1907 Carmarthenshire County Council election

1907 Carmarthenshire County Council election

All 70 seats to Carmarthenshire County Council 36 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party Liberal Conservative Labour Last election 59/68 7/68 0/68 Seats before 59/68 7/68 1/68 Seats won 55/70 6/70 3/70 Councillors 38 6 3 Aldermen 17 0 0 Seats +/– 4 1 3   Fourth party Fifth party   Party Liberal Unionist Independent Last election 2/68 0/68 Seats before 2/68 0/68 Seats won 0/70 1/70 Councillors 0 6 Aldermen 0 0 Seats +/– 2 6
Council control after election Liberal Liberal Party

The seventh election to the Carmarthenshire County Council was held in March 1907.^[1] It was preceded by the 1904 election and followed by the 1910 election.

The Conservatives made a conscious attempt to contest far more seats than at recent elections in an election dominated by ongoing disputes over disestablishment. However, the Liberals retained a strong majority and many sitting members were returned unopposed.^[2]

There were minor boundary changes leading to the creation of two additional wards, namely Ammanford and Llandissilio. The new Ammanford ward, which comprised the urban district of Ammanford was created by the division of the Bettws Ward into two.^[3] Significant population growth had taken place in the eastern part of the county as a result of the growth of the anthracite coal trade but demands for further additional wards to be formed in the Llanelli district were rejected. The second new ward was at Llandissilio in the western part of the county, on the Pembrokeshire border. It was formed out of portions of the existing Whitland and Llanboidy wards.^[3] There was less unanimity in favour of the new Llandissilio ward than was the case at Ammanford, and there were suggestions that an additional rural ward was being created to counterbalance the new industrial ward at Ammanford. A proposal for a third new ward, at Newchurch on the outskirts of Carmarthen was rejected in due course.

As a result of these boundary changes, the Council included 53 elected members as opposed to 51 previously. The number of aldermen remained at 17.

The aldermen who retired at the election were

• John Bevan,
• Joseph Joseph,
• Sir Lewis Morris,
• Daniel Stephens,
• H J Thomas,
• Thomas Watkins,
• Joseph Mayberry,
• Augustus Brigstocke,

Eighteen wards were contested, compared with only six in 1904.

Four of those elected at the first election in 1889, and who had served continuously since then, sought re-election. Earl Cawdor, Sir James Drummond, C.E. Morris and D.C. Parry (Llanelli) were all returned unopposed.^[2]

While a small number of wards were hotly contested and the Conservatives made a small number of gains, their attempt to change the political composition of the council was unsuccessful.

In Llanarthney, a determined attempt was made to unseat Henry Jones-Davies, with allegations that the Conservative David Farr Davies, a colliery manager, was supported by some labour figures.^[1]

Abergwili 1907

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

New ward. Boundary change.

Ammanford 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Col. David Morris	349
	Liberal	D.J. Jones	281
Majority
	Liberal win (new seat)

Boundary change

Bettws 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Tom Morris	349
	Liberal	William Thomas	121
Majority
	Labour win (new seat)

Caio 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Sir James Hills-Johnes	234
	Liberal	T. Francis Jones*	182
Majority
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Brigstocke contested previous elections as a Conservative.

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Lower Division) 1907

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

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Upper Division) 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev Andrew Fuller-Mills*	247
		Thomas Parke Jones	71
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Carmarthen Western Ward (Lower Division) 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Lewis*	161
	Conservative	P.R. Lewis	144
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Carmarthen Eastern Ward (Lower Division) 1907

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

Cenarth 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev D.D. Walters	unopposed
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Cilycwm 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rees Williams	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Conwil 1907

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

Kidwelly 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Samuel H. Anthony	283
	Conservative	Alfred Stephens*	263
Majority
	Conservative hold		Swing

Laugharne 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	W.H. Dempster	189
	Liberal	John D. Morse	187
Majority			2
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llanarthney 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Henry Jones-Davies*	313
	Independent	David Farr-Davies	261
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanboidy 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Evans	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llandebie 1907

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

Llandilo Rural 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	L.N. Powell	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Gwynne Hughes had now returned to the Liberal fold.

Llandilo Urban 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J.W. Gwynne Hughes*	unopposed
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing

Llandovery 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J.R. James*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Boundary Change

Llandyssilio 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Benjamin John	unopposed
	Liberal win (new seat)

Llanedy 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Ll. Thomas*	340
	Liberal	Griffith V. Davies	205
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanegwad 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Delme Davies-Evans	266
	Liberal	T. Lewis	224
Majority			42
	Independent gain from Liberal		Swing

Griffiths described himself as an Unionist in 1904

Llanelly Division 1 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W. Griffiths	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 2 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Simlett	unopposed
	Labour gain from Liberal		Swing

Llanelly Division 3 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William David*	260
	Labour	Colwyn Morgan	53
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 4 1907

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

Llanelly Division 5 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	D.C. Parry*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 6 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Joseph Roberts*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 7 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	R.A. Nevill	unopposed
	Independent gain from Liberal		Swing

Llanelly Division 8 1907

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

Llanelly Rural, Berwick 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Harry	199
	Liberal	H.J. Hopkins	161
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Rural, Hengoed 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	W.B. Jones	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanelly Rural, Westfa and Glyn 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev Benjamin Humphreys	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanfihangel Aberbythick 1907

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

The sitting member was elected on the casting vote of the returning officer.^[1]

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Barrett*	206
	Conservative	Thomas Rees Jones	206
Majority			0
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llangadock 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mervyn Lloyd Peel	245
	Liberal	William Davies*	235
Majority			10
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Llangeler 1907

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

Llangendeirne 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev R.H. Jones	237
	Independent	Thomas Davies	175
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llangennech 1907

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

Llangunnor 1907

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

Llanon 1907

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

Llansawel 1907

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

Llanstephan 1907

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

Williams had been elected as a Conservative in 1904.

Llanybyther 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Williams	234
	Liberal hold		Swing

Mothvey 1907

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

Pembrey North 1907

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

Pembrey South 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	George Eynon Bowen	368
	Liberal	Richard Thomas Hammond*	296
Majority
	Independent gain from Liberal		Swing

Quarter Bach 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	W.J. Williams	389
	Liberal	Gwilym Vaughan	277
Majority
	Liberal hold		Swing

Rhydcymmerai 1907

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

St Clears 1907

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

St Ishmael 1907

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

Trelech 1907

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

Whitland 1907

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Dr R.L. Thomas	226
	Liberal	John Scourfield*	167
Majority
	Independent gain from Liberal		Swing

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 in each case).