1894–1913 Llanelly Urban District Council elections

The Municipal Borough of Llanelly was an urban district in Carmarthenshire between 1894 and 1913 when it received full borough status.

1894 election

The first election was held in December 1894.^[1]

Ward One

Ward One 1894
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ernest Trubshaw	982
		J. Hammond	808
		John Griffiths	807
		Tom Hughes	764
		J. Mayberry	592
		D.W. Rees	554
		H.J. Howell	513
		J. Samuel	402
		W.J. Wilson	332

Ward Two

Ward Two 1894
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		F.C. Thompson	769
		John Hopkins	643
		J.D. Guest	643
		W.W. Brodie	631
		J.A. Jones	612
		Ellis Evans	503
		Joseph Williams	475
		W. Hughes	333
		W. Davies	273
		J. Harries	259

Ward Three

Ward Three 1894
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		William Howell	412
		J.S. Tregoning	347
		Owen Charles	333
		David Thomas	330
		Evan Jones	316
		John Thomas	281
		W. Stone	278
		John Bourne	272
		H.J. Howell	238
		David Paton	233
		David Francis	205

1896 election

At the second election in March 1896, only one ward was contested.^[2] One of the sitting members was defeated.^[3]

Ward One

Ward One 1896
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		J. Mayberry*	Unopposed
		D.W. Rees*	Unopposed

Ward Two

Ward Two 1896
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ellis Evans*	Unopposed
		David James	Unopposed

Ward Three

Ward Three 1896
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Thomas*	428
		Joseph Williams	345
		Evan Jones*	316

1897 election

The third election was held in April 1897 and three of the retiring members lost their seats.^[4] In Ward 3 it was suggested that denominational factors played a part as the two successful candidates were Baptists while he defeated candidates were Congregationalists.^[5]

Ward One

Ward One 1897
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Tom Hughes*	753
		John Griffiths*	673
		G.F. Blake	265

Ward Two

Ward Two 1897
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Arthur H. Davies	730
		W. Knoyle	390
		W.W. Brodie*	331

Ward Three

Ward Three 1897
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Josiah Davies	374
		W. Coombs	238
		Owen Charles*	237
		David Thomas*	186

1898 election

At the fourth election in April 1898, only one ward was contested as had happened two years previously.^[6] In Ward 3, David Thomas narrowly failed to regain the seat he lost the previous year.^[7]

Ward One

Ward One 1898
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		James Hammond*	Unopposed
		Ernest Trubshaw*	Unopposed

Ward Two

Ward Two 1898
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Herbert Francis	Unopposed
		John Hopkins*	Unopposed

Ward Three

Ward Three 1898
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Daniel Williams	371
		John S. Tregoning jnr.*	350
		David Thomas	346

1899 election

At the fifth election in March 1899, only one Ward 2, where the two sitting members stood down, was contested.^[8] The result in Ward 2 was decisive.^[9]

Ward One

Ward One 1899
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		J. Mayberry*	Unopposed
		J. Allen Williams*	Unopposed

Ward Two

Ward Two 1899
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Frank Vivian	897
		William Wilkins	625
		David Harries	335
		D. Rees Edmunds	261

Ward Three

Ward Three 1899
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Thomas*	Unopposed
		Joseph Williams*	Unopposed

1900 election

The sixth election was held in April 1900 with two of the three seats being contested.^[10] The local Trades and Labour Council ran a candidate, successfully, in Ward 2, although the candidacy was strongly opposed by the Llanelly Mercury, whose editor W.B. Jones had himself been mentioned as a possible labour candidate.^[11]

Ward One

Ward One 1900
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Tom Hughes*	Unopposed
		John Griffiths*	Unopposed

Ward Two

Ward Two 1900
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	D.J. Davies	731
	Jeremiah Williams	678
	W. Knoyle*	361

Ward Three

Ward Three 1900
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Josiah Davies*	277
		Evan Jones	254
		David Thomas	208
		W. Coombs*	205

1901 election

At the seventh election in March 1901, two wards were contested, and in Ward 2, the editor of the Llanelly Mercury, whose candidacy had been canvassed the previous year, captured one of the seats.^[12]

