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 few exceptions, members were returned unopposed.[2] Education was the key issue and the election caused more controversy, with several sitting members changing their political allegiances.

Boundary Changes

There were no boundary changes.

Contested Elections

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

Retiring Aldermen

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 38
• J. Williams, Llanginning, 35
• 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	21o
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 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Phillips*	279
	Labour	Frank Vivian	154
Majority			125
	Liberal hold		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.[3]

References

1. "Carmarthenshire County Council Elections. Sweeping Victory for the National Policy". Carmarthen Weekly Reporter. 11 March 1904. p. 1. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
2. "County Council Nominations". Carmarthen Journal. 4 March 1904. p. 5. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
3. "Carmarthenshire County Council. Statutory Meeting". Carmarthen Journal. 18 March 1904. p. 5. Retrieved 19 September 2015.