1919 Carmarthenshire County Council election

An election to the Carmarthenshire County Council was held in March 1919.^[1] It was preceded by the 1913 election and followed by the 1922 election.

Overview of the result

The elections were less politicised than in the pre-war era, with more candidates being elected without any declared political affiliations. The non-political nature of the contests was emphasized by the traditionally Conservative Carmarthen Journal, which had long opposed the politicized nature of local authority elections.^[1] Other publications, however, included political affiliations in their coverage of the results.^[2]^[3]

Boundary changes

There were no boundary changes.

Unopposed returns

22 of the 53 divisions were uncontested, with the majority of the unopposed returns being in the rural parts of the county.^[1]

Contested elections

A greater proportion of the sitting members were challenged than had been the case in most pre-war contests and a number of prominent members were defeated including Mervyn Peel, former Conservative candidate for East Carmarthenshire, at Llangadog. In Carmarthen, the Rev. Andrew Fuller Mills was defeated by an ex-serviceman.^[1]

In Llanelli, D.C. Parry, a Liberal member of the Council since its formation, was defeated by Gwendoline Trubshaw, who received the support of the Discharged and Demobilised Soldiers' and Sailors' Association.^[2]

Other contests in Llanelli town and in the surrounding areas saw significant support for the Labour party, which captured a number of seats, building on the strong result achieved by Dr J.H. Williams at the General Election the previous year.

In some cases there is an ambiguity in the sources over the party affiliations and this is explained below in relation to individual ward contests where relevant.

Retiring aldermen

The aldermen who retired at the election were

Summary of results

This section summarises the detailed results which are noted in the following sections. As noted, there was ambiguity in some cases over the party affiliation.

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

Carmarthesnhire County Council 1919: elected members
Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal
	Conservative
	Labour
	Independent

Carmarthenshire County Council 1919 : following election of new aldermen
Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal
	Conservative
	Labour
	Independent

Carmarthenshire County Council 1919 : following election of new aldermen and by-elections
Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal
	Conservative
	Labour
	Independent

Ward results

Abergwili

Abergwili 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	John Griffiths*	321
	Conservative	William Williams	305
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Ammanford

Ammanford 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Progressive	John Griffiths	969
	Labour	Thomas Evans	432
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Bettws

Bettws 1910
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Tom Morris*	unopposed
	Liberal	Henry Folland	285
	Liberal	Arthur Williams	142
Majority			218
	Labour hold		Swing

Caio

Caio 1919
Party	Candidate	Votes
	M. Davies	294
	Isaac Williams	255
Majority

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Lower Division)

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Lower Division) 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	David Denzil Harries*	unopposed
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Upper Division)

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Upper Division) 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Ex-Soldier	Percy James Williams	375
	Liberal	Andrew Fuller-Mills*	341
Majority
	Other parties gain from Liberal

Carmarthen Western Ward (Lower Division)

Carmarthen Western Ward (Lower Division) 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	H.S. Holmes*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Carmarthen Western Ward (Upper Division)

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Lower Division) 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Lewis	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Cenarth

Cenarth 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		D.C. Lloyd	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Cilycwm

Cilycwm 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Ivor Elystan Campbell-Davys	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Conwil

Conwil 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Thomas Phillips*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Kidwelly

Kidwelly 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Alfred Stephens*	574
	Labour	William Lewis Williams	277
Majority
	Conservative hold		Swing

Laugharne

Laugharne 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
		T.S.K. Morse	unpopposed
Majority			39
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Llanarthney

Llanarthney 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	W. Jones Thomas*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanboidy

Llanboidy 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
			unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llandebie

Llandebie 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	David Davies*	808
	Labour	John Davies	601
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llandilo Rural

Llandilo Rural 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	L.N. Powell*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llandilo Urban

Lord Dynevor captured the seat previously held by J. Towyn Jones MP.

Llandilo Urban 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Lord Dynevor	440
	Liberal	John Stephens	186
Majority
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Llandovery

Llandovery 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	Harry Vaughan Watkins	363
	Independent	J.C. Vaughan Pryse-Rice*	191
Majority
	Liberal gain from Independent		Swing

Llandyssilio

Llandyssilio 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal		unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanedy

Llanedy 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	T.J. Parry-Jones	591
	Independent	David Evans	367
	Independent	John White	230
Majority
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing

Llanegwad

Llanegwad 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Delme Davies-Evans*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanelly Division.1

Llanelly Division.1 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Lady Howard*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 2

Llanelly Division 2 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William David*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 3

Llanelly Division 3 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	J.R. Jones	311
	Conservative	T.P. Jones*	228
Majority
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing

Llanelly Division 4

Llanelly Division 4 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	John Thomas*	472
	Labour	Tom Charles	390
	Independent	Brinley Jones	162
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 5

Llanelly Division 5 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Gwen Trubshaw	434
	Liberal	D.C. Parry*	189
Majority
	Independent gain from Liberal		Swing

Llanelly Division 6

In pre-war contests, Joseph Roberts had stood as a Labour candidate.

