Ammanford Urban District Council was a former local authority in Carmarthenshire. It was established under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1894 in 1903 and comprised parts of the parishes of Llandybie and Betws. It was created specifically as a result of the rapid population growth in the town as a result of the expansion of the Welsh anthracite coalfield.
Ammanford Urban District Council comprised fifteen councillors including a chairman and, following the initial election of fifteen members a third of the council stood down annually. The council, like other urban districts, was responsible for sanitation, sewerage, housing, streets, cemeteries, libraries, parks, and the licensing of public entertainments. The council was administered by a number of committees and by officers including a Clerk and Medical Officer of Health.
The council was abolished in 1974 and Ammanford became part of Dinefwr Borough Council
Election Results
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1903 Election
editIn the first election, eight of the fifteen seats were won by labour candidates.[1]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D.J. Jones | 374 | ||||
| Erne Hewlett | 365 | ||||
| William Nathaniel Jones | 352 | ||||
| Labour | J. Morgan | 345 | |||
| Labour | John Davies | 327 | |||
| Lt-Col David Morris | 315 | ||||
| Labour | Evan Evans | 311 | |||
| Labour | Henry Davies | 302 | |||
| Samuel Callard | 300 | ||||
| William Jones | 285 | ||||
| Labour | David George | 270 | |||
| Labour | W. Rees | 263 | |||
| Labour | Thomas Fletcher | 255 | |||
| Labour | John Evan Jones | 246 | |||
| Labour | E. Jones | 241 | |||
| Labour | J. Cooper Davies | 223 | |||
| T.L. Davies | 201 | ||||
| D. Davies | 200 | ||||
| Evan Evans | 199 | ||||
| H. Lewis | 136 | ||||
| B.R. Evans | 124 | ||||
| John Harries | 123 | ||||
| H. Davies | 43 | ||||
Elected: D J Jones, ironmonger (I); 374 E Hewlett, colliery manager (I); 3G; W N Jones, auctioneer (I); 352 J Morgans, haulier (Lab), 345; John Davies shearer (Lab); 327 Lieut-Col D Morris (Ind), 315; E. Evans, checkweigher (Lab); 311 Henry Davies, carpenter (Lab); 302 S Callard. Chemical Works (I); 300 Wm Jones, draper (I); 285 D George, collier, (Lab), 270; W Rees, annealer (Lab), 263 T Fletcher, rollerman (Lab), 256 J E Jones, collier (Lab), 246; E Jones, shearer (Lab), 241.
Non-elected J Cooper Davies, engineer (Lab), 223 T L Davies, baker (I), 201 D Thomas, builder (I), 200; E Evans, chemist (I), 199; H Lewis, hotel keeper (I), 136; B R Evans, draper (I), 124; John Harries, inn keeper (I), 123 ; H. Davies, weaver (I), 43.
1904 Election
editFollowing the inaugural elections five labour candidates retired. two of them did not seek re-election and three of the five seats were won by Independent candidates.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Evans | 364 | ||||
| Labour | Thomas Fletcher* | 289 | |||
| George Roblin | 270 | ||||
| J.R. Watkins | 231 | ||||
| Labour | John Jones* | 213 | |||
| Labour | David George* | 198 | |||
| B.R. Evans | 197 | ||||
| J.C. Shaw | 175 | ||||
| J.C. Davies | 132 | ||||
| D. Thomas | 92 | ||||
| Y. Williams | 89 | ||||
| W. Hodges | 83 | ||||
1905 Election
editFour of the five retiring members were re-elected.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Morris* | 426 | ||||
| William Jones* | 359 | ||||
| Labour | Evan Evans* | 352 | |||
| Benjamin Richard Evans | 313 | ||||
| Labour | Henry Davies* | 288 | |||
| Labour | David George | 267 | |||
| Samuel Callard* | 197 | ||||
1906 Election
editD.J. Jones, who headed the poll at the first election in 1903 lost his seat.[4]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Jones* | 398 | ||||
| Erne Hewlett* | 378 | ||||
| Rev John Morgan* | 349 | ||||
| W.N. Jones* | 301 | ||||
| T.L. Davies | 286 | ||||
| T.G. Lewis | 231 | ||||
| D.J. Jones* | 226 | ||||
| Labour | J. Davies* | 219 | |||
1907 Election
editLabour candidates fared badly in this election.[5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Fletcher* | 453 | ||||
| William Evans* | 429 | ||||
| George Robling* | 421 | ||||
| E. James | 347 | ||||
| John Davies | 324 | ||||
| David Jones | 287 | ||||
| Labour | John Evan Jones | 236 | |||
| Labour | Thomas Evans | 152 | |||
| Labour | Jestyn Williams | 146 | |||
1908 Election
