1894 Carmarthen Rural District Council election

The first election to the Carmarthen Rural District Council in Carmarthenshire, Wales was held in December 1894.[1] It was followed by the 1898 election. The successful candidates were also elected to the Carmarthen Board of Guardians. In rural parishes, many councillors were returned unopposed.[2]

The rural district included the parishes of Abergwili, Abernant, Cynwyl Elfed, Laugharne, Llanarthney, Llanddarog, Llandyfaelog, Llanddowror, Llanfihangel Abercowyn, Llangain, Llangyndeyrn, Llangynog (with Llandeilo Abercywyn), Llangynin, Llangunnor, Llanllawddog, Llanpumsaint, Llansteffan, Llanwinio, Merthyr, Meidrym, Newchurch, St Clears, St Ishmaels, and Trelech a'r Betws.

Outcome

The majority of those elected to the first Rural District Council were farmers. Women were eligible to stand in contests for district councils, and in St Ishmaels, Elizabeth Mary Gwyn was successful by a small majority. Political affiliations were generally not declared during the election.

Due to "a curious blunder" no councillor was elected to represent the Llandawke and Llansadurnen ward.[3]

The 1894-98 Council

The first meeting of the authority took place at the Shire Hall, Carmarthen on 29 December 1894. A vote was taken to elect a chairman, and John Phillips of Caerlleon, Llanwinio defeated David E. Stephens by sixteen votes to ten.[3] Phillips was a prominent Liberal who was also a member of Carmarthenshire County Council.[4] Stephens, in contrast, had stood unsuccessfully in county elections at Llangunnor in 1889 and Cynwyl Elfed in 1892.

Ward Results

Abergwili (two seats)
Abergwili 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent John Griffiths 195
Independent David Davies 146
Independent David Harries Davies 122
Independent E.H. Francis 111
Independent win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)

Abernant (one seat)
Abernant 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Bowen Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)

Conwil (two seats)
Conwil 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Griffiths Unopposed
Independent David Thomas Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)

Laugharne Parish (one seat)
Laugharne Parish 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent John Rees John Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)

Laugharne Township (one seat)

Morse withdrew too late to avoid a poll.[1]

Laugharne Township 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent William Thomas 120
Independent John D. Morse 8
Independent win (new seat)

Llanarthney (two seats)
Llanarthney 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Stephen Stephens Unopposed
Independent William Thomas Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)

Llandawke and Llansadurnen (one seat)

No nominations were received.[3]

Llanddarog (one seat)
Llanddarog 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent John Davies Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)

Llandeilo Abercowyn and Llangynog (one seat)
Llandeilo Abercowyn and Llangynog 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Harries Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)

Llanddowror (one seat)
Llanddowror 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Rev Thomas Jones Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)

Llandyfaelog (one seat)

It was reported that the contest had been instigated after Rees defeated the local Independent minister, Evan Powell, at a parish meeting.[1]

Llandyfaelog 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Thomas Rees 127
Independent John Jones 49
Independent hold Swing

Llanfihangel Abercowin (one seat)
Llanfihangel Abercowin 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Thomas 65
Independent David Walters 48
Independent win (new seat)

Llangain (one seat)
Llangain 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent John Lloyd Thomas Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)

Llangendeirne (two seats)
Llangendeirne 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent William Thomas Unopposed
Independent Thomas Williams Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)
Independent win (new seat)

Llangunnor (one seat)
Llangunnor 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Prosser Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)

Llangynin (one seat)
Llangynin 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Roger Davies
Independent John Thomas Williams
Independent win (new seat)

Llanllawddog (one seat)
Llanllawddog 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Evan Daniel Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)

Llanpumsaint (one seat)
Llanpumsaint 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Evans 87
Independent Henry Harries
Independent John Richards
Independent win (new seat)

Llanstephan (one seat)
Llanstephan 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Griffith Barrett Evans Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)

Llanwinio (one seat)
Llanwinio 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent John Phillips Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)

Merthyr (one seat)
Merthyr 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Evans Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)

Mydrim (one seat)
Mydrim 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Howell Davies Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)

Newchurch (one seat)
Newchurch 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Evan Stephens Unopposed
Independent win (new seat)

St Clears (one seat)
St Clears 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Philip Thomas 114
Independent Thomas Beynon 55
Independent win (new seat)

St Ishmaels (one seat)
St Ishmaels 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Elizabeth Mary Gwyn 98
Independent William Thomas 95
Independent win (new seat)

Carmarthen Board of Guardians

All members of the District Council also served as members of Carmarthen Board of Guardians. In addition, six members were elected to represent the borough of Carmarthen.[1] Edith Hancock was a member of a prominent Carmarthen family, being the daughter of David Archard Williams, incumbent of St David's Church for 37 years until his death in 1879

Carmarthen (six seats)
Carmarthen 1894
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Edith Mary Hancock 892
Independent Jonah Davies 752
Independent Jonathan Phillips 705
Independent Isobel Gertrude Anne Thomas 692
Independent William Thomas 596
Independent Thomas Thomas 550
Independent Edward Lewis 550
Independent John Patagonia Lewis 509
Independent D. Parcell Rees 489
Independent James Phillips 396
Independent John Lewis 371
Independent Walter Jenkin Evans 274
Independent Andrew Fuller-Mills 269
Independent John Jeremy 135
Independent hold Swing
Independent hold Swing
Independent hold Swing
Independent hold Swing
Independent hold Swing
Independent hold Swing

References
  1. "The Contested Elections". Carmarthen Journal. 21 December 1894. p. 8. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  2. "Parish and District Councils. Further Lists of Nominations". South Wales Daily News. 10 December 1894. p. 6. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  3. "Carmarthen Rural District Council". Welshman. 4 January 1895. p. 8. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  4. "Mr John Phillips, Caerlleon". Carmarthen Weekly Reporter. 28 March 1913. p. 5. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.