Ward One

Ward One 1901
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		D. Rees Edmunds	Unopposed
		Ernest Trubshaw*	Unopposed

Ward Two

Ward Two 1901
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		W.B. Jones	705
		Daniel Williams*	630
		John Hopkins*	559

Ward Three

Ward Three 1901
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John S. Tregoning jnr.*	449
		David Thomas	432
		Collwyn Morgan	256

1902 election

The eighth election, held in 1902, was the first occasion upon which all wards were uncontested.^[13] W. Bramwell Jones was elected to the seat vacated by the death of John Allen Williams, editor of the Llanelly Guardian.

Ward One

Ward One 1902
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Joseph Mayberry*	Unopposed
		William Wilkins*	Unopposed

Ward Two

Ward Two 1902
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		W. Bramwell Jones	Unopposed
		Frank G. Vivian*	Unopposed

Ward Three

Ward Three 1902
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Thomas*	Unopposed
		Joseph Williams*	Unopposed

1903 election

The ninth election, held in April 1903 saw a contest in one of the three wards.^[14] Two retiring members, namely John Griffiths (Ward 1) and Jeremiah Williams (Ward 2), both died shortly before the election.^[15] In Ward 3, the two official Liberal candidates prevailed.^[16]

Ward One

Ward One 1903
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Tom Hughes*	Unopposed
		E.T. Jones	Unopposed

Ward Two

Ward Two 1903
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D. James Davies	Unopposed
		Ellis Evans	Unopposed

Ward Three

Ward Three 1903
	Candidate	Votes
Liberal	S.H. Bevan	492
Liberal	William Eynon	463
Labour	Evan Jones*	334
Conservative	Nathan Griffiths	149

1904 election

At the tenth election in 1904, there were contests in Wards 1 and 2. Ernest Trubshaw, a member since the beginning, did not seek re-election while D.R. Edmunds switched from Ward 1 to Ward 2, where the editor of the Mercury, W.B. Jons, lost his seat.^[17] In Ward 3, John S. Tregoning jnr., a member of the council since its formation was one of two candidates returned unopposed.^[18]

Ward One

Ward One 1904
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Richard Guest	642
		William David	520
		D.R. Williams	372

Ward Two

Ward Two 1904
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		D.R. Edmunds*	680
		John John	608
		W.B. Jones*	596

Ward Three

Ward Three 1904
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Herbert D. Rees	Unopposed
		John S. Tregoning jnr.*	Unopposed

1905 election

The eleventh election was held in 1905, with the members in two wards being returned unopposed.^[19] In Ward 1, Joseph Maybery, a member of the Council since it was established, stood down at the last moment and the seat was won by a Trades and Labour Council candidate.^[20]

Ward One

Ward One 1905
	Candidate	Votes
	William Wilkins*	660
Labour	John Simlett	518
	Aaron Stone	341

Ward Two

Ward Two 1905
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		W. Bramwell Jones*	Unopposed
		Frank G. Vivian*	Unopposed

Ward Three

Ward Three 1905
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Thomas*	Unopposed
		Joseph Williams*	Unopposed

1906 election

The twelfth election, held in April 1906 saw contests in all three wards.^[21]

Ward One

Ward One 1906
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		E.T. Jones*	812
		Joseph Roberts	494
		G. Mercer	434
		W.T. Davies	374

Ward Two

Ward Two 1906
	Candidate	Votes
	William Thomas	836
Labour	D. James Davies	753
	T. Harries	415

Ward Three

Ward Three 1906
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		S.H. Bevan*	447
		Nathan Griffiths	390
		William Eynon*	383

1907 election

The thirteenth elections saw contest in all wards and J.S. Tregoning, a member of the Council since its formation, lost his seat.^[22]

Ward One

Ward One 1907
	Candidate	Votes
Liberal	William David*	749
Labour	William Roberts	719
Liberal	Richard Guest*	562
Conservative	G. Mercer	527
Independent	Philip Williams	417
Labour	James Evans	64

Ward Two

Ward Two 1907
	Candidate	Votes
Liberal	D.R. Edmunds*	738
Liberal	D.R. Jones	704
Liberal	David Phillips	596
Labour	J. Rossiter	329

