Carmarthen Borough Council was a Welsh municipal body created by the 1835 Municipal Corporations Act which, at that time, replaced the ancient borough that had existed since medieval times. The Council consisted of 24 members, eighteen of whom were elected councillors and the remaining six were aldermen. Councillors were elected on a triennial cycle, with a third of councillors retiring each year. Aldermen were elected for a six-year term, normally from within the council membership although retiring aldermen were often re-elected without facing a contest.
Prior to the First World War, municipal elections had occasionally been fought on a party basis but there was also a strong tradition of electing independent candidates.
1919 Carmarthen Borough Council election
editThe first municipal after the conclusion of the Great War saw a number of retiring members opposed by Trades and Labour Council candidates and also Ex-Servicemen. The two groups had formed an electoral pact to fight the election but that fell apart a month before the contest.[1] Nevertheless, representatives of both groups were successful at the expense of retiring members.[2]
Eastern Ward (three seats)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | D. King Morgan* | 1,147 | |||
Ex-Servicemen | E.F. Bidgood | 854 | |||
Independent | Oliver Jones* | 779 | |||
Labour | I.H. Morgan | 621 | |||
Independent | J.N. Williams* | 604 | |||
Labour | S.J. Jones | 495 |
Western Ward (four seats)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | H.S. Holmes* | 700 | |||
Labour | W.T. Jeffreys | 633 | |||
Labour | Richard Howells | 599 | |||
Independent | Thomas Davies* | 588 | |||
Ex-Serviceman | A.A. Baskerville | 587 | |||
Independent | E.J.V. Collier* | 553 |
1920 Carmarthen Borough Council election
editThe second municipal post-war contest was fought on party lines with supporters of the Lloyd George Coalition opposed by Labour candidates. In addition to the six councillors, three aldermen also retired, and this led to the defeat of the long-servong Walter Spurrell.[3]
Eastern Ward (three seats)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Independent | Lewis D. Thomas** | 1,077 | ||
C | Independent | Alfred Fuller-Mills | 969 | ||
Labour | W.J. Martin | 915 | |||
C | Independent | Walter Spurrell** | 863 |
Western Ward (three seats)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Independent | David Jones* | 932 | ||
C | Independent | Thomas Williams | 910 | ||
C | Independent | J.O. Morgan | 851 | ||
Labour | S.J. Jones | 312 |
By-elections
editFollowing the election of aldermen, by-elections were held. Walter Spurrell, rejected by the electors at the triennial election, was returned but retiring alderman W. Dunn Williams (who had not stood at the triennial election), was not returned.
Eastern Ward by-election (two seats)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Walter Spurrell | 894 | |||
Labour | M.T. Evans | 656 | |||
Labour | David Thomas | 646 | |||
Independent | W. Dunn Williams** | 615 |
Western Ward by-election (one seat)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Thomas Lloyd | 1,042 | |||
Labour | S.J. Jones | 432 |
1921 Carmarthen Borough Council election
editAs was the case the previous year, the local Liberal and Conservative association supported a joint slate of candidates and this resulted in the defeat of all five Labour candidates.[4]
Eastern Ward (three seats)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Independent | Thomas Lloyd* | 1,200 | ||
C | Independent | David John Davies* | 1,025 | ||
C | Independent | John Richards* | 964 | ||
Labour | Benjamin Edward Charles | 417 | |||
Labour | Henry David | 375 |
Western Ward (four seats)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Independent | David Williams* | 1,242 | ||
C | Independent | George Jones* | 965 | ||
C | Independent | Daniel Bartlett | 863 | ||
Labour | David Thomas | 715 | |||
Independent | John Jenkins* | 663 | |||
Labour | Henry Samuel Gregory | 357 |
1922 Carmarthen Borough Council election
editThe election was fought against the backdrop of the General Election which was called after the Conservatives withdrew support from the Lloyd George Coalition Government. However, the local Liberal and Conservative associations continued to adhere to their own coalition arrangement and dominated the election, with the Labour candidates and an Independent elected as an Ex-Servicemen in 1919 all defeated. Two former councillors regained seats in the Western Ward.[5]
Eastern Ward (three seats)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Independent | William Davies | 1,089 | ||
