1901 Carmarthenshire County Council election

1901 Carmarthenshire County Council election

All 68 seats to Carmarthenshire County Council 35 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party Liberal Conservative Liberal Unionist Last election 51/68 15/68 1/68 Seats before 53/68 15/68 1/68 Seats won 54/68 12/68 1/68 Councillors 39 10 1 Aldermen 15 2 0 Seats +/– 1 3 0   Fourth party   Party Independent Last election 1/68 Seats before 1/68 Seats won 1/68 Councillors 1 Aldermen 0 Seats +/– o
Council control after election Liberal Liberal Party

The fifth election to the Carmarthenshire County Council was held in March 1901. It was preceded by the 1898 election and followed by the 1904 election.

Overview of the result

The Liberals retained a strong majority. With a few exceptions, members were returned unopposed.

Candidates

Only six seats were contested. Eleven of those elected at the first election, and who had served continuously since then, sought re-election.

None of the retiring aldermen sought election as candidates. There was also a vacancy following the death of W.O. Brigstocke, Blaenpant.

Outcome

An uneventful election saw little change in the political composition of the council. The Liberals gained two seats when their candidates were returned unopposed at Llangeler and in one of the Llanelli wards after Conservative councillors stood down.

At the annual meeting, the six retiring aldermen were supported by the majority of members but there was no unanimity on replacement for Henry Wilkins, who stood down, and W.O. Brigstocke, who had died in office. W.N. Jones polled 26 votes, only three fewer than the eighth candidate, Augustus Brigstocke. However, all eight were Liberals, leaving the Conservatives with only two seats on the aldermanic bench.

Ward Results

Abergwili

Abergwili 1901

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

Bettws

Bettws 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Nathaniel Jones*	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Liberal hold

Caio

Caio 1901

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

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Lower Division)

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Lower Division) 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	T.E. Brigstocke*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Upper Division)

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Upper Division) 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev Andrew Fuller-Mills	Unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Carmarthen Western Ward (Lower Division)

Carmarthen Western Ward (Lower Division) 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James John*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Carmarthen Western Ward (Upper Division)

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Lower Division) 1901

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

Cenarth

Cenarth 1901

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

Cilycwm

Cilycwm 1901

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

Conwil

Conwil 1901

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

Kidwelly

Kidwelly 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Alfred Stephens*	301
	Liberal	W. Young	176
Majority			125
	Conservative hold		Swing

Laugharne

Laugharne 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John D. Morse*	188
	Liberal	Richard Evans	103
Majority			85
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanarthney

Llanarthney 1901

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

Llanboidy

Llanboidy 1901

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

Llandebie

Llandebie 1901

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

Llandilo Rural

Llandilo Rural 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Jones*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandilo Urban

Llandilo Urban 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J.W. Gwynne Hughes*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llandovery

Llandovery 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Walter Powell Jeffreys*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llanedy

Llanedy 1898

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Ll. Thomas*	240
	Conservative	David White	201
Majority			39
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanegwad

Llanegwad 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Col. W. Gwynne Hughes*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Division.1

Llanelly Division.1 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Unionist	J. Allen Williams*	unopposed
	Liberal Unionist hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 2

Llanelly Division 2 1901

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

Llanelly Division 3

Llanelly Division.3 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William David*	unopposed
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Llanelly Division 4

Llanelly Division 4 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev Thomas Johns*	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Liberal hold

Llanelly Division 5

Llanelly Division 5 1901

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 1901

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

Llanelly Division 8

Llanelly Division 8 1901

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

Llanelly Rural, Berwick

Llanelly Rural, Berwick 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Owen Bonville*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Rural, Hengoed

Llanelly Rural, Hengoed 1901

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

Llanelly Rural, Westfa and Glyn

Llanelly Rural, Westfa and Glyn 1901

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

Llanfihangel Aberbythick

Llanfihangel Aberbythick 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Earl Cawdor*	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Conservative hold

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	T. Barrett	unopposed
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Llangadock

Llangadock 1901

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

Llangeler

Llangeler 1901

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

Llangendeirne

Llangendeirne 1901

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

Llangennech

Llangennech 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J.B. Rees	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llangunnor

Llangunnor 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	C.E. Morris*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanon

Llanon 1901

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

Llansawel

Llansawel 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Sir J.H.W. Drummond, Bart.*	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Conservative hold

Llanstephan

Llanstephan 1901

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

Llanybyther

Both candidates received the same number of votes so the contest was decided upon the toss of a coin.

Llanybyther 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Rees*	232
	Liberal	David Williams	232
Majority			0
	Liberal hold		Swing

Mothvey

Mothvey 1901

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

Pembrey North

Pembrey North 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev J.H. Rees*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Pembrey South

It was a reflection of the largely non-political character of the 1901 county election in Carmarthenshire (with the vast majority being elected unopposed) that the political affiliation of the two candidates for this ward was not recorded in the local press.

Pembrey South 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas F. Wilkins	391
	Conservative	John G. Thomas	148
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Quarter Bach

Quarter Bach 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Dr Howell Rees*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Rhydcymmerai

Rhydcymmerai 1901

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

St Clears

St Clears 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Dr R.L. Thomas	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

St Ishmael

St Ishmael 1901

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

Trelech

Trelech 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Phillips*	Unopposed
	Liberal hold

Whitland

Whitland 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev William Thomas*	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 eight aldermen were elected (with the number of votes recorded in each case).

The following retiring aldermen were re-elected:

• John Bevan, retiring alderman (48)
• Joseph Joseph, retiring alderman (45)
• Sir Lewis Morris, retiring alderman (44)
• Daniel Stephens, retiring alderman (45)
• H J Thomas, retiring alderman (48)
• Thomas Watkins, retiring alderman (44)

In addition, two new aldermen were elected:

• Joseph Mayberry, elected member for Llanelli Ward 2 (34)
• Augustus Brigstocke, from outside the Council (29)

One retiring aldermen was not re-elected

• Henry Wilkins, Llanelli