# Swansea District (UK Parliament constituency)

Swansea District before 1885 also known as Swansea District of Boroughs was a borough constituency. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

## Overview

The seat was created for the 1832 general election, and abolished for the 1918 general election. Swansea District was a strongly Liberal constituency, dominated by the tinplate and steel industries, together with coal.

## Boundaries

Upon its creation in 1832 it comprised five small boroughs: Swansea, Neath, Aberavon, Kenfig and Loughor. A small increase in their limits occurred in 1868.
In 1885, the seat was split into two, with the central part of Swansea borough forming the Swansea Town constituency, and the northern part of Swansea borough centred on Morriston, together with the four smaller boroughs, forming the seat Swansea District.
The first member after 1885 was Henry Vivian, who had represented Glamorgan county 1857–1885.

## Members of Parliament

* Constituency created (1832)
| Year | Year | Member | Whip |
| | 1832 | John Henry Vivian | Whig |
| | 1855 | Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn | Whig |
| | 1859 | Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn | Liberal |
| | 1885 | Sir Henry Vivian | Liberal |
| | 1886 | Sir Henry Vivian | Liberal Unionist |
| | 1887 | Sir Henry Vivian | Liberal |
| | 1893 | William Williams | Liberal |
| | 1895 | Sir David Brynmor Jones | Liberal |
| | 1915 | Thomas Jeremiah Williams | Liberal |
| 1918 | 1918 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |

## Electoral history
### Elections in the 1830s

General election 1832: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Henry Vivian | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,307 | | |
| | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) | Whig win (new seat) |
General election 1835: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Henry Vivian | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,303 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1837: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Henry Vivian | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,349 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1840s

General election 1841: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Henry Vivian | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,287 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1847: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Henry Vivian | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,563 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |

### Elections in the 1850s

General election 1852: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | John Henry Vivian | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,694 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
Vivian's death caused a by-election.
By-election, 27 February 1855: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1857: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Whig | Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,901 | | |
| | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold | Whig hold |
General election 1859: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,921 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1860s

General election 1865: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 1,967 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1868: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,543 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1870s

General election 1874: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn | 5,215 | 65.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Charles Bath | 2,708 | 34.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,507 | 31.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,923 | 63.5 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,476 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

General election 1880: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,631 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1885: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Vivian | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
In 1886, Vivian briefly joined the Liberal Unionists but was nevertheless returned unopposed and returned to the Gladstonian fold soon after the election.
General election 1886: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Unionist | Henry Vivian | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal | Liberal Unionist gain from Liberal |

### Elections in the 1890s

General election 1892: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Henry Vivian | 5,959 | 86.5 | New |
| | Conservative | Herbert Monger | 933 | 13.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,026 | 73.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,892 | 68.6 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,047 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
In 1893, when he was elevated to the peerage becoming Lord Swansea, he was succeeded by the Morriston tinplate owner, William Williams.
By-election, 19 Jun 1893: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | William Williams | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
Williams served for only two years before being replaced in 1895 by Brynmor Jones. Jones had strong nonconformist connections but his political career was undistinguished and he concentrated on his legal career.
General election 1895: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Brynmor Jones | 3,850 | 49.9 | −36.6 |
| | Independent Liberal-Labour | Ernest Hall Hedley | 2,018 | 26.1 | New |
| | Conservative | John Wright | 1,851 | 24.0 | +10.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,832 | 23.8 | −49.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,719 | 75.4 | +6.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,237 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | −23.6 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

General election 1900: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Brynmor Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election 1906: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Brynmor Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |

### Elections in the 1910s

General election January 1910: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Brynmor Jones | 8,488 | 77.9 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Robert Campbell | 2,415 | 22.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,073 | 55.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,903 | 84.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,983 | | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | N/A | |
1910 Swansea District by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Brynmor Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
General election December 1910: Swansea District :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Brynmor Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
1914 Swansea District by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Brynmor Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |
1915 Swansea District by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Williams | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Liberal hold |