1904 Carmarthenshire County Council election

The sixth election to the Carmarthenshire County Council was held in March 1904.^[1] It was preceded by the 1901 election and followed by the 1907 election.

Overview of the Result[]

The Liberals retained a strong majority with a majority of members returned unopposed.^[2] From the outset the election was dominated by the debate over the implementation of the 1902 Education Act, which was fiercely opposed by the radial wing of the Welsh Liberal Party.

Boundary Changes[]

There were no boundary changes.

Candidates[]

The election was fought on more explicitly political lines, largely as a result of the way the education question dominated the election. Following the nominations, the Liberals already had a majority due to the number of candidates returned unopposed.^[3] These included all eight candidates in the Llanelli Urban area, including Joseph Roberts, who was returned unopposed for the division previously represented by the veteran tinplate leader, Tom Phillips, who retired due too ill-health.^[3]

Several sitting members, mainly Anglican landowners, changed their political allegiance due to the Education question. These included J.W. Gwynne-Hughes of Tregib (Llandeilo).

Contested Elections[]

There were only a small number of contested elections and the majorities were small in most instances.

As at previous elections, retiring aldermen were not required to seek re-election. The aldermen who retired at the election were

• J.S. Tregoning, Iscoed, Conservative
• John Lewis, Meirios Hall, Liberal
• D.L. Jones, Derlwyn, Liberal
• R.W. Stephens, Coedybrain, Liberal
• Rev. W. Thomas, Whitland, Liberal
• David Evans, Llangennech, Liberal
• Rev. William Davies, Llandilo, Liberal
• J. Williams, Llanginning, Liberal
• James Hill-Johnes, Dolaucothy, Conservative

Summary of Results[]

This section summarises the detailed results which are noted in the following sections. In some cases there is an ambiguity in the sources over the party affiliations and this is explained below where relevant.

This table summarises the result of the elections in all wards. 51 councillors were elected.

Carmarthesnhire County Council 1901: elected members

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal
	Conservative
	Liberal Unionist
	Independent

Carmarthenshire County Council 1901 : following election of new aldermen

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal
	Conservative
	Liberal Unionist
	Independent

Carmarthenshire County Council 1889 : following election of new aldermen and by-elections

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal
	Conservative
	Liberal Unionist
	Independent

Ward Results[]

In view of the controversy over education candidates stood as Unionists rather than Conservatives. However, the label Unionist has been used only for those former Liberals who stood under this banner.

Abergwili[]

Abergwili 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Lloyd*	296
	Conservative	H.W. Pryse	125
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Bettws[]

Bettws 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Nathaniel Jones*	527
	Liberal	Tom Jones	505
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Caio[]

Caio 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	T. Francis Jones*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Lower Division)[]

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Lower Division) 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	T.E. Brigstocke*	268
	Liberal	H.W. Thomas	207
Majority
	Conservative hold		Swing

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Upper Division)[]

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Upper Division) 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev Andrew Fuller-Mills*	255
	Conservative	D. Davies	135
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Carmarthen Western Ward (Lower Division)[]

Carmarthen Western Ward (Lower Division) 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Lewis	162
	Conservative	James John*	159
Majority
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Carmarthen Western Ward (Upper Division)[]

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Lower Division) 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Professor D.E. Jones*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Cenarth[]

Cenarth 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David Davies*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Cilycwm[]

Cilycwm 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James Rees*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Conwil[]

Conwil 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Jones*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Kidwelly[]

Kidwelly 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alfred Stephens*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Laugharne[]

Laugharne 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Richard Evans	185
	Liberal	John D. Morse*	152
Majority			33
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing

Llanarthney[]

Llanarthney 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Jones-Davies*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanboidy[]

David Thomas had been elected as a Conservative in 1901.

Llanboidy 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Thomas*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llandebie[]

Llandebie 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Davies*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llandilo Rural[]

William Jones had been elected as an Independent at previous elections.

Llandilo Rural 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Jones*	unopposed
	Liberal gain from Independent		Swing

Llandilo Urban[]

Gwynne Hughes had previously sat as a Liberal.

