Clifford Cory - Politics

Politics

Cory was a typical example of the Welsh-born, nonconformist, capital owning, Liberal elite, although this background was becoming less and less relevant in politics with the rise of class as the principal determinant of political allegiance.

Nevertheless, in the 1890s the coal-owners were still at the top of the social hierarchy in South Wales even if politically they were less inclined to involvement. Cory was something of an exception however (as he later proved to be in national Liberal politics over the issue of Home Rule). He was sometime President of Cardiff Liberals. Cory was elected to Glamorgan County Council in 1892 as member for Ystrad and retained the seat until 1910, the only substantial coal owner to keep a prominent political profile in the Rhondda during this period. Cory was also High Sheriff of Monmouthshire for 1905. He also served as a Justice of the Peace for Glamorgan and Monmouthshire and was a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Glamorgan. He was created a baronet in 1907, the Cory baronetcy of Llantarnam Abbey. Cory had the abbey the Reginald Blewitt who had restored it in 1836.

Cory was adopted as parliamentary candidate for the Tory seat of South Monmouthshire in 1893 which he unsuccessfully contested at the 1895 general election. He was then adopted for Tonbridge in Kent for the general election of 1900 but despite fighting a campaign on religious and temperance issues which attracted the support of at least one Conservative minister of religion in the division, he was again unsuccessful. In 1900 he declined an offer to be considered as Liberal candidate for the Cornish constituency of St.Ives but by 1902 he had changed his mind and he was adopted for the seat.