Ward Three

Ward Three 1907
	Candidate	Votes
Liberal	Herbert D. Rees*	686
Labour	Evan Evans	399
Conservative	John S. Tregoning jnr.*	359

1908 election

The fourteenth election saw contests in two wards.^[23]

Ward One

Ward One 1908
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Richard Guest*	Unopposed
	Labour	John Simlett	Unopposed

Ward Two

Ward Two 1908
	Candidate	Votes
Liberal	Frank G. Vivian*	945
Liberal	W. Bramwell Jones*	909
Labour	Edward Sherlock	484
Independent	Philip Williams	342

Ward Three

Ward Three 1908
	Candidate	Votes
Liberal	J. Walter Thomas	467
Liberal	Joseph Williams*	Unopposed
Independent	J.L. Jones	352
Labour	W. Scott	184

1909 election

The fifteenth election, held in April 1909 saw contests in Wards 2 and 3.^[24] Two sitting members lost their seats.^[25]

Ward One

Ward One 1909
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		E.T. Jones*	Unopposed
		Joseph Roberts*	Unopposed

Ward Two

Ward Two 1909
	Candidate	Votes
	Thomas Jones	979
Labour	D. James Davies*	745
	T. Harries*	699

Ward Three

Ward Three 1909
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Nathan Griffiths*	474
		John Smith	468
		John L. Jones	328
		S.H. Bevan*	308

1910 Llanelly Urban District Council election

All three wards were contested, and a bitter fight in Ward One where it was claimed that William David had been subject to unfair criticisms..^[26]

Ward One

Ward One 1910
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	William Vivian	841
Labour	W.H. Samuel	747
Labour	William Roberts	558
Liberal	William David*	393

Ward Two

Ward Two 1910
	Candidate	Votes
Liberal	D.R. Jones*	1,007
Liberal	E. Willis Jones	870
Labour	G.H. Stacey	767

Ward Three

Ward Three 1910
	Candidate	Votes
Liberal	Herbert D. Rees*	612
Liberal	Charles Randall	537
Labour	Evan Evans*	366
Conservative	J. Vaughan Evans	114

1911 Llanelly Urban District Council election

All three wards were contested. John Simlett held his seat for Labour in Ward one but the other Labour candidates were unsuccessful. The main surprise was the defeat of J. Walter Thomas in Ward Three.^[27]

Ward One

Ward One 1911
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	John Simlett	864
Independent	Roland P. Thomas	812
Independent	Arthur Evans	416

Ward Two

Ward Two 1911
	Candidate	Votes
Liberal	W. Bramwell Jones*	887
Liberal	Frank G. Vivian*	868
Labour	G.H. Stacey	574

Ward Three

Ward Three 1911
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	David Richards	468
Independent	J.L. Jones	358
Liberal	J. Walter Thomas*	329
Labour	G. James	156

1912 Llanelly Urban District Council election

All three wards were contested and a heavy poll was expeted owing to workmen being on strike.^[28] Five of the six members seeking re-election were successful.^[29]

Ward One

Ward One 1912
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Joseph Roberts*	849
	E.T. Jones*	783
	W.T. Davies	758

Ward Two

Ward Two 1912
	Candidate	Votes
	Thomas Jones*	1,189
Labour	D.J. Jones*	787
	Sam Jones	651
	J. Vaughan Evans	277

Ward Three

Ward Three 1912
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Nathan Griffiths*	483
		J. Walter Thomas	479
		John Waters	430
		John Smith*	210

1913 Llanelly Urban District Council election

In the final election before the incorporation of Llanelli as a municipal borough, there were contested elections in Ward One, where there were three vacancies following the death of E.T. Jones, and in Ward Two. In Ward Three, Labour gained a seat unopposed after sitting member Charles Randall stood down.^[30] The contested election saw the loss of one labour seat in Ward One.^[31]

Ward One

Ward One 1913
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	W.H. Samuel*	1,004
Independent	W.T. Davies	814
Independent	Gwilym R. Price	810
Labour	W. Vivian*	603
Independent	J.P. Hughes	547

