BRITISH CONSERVATISM AND THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE ... - ideals

Habitation influence in Wales as measured by the number of
associations, membership, and percentage of the population (Appendices
F, G, H) were Denbighshire, Flintshire, and Radnorshire.
The three counties are distinguished by their proximity to the
English border, their chiefly rural character, and the predominance of
English speaking peoples
(with the notable exception of Denbighshire
West constituency) in their regions.
These factors were of
considerable importance in nurturing Conservative sympathies. While
Glamorgan had the largest Primrose representation in Wales, measured in
terms of Habitations (23) and members (7,057), its industrial and
mining concerns nurtured Liberal political sympathies.24 The result
was a population largely unswayed by Primrose tenents, measuring but 1
percent of its 1891 census.
In the case of Scotland, the evidence available is much more
tenuous, confined to the 1899 Roll which provides information
concerning only the numbers and locations of Habitations in the region.
Midlothian county (5) and the burgh of Edinburgh (7) appeared to be
natural
centers of Primrose activity based on the numbers of
associations in the area and the location of the SGC headquarters in
the capital.
Membership was also undoubtedly strengthened by the
prominence of middle class and professional
interests in the area.
Perthshire West parliamentary constituency also proved a strong center
for the recruitment of members with ten Habitations in its district.
The area was noted for its open highlands, agrarian setting, and the
24
Pelling, Social Geography of British Elections, pp.
366-67, 258-62.
363-64,