Merthyr Tydfil

Coordinates: 51°44′34″N 3°22′41″W / 51.742892°N 3.3780491°W / 51.742892; -3.3780491

Merthyr Tydfil (/ˈmɜːrθər ˈtɪdvɪl/;Welsh: Merthyr Tudful [ˈmɛrθɨr ˈtɨːdvɨ̞l]) is a town in Wales, with a population of about 59,500, situated approximately 23 miles (37 km) north of Cardiff. Once the largest town in Wales, it is now the 14th largest urban area in Wales. It is in the historic county of Glamorgan and is currently the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Both the town and the county borough are often referred to as 'Merthyr'.

According to legend, the town is named after Saint Tydfil, a daughter of King Brychan of Brycheiniog. According to her legend, she was slain at Merthyr by pagans around 480; the place was subsequently named Merthyr Tydfil in her honour. Although merthyr generally means "martyr" in modern Welsh, the meaning here is closer to the Latin martyrium: the mausoleum or church built over the relics of a martyr. Similar examples, all from south Wales, include Merthyr Cynog, Merthyr Dyfan and Merthyr Mawr. The Cornish and Breton language equivalents, in place names, are merther and merzher.

Merthyr (UK Parliament constituency)

Merthyr was a borough constituency centred on the town of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The constituency was created for the 1918 general election, and abolished for the 1950 general election, when it was largely replaced by the new constituency of Merthyr Tydfil.

Members of Parliament

Election results

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1930s

See also

References