Ward Two

Ward Two 1913
	Candidate	Votes
Liberal	E. Willis Jones*	920
Liberal	D.R. Jones*	844
Labour	Sam Jones	706
Independent	T. Hay Samuel	88

Ward Three

Ward Three 1913
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Herbert D. Rees*	Unopposed
	Labour	Morgan Morgan	Unopposed

References

^ "The New Council". Llanelly Mercury. 20 December 1894. p. 6. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
^ "Borough Council Election". Llanelly Mercury. 26 March 1896. p. 5. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
^ "Borough Council Election". Llanelly Mercury. 2 April 1896. p. 2. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
^ "Borough Council Election". Llanelly and County Guardian. 8 April 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
^ "The Borough Council Election [editorial]". Llanelly and County Guardian. 8 April 1897. p. 2. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
^ "Llanelly Borough Council Election". South Wales Daily Post. 4 April 1898. p. 3. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
^ "Llanelly Elections". South Wales Daily Post. 7 April 1898. p. 3. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
^ "Borough Council. The Annual Election". Llanelly Mercury. 16 March 1899. p. 5. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "The Election". Llanelly Mercury. 30 March 1899. p. 5. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "District Council Elections". Western Mail. 4 April 1900. p. 7. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
^ "Political Inconsistency (editorial)". Llanelly Mercury. 29 March 1900. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
^ "The Elections. Heavy Polling. Full List of Results". Llanelly Mercury. 28 March 1901. p. 5. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
^ "The Urban Election (editorial)". Llanelly Mercury. 27 March 1902. p. 5. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
^ "The Election". Llanelly Mercury. 26 March 1903. p. 5. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
^ "The Elections (editorial)". Llanelly Mercury. 26 March 1903. p. 5. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
^ "District Council Election". Llanelly Mercury. 9 April 1903. p. 5. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
^ "Elections. Polling Results". Llanelly Mercury. 31 March 1904. p. 5. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
^ "Elections". Llanelly Mercury. 17 March 1904. p. 5. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
^ "The Borough Election (editorial)". Llanelly Mercury. 23 March 1905. p. 5. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
^ "The Council Election [editorial]". Llanelly Mercury. 6 April 1905. p. 4. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
^ "The Election. Result of the Poll". Llanelly Mercury. 5 April 1906. p. 5. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
^ "The Elections". Llanelly Mercury. 28 March 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
^ "Urban Council Election. Old Members Returned". Llanelly Mercury. 9 April 1908. p. 5. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
^ "Urban Council Nominations. Keen Contests Anticipated". Llanelly Mercury. 25 March 1909. p. 5. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
^ "Council Elections. Two New Members Elected". Llanelly Mercury. 8 April 1909. p. 5. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
^ "The Elections". Llanelly Mercury. 7 April 1910. p. 6. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
^ "Urban Council Elections. A Big Surprise. Labour Candidates Defeated". Llanelly and County Guardian. 30 March 1911. p. 3. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
^ "Polling on Monday. Contests in the Three Wards. Heavy Poll Expected". Llanelly Star. 30 March 1912. p. 1. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
^ "District Council Elections". Herald of Wales. 6 April 1912. p. 12. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
^ "The Election. Urban Council". Llanelly Star. 15 March 1913. p. 3. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
^ "Local Elections. Result of the Pollings". Herald of Wales. 12 April 1913. p. 10. Retrieved 3 October 2024.

[LM_20-12-94-1] "The New Council". Llanelly Mercury. 20 December 1894. p. 6. Retrieved 2 April 2021.

[LM_26-3-96-2] "Borough Council Election". Llanelly Mercury. 26 March 1896. p. 5. Retrieved 27 April 2021.

[LM_2-4-96-3] "Borough Council Election". Llanelly Mercury. 2 April 1896. p. 2. Retrieved 27 April 2021.

[LCG_8-4-97-4] "Borough Council Election". Llanelly and County Guardian. 8 April 1897. p. 3. Retrieved 28 April 2021.

