Brand | 4,965 | 48.3 | −1.1 |
Majority | 342 | 3.4 | +2.2 |
---|
Turnout | 10,272 | 81.5 | −5.8 |
---|
Registered electors | 12,605 | | |
---|
| Liberal hold | Swing | +1.1 | |
---|
Elections in the 1890s
General election 1892: Cardiff Boroughs [14][16]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Liberal | Edward Reed | 7,226 | 52.5 | +0.8 |
| Liberal Unionist | Sir John Gunn | 6,540 | 47.5 | -0.8 |
Majority | 686 | 5.0 | +1.6 |
---|
Turnout | 13,766 | 81.5 | 0.0 |
---|
Registered electors | 16,886 | | |
---|
| Liberal hold | Swing | +0.8 | |
---|
General election 1895: Cardiff Boroughs [14]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Conservative | James Mackenzie Maclean | 8,386 | 52.6 | +5.1 |
| Liberal | Edward Reed | 7,562 | 47.4 | -5.1 |
Majority | 824 | 5.2 | N/A |
---|
Turnout | 15,948 | 82.4 | +0.9 |
---|
Registered electors | 19,358 | | |
---|
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +5.1 | |
---|
Elections in the 1900s
General election 1900: Cardiff Boroughs [14]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Liberal | Edward Reed | 9,342 | 52.2 | +4.8 |
| Conservative | Joseph Lawrence | 8,541 | 47.8 | −4.8 |
Majority | 801 | 4.4 | N/A |
---|
Turnout | 17,883 | 80.0 | -2.4 |
---|
Registered electors | 22,361 | | |
---|
| Liberal gain from Conservative | Swing | +4.8 | |
---|
General election 1906: Cardiff Boroughs [14]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Liberal | Ivor Guest | 12,434 | 56.9 | +4.7 |
| Conservative | James Fortescue-Flannery | 9,429 | 43.1 | −4.7 |
Majority | 3,005 | 13.8 | +9.4 |
---|
Turnout | 21,863 | 80.8 | +0.8 |
---|
Registered electors | 27,057 | | |
---|
| Liberal hold | Swing | +4.7 | |
---|
Elections in the 1910s
General election January 1910: Cardiff Boroughs [14]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Liberal | D. A. Thomas | 13,207 | 53.1 | -3.8 |
| Conservative | Ninian Crichton-Stuart | 11,652 | 46.9 | +3.8 |
Majority | 1,555 | 6.2 | -7.6 |
---|
Turnout | 24,859 | 86.5 | +5.7 |
---|
| Liberal hold | Swing | -3.8 | |
---|
General election December 1910: Cardiff Boroughs [14]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|
| Conservative | Ninian Crichton-Stuart | 12,181 | 50.6 | +3.7 |
| Liberal | Clarendon Hyde | 11,882 | 49.4 | -3.7 |
Majority | 299 | 1.2 | N/A |
---|
Turnout | 24,068 | 83.8 | -2.7 |
---|
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +3.7 | |
---|
1915 Cardiff by-election[14]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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| Unionist | James Cory | Unopposed |
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| Unionist hold |