I have a new favourite group of elections.
The disestablishment of the Church in Wales was a favourite cause of Lloyd George Liberalism. Why should the majority of the population, who were nonconformists, pay tithes to support a church in whose doctrines they did not believe?
Disestablishment was secured by the passing of the Welsh Church Act of 1914, which was put into effect n 1920.
But there was a problem in the shape of a number of parishes that straddled the border between England and Wales. What do to with them?
The solution was to invite the residents to vote, so 18 local elections were held in 1915 and 1916 to see if residents wanted to stay with the Church of England or try their luck with the new disestablished Church in Wakes.
Some of the parishes polled were in my favourite part of the world, being half in Shropshire or Herefordshire: Brampton Bryan, Churchstoke, Hyssington with Snead.
Seventeen of the eighteen parishes voted to remain with the Church of England. The only exception was Llansilin, which is on the Montgomeryshire border near Oswestry.
In the middle of the greatest war had been involved in in living memory time was found to conduct this election. Were the votes of men overseas in the Armed Forces counted?
ReplyDeleteI would love to see some of the campaigning material from those contests! Were there any popular campaigns, do you know, or was most of the work done in the Vestry and from the Pulpit?
ReplyDeleteAnother question, if I may .... were women allowed to vote, as if it was a "local" election, or were they barred as they could not vote in "national" elections until 1918/1928?
ReplyDeleteThank you all. There is little online about these elections, but I shall look into them.
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