Llandilo Urban 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	J.W. Gwynne Hughes*	unopposed
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing

Llandovery[]

Llandovery 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J.R. James	193
	Conservative	Walter Powell Jeffreys*	105
Majority
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Llanedy[]

Llanedy 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Ll. Thomas*	280
	Conservative	R.H. Sampson	210
Majority			70
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanegwad[]

Gwynne Hughes had previously sat as a Liberal and failed to defend the seat as an Unionist.

Llanegwad 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	D.J. Harries	257
	Unionist	Col. W. Gwynne Hughes*	210
Majority
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing

Llanelly Division.1[]

Llanelly Division.1 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	W. Griffiths	unopposed
	Unionist hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 2[]

Llanelly Division 2 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	W. Williams	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 3[]

Llanelly Division.3 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William David*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 4[]

Llanelly Division 4 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev Thomas Johns*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 5[]

Llanelly Division 5 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	D.C. Parry*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 6[]

Llanelly Division 6 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Joseph Roberts	Unopposed
Majority
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing

Llanelly Division 7[]

Llanelly Division 7 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Jones*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 8[]

Llanelly Division 8 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Joseph Williams*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Rural, Berwick[]

Llanelly Rural, Berwick 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	D. Harry	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Rural, Hengoed[]

Llanelly Rural, Hengoed 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David John*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Rural, Westfa and Glyn[]

Llanelly Rural, Westfa and Glyn 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev B. Humphreys	293
	Liberal	Rev John Evans	129
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanfihangel Aberbythick[]

Llanfihangel Aberbythick 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Earl Cawdor*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth[]

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Barrett*	unopposed
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Llangadock[]

Llangadock 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Davies*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llangeler[]

Llangeler 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Colonel W.P. Lewes*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llangendeirne[]

Llangendeirne 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Jenkins*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llangennech[]

Llangennech 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	T. Thomas	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llangunnor[]

Llangunnor 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	C.E. Morris*	182
	Conservative	David Evan Stephens	160
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanon[]

Llanon 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Morgan Jones*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llansawel[]

Llansawel 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Sir J.H.W. Drummond, Bart.*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llanstephan[]

Llanstephan 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Johns*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanybyther[]

Williams was one of two Liberal candidates in 1901 when both polled the same number of votes and Williams lost on the toss of a coin.

Llanybyther 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J. Thomas	266
	Conservative	David Williams	234
Majority			32
	Liberal hold		Swing

Mothvey[]

Mothvey 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Davies*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Pembrey North[]

Pembrey North 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev J.H. Rees*	272
	Liberal	Dr J.H. Williams	174
	Unionist	Rev W.G. Williams	129
	Liberal hold		Swing

Pembrey South[]

this ward was not recorded in the local press.

Pembrey South 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Thomas F. Wilkins	391
		John G. Thomas	148
	Conservative hold		Swing

Quarter Bach[]

Quarter Bach 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	W.J. Williams	296
	Liberal	Gwilym Vaughan	289
	Liberal hold		Swing

Rhydcymmerai[]

Rhydcymmerai 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Benjamin Evans*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

St Clears[]

Dr Thomas had sat as a Conservative but was said to have fought this election as a 'radical'.

St Clears 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J. Lewis	253
	Liberal	Dr R.L. Thomas*	182
	Independent	Capt. D.J. Powell	28
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

St Ishmael[]

St Ishmael 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Lloyd Thomas*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Trelech[]

Trelech 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	W. Thomas	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Whitland[]

Whitland 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J. Scourfield*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Election of Aldermen[]

In addition to the 51 councillors the council consisted of 17 county aldermen. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term. Following the elections the following nine aldermen were elected (with the number of votes recorded in each case).

• John Williams, retiring alderman (47)
• W.N. Jones, elected member for Betws (46)
• John Lewis, retiring alderman (45)
• D.L. Jones, retiring alderman (42)
• R.W. Stephens, retiring alderman (48)
• John Rees, retiring alderman (42)
• Thomas Jones, elected member for Llanelli Ward 7 (42)
• Rev Thomas Johns, elected member for Llanelli Ward 4 (42)
• Rev William Davies, retiring alderman (42)

All the elected aldermen were supported by the majority of members.^[4]

References[]