C | Independent | Walter Spurrell* | 892 | ||
C | Independent | Thomas Lewis | 889 | ||
Independent | E.F. Bidgood* | 738 | |||
Labour | David Thomas | 627 | |||
Labour | M.T. Evans* | 377 |
Western Ward (four seats)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Independent | Thomas Davies | 1,042 | ||
C | Independent | John Jenkins | 909 | ||
Ind. Conservative | H.S. Holmes* | 788 | |||
Labour | W.T. Jeffreys* | 615 | |||
Labour | Richard Howells* | 494 |
By-election
editIn September 1923, a by-election was held following the death of John Jenkins. John Phillips stood with the support of both Liberal and Conservative associations but the contest did not excite much interest, according to the local press.[6]
Western Ward (one seats)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Independent | John Phillips | 818 | ||
Labour | S.J. Jones | 633 | |||
Majority | 185 |
1923 Carmarthen Borough Council election
editFor the first time since the war there was no contest in the Eastern Ward.[7] The sole remaining Labour member, W.J. Martin, stood down after leaving Carmarthen for Bristol.[8] Labour canddates contested the Western Ward but all three were defeated by the retiring members who once again represented the continuing 'coalition' between the Liberal and Conseravtive associations.[9]
Eastern Ward (three seats)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | William Evans** | Unopposed | |||
Independent | Andrew Fuller-Mills* | Unopposed | |||
Independent | Lewis David Thomas* | Unopposed |
Western Ward (three seats)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Independent | John O. Morgan* | 1,210 | ||
C | Independent | Thomas Williams* | 1,015 | ||
C | Independent | David Jones* | 940 | ||
Labour | William T. Jeffreys | 556 | |||
Labour | Benjamin E. Charles | 548 | |||
Labour | Richard Howells | 442 |
By-elections
editAt the statutory meetying in November, Alfred Fuller-Mills, George Jones and Thomas Williams were elected aldermen, although there was no unanimity.[10] At the ensuing by-elections, Labour failed to hold the seat vacayed by W.J. Martin.[11]
Eastern Ward by-election (one seat)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Independent | J.B. Arthur | 884 | ||
Independent | George James Lewis | 791 | |||
Labour | David Thomas | 628 | |||
Independent | W.A. Evans | 472 |
Western Ward by-election (one seat)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Independent | John Crossman | 976 | ||
Labour | S.J. Jones | 581 |
1924 Carmarthen Borough Council election
editThe election proved to be another clean sweep for Independent candidates, five of whom were fielded by the continuing local coalition between the local Conservative and Liberal associations.[12]
Eastern Ward (three seats)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Independent | J. Arthur Jones* | 1,197 | ||
C | Independent | George James Lewis* | 1,108 | ||
Independent | Daniel Bartlett* | 1,103 | |||
Labour | David Owen | 469 | |||
Labour | David Thomas | 442 | |||
Labour | Ben Charles | 310 |
Western Ward (three seats)
editParty | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Independent | Thomas Lloyd* | 1,196 | ||
C | Independent | David John Davies* | 1,092 | ||
C | Independent | William Jones | 1,035 | ||
Labour | S.J. Jones | 666 |
References
edit- ^ "Carmarthen Municipal Election. Ex-Service Men Withdraw from Triple Alliance". Welshman. 10 November 1919. p. 6. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "Municipal Election. Labour Success at Carmarthen". Welshman. 7 November 1919. p. 5. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ "Municipal Elections". Carmarthen Journal. 5 November 1920.
- ^ "Municipal Elections". Carmarthen Journal. 4 November 1921.
- ^ "Carmarthen Municipal Election. Striking Coalition Success". Welshman. 10 November 1922. p. 5. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
- ^ "Bye-Election". Welshman. 14 September 1923. p. 5. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Municipal Election". Carmarthen Journal. 26 October 1923.
- ^ "Municipal Election". Carmarthen Journal. 5 October 1923.
- ^ "Municipal Elections. Labour Ousted in Carmarthen". Welshman. 9 November 1923. p. 6. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
- ^ "Carmarthen Town Council. Installation of New Mayor". Welshman. 16 November 1923. p. 3. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ "Carmarthen Municipal Bye-Election. Labour Lose Last Seat at Carmarthen". Welshman. 7 December 1923. p. 5. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ "Municipal Elections. Labour Defeated in Carmarthen". Welshman. 7 November 1924. p. 6. Retrieved 18 June 2024.