1919 Carmarthenshire County Council election

An election to the Carmarthenshire County Council was held in March 1919. 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. Other publications, however, included political affiliations in their coverage of the results.

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.

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.

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.

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	%	±%
	Liberal	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	%	±%
	Liberal	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	%	±%
	Liberal	T.S.K. Morse
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	%	±%
	Liberal		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 1919

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 1919

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	N/A	N/A
	Labour hold

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.

The following aldermen stood down at the election. None of them stood at the election and were re-elected at the statutory meeting. Labour councillor Dr J.H. Williams gave notice that he would propose that, in future, all aldermen should seek re-election to the Council before retaining their seats on the aldermanic bench.

• Rev William Davies, Llandeilo
• David Evans, Whitland
• William Griffiths, Llanelli
• Thomas Jones, Llanelli
• W.N. Jones, Ammanford
• Rev E.B. Lloyd, Bwlchnewydd
• John Lloyd, Abegwili
• James Phillips, St Clears
• J. Lloyd Thomas, Feryside