editDue to a vacancy, six candidates were returned at this election.[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Morris* | 562 | ||||
| Labour | Evan Evans* | 418 | |||
| David Jones* | 409 | ||||
| Rees Thomas | 384 | ||||
| Labour | John Henry Lawley | 269 | |||
| Labour | John Evan Jones | 263 | |||
1910 Election
editA closely fought election saw one of the leading members of the authority defeated.[7]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Evans* | 496 | ||||
| James Darbyshire | 471 | ||||
| Thomas Fletcher* | 471 | ||||
| George Robling* | 462 | ||||
| John Davies* | 392 | ||||
| William Nathaniel Jones* | 385 | ||||
| Labour | John Evan Jones | 378 | |||
1911 Election
editW.N. Jones regained his seat following a surprise defeat the previous year.[7]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Nathaniel Jones | 550 | ||||
| David Morris* | 525 | ||||
| Labour | Evan Evans* | 491 | |||
| David Jones* | 454 | ||||
| Labour | John Evan Jones | 426 | |||
| Labour | David George | 314 | |||
| George W. Davies | 207 | ||||
| John Lawley* | 191 | ||||
1912 Election
editFour of the five retiring members were returned.[7]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erne Hewlett* | 737 | ||||
| Rev John Morgan* | 564 | ||||
| Labour | John Harries* | 417 | |||
| B.R. Evans* | 402 | ||||
| Joseph Clutton Shaw | 374 | ||||
| J.L. Davies* | 339 | ||||
| Sam Roberts | 220 | ||||
| D.Ll.Lloyd | 194 | ||||
| George W. Davies | 192 | ||||
| Joseph Joseph | 117 | ||||
1913 Election
editIn a somewhat heated campaign three of the five sitting members were defeated.[7]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan Lewis | 536 | ||||
| James Darbyshire* | 495 | ||||
| Martin Davies | 444 | ||||
| William Evans* | 406 | ||||
| D. Griffiths Davies | 403 | ||||
| Thomas Fletcher* | 376 | ||||
| Labour | David George* | 360 | |||
| John Davies* | 341 | ||||
| B.W. Davies | 298 | ||||
| George W. Davies | 266 | ||||
| Arthur Rees | 5 | ||||
1914 Election
editAlthough fourteen candidates sought election for the five seats, the election was described as a quiet affair with no public meetings.[7]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Nathaniel Jones* | 595 | ||||
| David Jones* | 554 | ||||
| Labour | Evan Evans* | 438 | |||
| Thomas Fletcher | 436 | ||||
| John Davies | 343 | ||||
| W. Lock Smith | 342 | ||||
| Labour | David George* | 322 | |||
| Labour | John Evan Jones* | 281 | |||
| Morgan Thomas | 260 | ||||
| J.L. Williams | 259 | ||||
| Tom Evans | 222 | ||||
| Tom Grey | 212 | ||||
| Owen Madden | 155 | ||||
| Joseph Joseph | 115 | ||||
1919 Election
editElections were postponed during the war and the first post-war election was fiercely contested between Labour and non-Labour candidates. The latter won all the seats.[8]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Dawson | 1,124 | ||||
| Independent | Evan Lewis* | 1,022 | |||
| Independent | Thomas Lake | 1,022 | |||
| Independent | William Evans* | 912 | |||
| Independent | W. Lock Smith | 878 | |||
| Independent Labour | John Lawley | 733 | |||
| Labour | David George* | 728 | |||
| Labour | Samuel Waters | 655 | |||
| Labour | John Evan Jones* | 649 | |||
| Labour | Jeremiah Griffiths | 438 | |||
| Independent | Rees Taliesein Jones | 347 | |||
| David John Edwards | 307 | ||||
References
edit- ^ "Ammanford". Carmarthen Journal. 8 May 1903. p. 5. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- ^ "Ammanford". Carmarthen Journal. 1 April 1904. p. 8. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "District Council Elections". Welshman. 8 April 1905. p. 8. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ "West Wales Elections. Urban Council Pollings". Cambrian. 6 April 1906. p. 8. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
- ^ "Urban District Council Elections". Carmarthen Weekly Reporter. 29 March 1907. p. 3. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- ^ "Etholiadau". Tarian y Gweithiwr (in Welsh). 9 April 1908. p. 1. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Election Notes (editorial)". Amman Valley Chronicle. 9 April 1914. p. 4. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
- ^ "Local Election Results. Many Surprises". Amman Valley Chronicle. 10 April 1919. p. 4. Retrieved 3 November 2020.