[LCG_8-4-97_edit-5] "The Borough Council Election [editorial]". Llanelly and County Guardian. 8 April 1897. p. 2. Retrieved 30 April 2021.

[SWDP_4-4-98-6] "Llanelly Borough Council Election". South Wales Daily Post. 4 April 1898. p. 3. Retrieved 28 April 2021.

[SWDP_7-4-98-7] "Llanelly Elections". South Wales Daily Post. 7 April 1898. p. 3. Retrieved 28 April 2021.

[LM_16-3-99-8] "Borough Council. The Annual Election". Llanelly Mercury. 16 March 1899. p. 5. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[LM_30-3-96-9] "The Election". Llanelly Mercury. 30 March 1899. p. 5. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[WM4-4-00-10] "District Council Elections". Western Mail. 4 April 1900. p. 7. Retrieved 4 May 2021.

[LM_29-3-00_edit-11] "Political Inconsistency (editorial)". Llanelly Mercury. 29 March 1900. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 4 May 2021.

[LM_28-3-01-12] "The Elections. Heavy Polling. Full List of Results". Llanelly Mercury. 28 March 1901. p. 5. Retrieved 6 May 2021.

[LM_27-3-02-13] "The Urban Election (editorial)". Llanelly Mercury. 27 March 1902. p. 5. Retrieved 6 May 2021.

[LM_26-3-03_noms-14] "The Election". Llanelly Mercury. 26 March 1903. p. 5. Retrieved 10 May 2021.

[LM_26-3-03_edit-15] "The Elections (editorial)". Llanelly Mercury. 26 March 1903. p. 5. Retrieved 10 May 2021.

[LM_9-3-03-16] "District Council Election". Llanelly Mercury. 9 April 1903. p. 5. Retrieved 10 May 2021.

[LM_31-3-04-17] "Elections. Polling Results". Llanelly Mercury. 31 March 1904. p. 5. Retrieved 20 May 2021.

[LM_17-3-04_noms-18] "Elections". Llanelly Mercury. 17 March 1904. p. 5. Retrieved 20 May 2021.

[LM_23-3-05-19] "The Borough Election (editorial)". Llanelly Mercury. 23 March 1905. p. 5. Retrieved 23 May 2021.

[LM_6-4-05_edit-20] "The Council Election [editorial]". Llanelly Mercury. 6 April 1905. p. 4. Retrieved 23 May 2021.

[LM_5-4-06_results-21] "The Election. Result of the Poll". Llanelly Mercury. 5 April 1906. p. 5. Retrieved 26 May 2021.

[LM_28-3-07_results-22] "The Elections". Llanelly Mercury. 28 March 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 27 May 2021.

[LM_9-4-08-23] "Urban Council Election. Old Members Returned". Llanelly Mercury. 9 April 1908. p. 5. Retrieved 28 May 2021.

[LM_25-3-09-24] "Urban Council Nominations. Keen Contests Anticipated". Llanelly Mercury. 25 March 1909. p. 5. Retrieved 30 May 2021.

[LM_8-4-09-25] "Council Elections. Two New Members Elected". Llanelly Mercury. 8 April 1909. p. 5. Retrieved 6 June 2021.

[LM_7-4-10_results-26] "The Elections". Llanelly Mercury. 7 April 1910. p. 6. Retrieved 27 September 2024.

[LCG_30-3-119-4-08-27] "Urban Council Elections. A Big Surprise. Labour Candidates Defeated". Llanelly and County Guardian. 30 March 1911. p. 3. Retrieved 27 September 2024.

[LS_30-3-12-28] "Polling on Monday. Contests in the Three Wards. Heavy Poll Expected". Llanelly Star. 30 March 1912. p. 1. Retrieved 27 September 2024.

[HW_6-4-12-29] "District Council Elections". Herald of Wales. 6 April 1912. p. 12. Retrieved 27 September 2024.

[LS_15-3-13_noms-30] "The Election. Urban Council". Llanelly Star. 15 March 1913. p. 3. Retrieved 30 September 2024.

[HofW_12-4-13_res-31] "Local Elections. Result of the Pollings". Herald of Wales. 12 April 1913. p. 10. Retrieved 3 October 2024.

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