Llanelly Division 6 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	T. Williams	423
	Liberal	Joseph Roberts*	416
Majority
	Labour hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 7

Llanelly Division 7 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Hugh Jones*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 8

Llanelly Division 8 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	H.W. Bowen	429
	Liberal	D.W. Jones	248
	Independent	Alicia Phillips	49
Majority
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing

Llanelly Rural, Berwick

Llanelly Rural, Berwick 1913
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	David Harry*	589
	Labour	Thomas Jenkins	272
Majority			317
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Rural, Hengoed

Llanelly Rural, Hengoed 1913
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	David John*	392
	Labour	Joseph Howells	338
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Rural, Westfa and Glyn

Llanelly Rural, Westfa and Glyn 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	William Jones	383
	Independent	David John Lloyd	214
	Independent	J. Rees Humphries	163
Majority
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing

Llanfihangel Aberbythick

Thomas Thomas received the support of the Trades and Labour Council. However, he was regarded as a Liberal candidate in most quarters.

Llanfihangel Aberbythick 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	Thomas Thomas	340
	Liberal	William Harris*	250
		J.T. Stephens	72
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Thomas Rees Jones	389
	Liberal	T. Lloyd Jones	314
Majority			75
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llangadock

Llangadock 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	Walter Tudor Lewis	488
	Conservative	Mervyn Lloyd Peel*	248
Majority
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Llangeler

Llangeler 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Conservative	Henry Davies	570
	Liberal	Edward Teilo Owen	567
Majority			3
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llangendeirne

Llangendeirne 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	R.H. Jones	368
	Liberal	Thomas Jones	344
Majority			24
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llangennech

Llangennech 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	D.J. Jones*	481
	Labour	Philip Foster Owen	327
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llangunnor

Llangunnor 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	James Richards	287
	Liberal	T. Howell Davies*	275
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanon

Llanon 1913
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	William Greville*	621
	Labour	Rees Morgan	607
Majority			14
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llansawel

Llansawel 1913
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	James Hamlyn Williams Drummond*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llanstephan

Llanstephan 1913
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	G. Barrett Evans*	390
	Liberal	J.J. Bowen	229
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanybyther

Llanybyther 1913
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	Thomas Jones	334
	Liberal	Dr E. Jones	240
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Mothvey

Mothvey 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Davies*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Pembrey North

Pembrey North 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
		William Rogers	520
		E.T. Davies	368
Majority			152
	Liberal hold		Swing

Pembrey South

Pembrey South 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Henry Williams	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Quarter Bach

Quarter Bach 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Griffith Williams*	661
	Liberal	Gomer Harris	463
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Rhydcymmerai

Rhydcymmerai 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	D.E. Davies	234
	Liberal	R.L. Evans	230
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

St Clears

St Clears 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	W.R. Rogers*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

St Ishmael

St Ishmael 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	John Jones	304
	Liberal	Evan Bowen*	208
	Conservative	Robert B. Elliott	164
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Trelech

Trelech 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Philip Phillips*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Whitland

Whitland 1919
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Liberal	William Thomas*	502
		Peter Howells	137
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Election of aldermen

In addition to the 53 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 in each case).

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "County Council Elections. Surprises in Carmarthenshire". Carmarthen Journal. 14 March 1919. p. 3. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Three Lady Members. Returned for Carmarthenshire County Council". South Wales Weekly Post. 19 March 1919. p. 2. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
^ "Carmarthenshire County Council. Result of Contested Elections". Carmarthen Weekly Reporter. 14 March 1919. p. 4. Retrieved 23 October 2015.

[CJ_14-3-19_CarmsRes-1] "County Council Elections. Surprises in Carmarthenshire". Carmarthen Journal. 14 March 1919. p. 3. Retrieved 19 October 2015.

[SWWP_15-3-19_CarmsRes-2] "Three Lady Members. Returned for Carmarthenshire County Council". South Wales Weekly Post. 19 March 1919. p. 2. Retrieved 22 October 2015.

[CWR_14-3-19_Carms_res-3] "Carmarthenshire County Council. Result of Contested Elections". Carmarthen Weekly Reporter. 14 March 1919. p. 4. Retrieved 23 October 2015.

[1]

[2]

[3]