# 1894 Carmarthen Rural District Council election

The first election to the Carmarthen Rural District Council in Carmarthenshire, Wales was held in December 1894. It was followed by the 1898 election. The successful candidates were also elected to the Carmarthen Board of Guardians. In rural parishes, many councillors were returned unopposed.
The rural district included the parishes of Abergwili, Abernant, Cynwyl Elfed, Laugharne, Llanarthney, Llanddarog, Llandyfaelog, Llanddowror, Llanfihangel Abercowyn, Llangain, Llangyndeyrn, Llangynog (with Llandeilo Abercywyn), Llangynin, Llangunnor, Llanllawddog, Llanpumsaint, Llansteffan, Llanwinio, Merthyr, Meidrym, Newchurch, St Clears, St Ishmaels, and Trelech a'r Betws.

## Outcome

The majority of those elected to the first Rural District Council were farmers. Women were eligible to stand in contests for district councils, and in St Ishmaels, Elizabeth Mary Gwyn was successful by a small majority. Political affiliations were generally not declared during the election.
Due to "a curious blunder" no councillor was elected to represent the Llandawke and Llansadurnen ward.

## The 1894-98 Council

The first meeting of the authority took place at the Shire Hall, Carmarthen on 29 December 1894. A vote was taken to elect a chairman, and John Phillips of Caerlleon, Llanwinio defeated David E. Stephens by sixteen votes to ten. Phillips was a prominent Liberal who was also a member of Carmarthenshire County Council. Stephens, in contrast, had stood unsuccessfully in county elections at Llangunnor in 1889 and Cynwyl Elfed in 1892.

## Ward Results
### Abergwili (two seats)

Abergwili 1894 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | John Griffiths | 195 | | |
| Independent | David Davies | 146 | | |
| Independent | David Harries Davies | 122 | | |
| Independent | E.H. Francis | 111 | | |
| Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |
| Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Abernant (one seat)

Abernant 1894 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | David Bowen | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Conwil (two seats)

Conwil 1894 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | David Griffiths | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Independent | David Thomas | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |
| Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Laugharne Parish (one seat)

Laugharne Parish 1894 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | John Rees John | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Laugharne Township (one seat)

Morse withdrew too late to avoid a poll.
Laugharne Township 1894 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | William Thomas | 120 | | |
| Independent | John D. Morse | 8 | | |
| Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Llanarthney (two seats)

Llanarthney 1894 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | Stephen Stephens | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Independent | William Thomas | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |
| Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Llandawke and Llansadurnen (one seat)

No nominations were received.

### Llanddarog (one seat)

Llanddarog 1894 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | John Davies | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Llandeilo Abercowyn and Llangynog (one seat)

Llandeilo Abercowyn and Llangynog 1894 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | David Harries | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Llanddowror (one seat)

Llanddowror 1894 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Rev Thomas Jones | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Llandyfaelog (one seat)

It was reported that the contest had been instigated after Rees defeated the local Independent minister, Evan Powell, at a parish meeting.
Llandyfaelog 1894 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Independent | Thomas Rees | 127 |
| Independent | John Jones | 49 |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |

### Llanfihangel Abercowin (one seat)

Llanfihangel Abercowin 1894 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | David Thomas | 65 | | |
| Independent | David Walters | 48 | | |
| Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Llangain (one seat)

Llangain 1894 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | John Lloyd Thomas | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Llangendeirne (two seats)

Llangendeirne 1894 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | William Thomas | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Independent | Thomas Williams | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |
| Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Llangunnor (one seat)

Llangunnor 1894 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | David Prosser | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Llangynin (one seat)

Llangynin 1894 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | Roger Davies | | | |
| Independent | John Thomas Williams | | | |
| Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Llanllawddog (one seat)

Llanllawddog 1894 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Evan Daniel | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Llanpumsaint (one seat)

Llanpumsaint 1894 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | David Evans | 87 | | |
| Independent | Henry Harries | | | |
| Independent | John Richards | | | |
| Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Llanstephan (one seat)

Llanstephan 1894 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Griffith Barrett Evans | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Llanwinio (one seat)

Llanwinio 1894 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | John Phillips | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Merthyr (one seat)

Merthyr 1894 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | David Evans | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Mydrim (one seat)

Mydrim 1894 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Howell Davies | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### Newchurch (one seat)

Newchurch 1894 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | David Evan Stephens | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### St Clears (one seat)

St Clears 1894 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | Philip Thomas | 114 | | |
| Independent | Thomas Beynon | 55 | | |
| Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

### St Ishmaels (one seat)

St Ishmaels 1894 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Independent | Elizabeth Mary Gwyn | 98 | | |
| Independent | William Thomas | 95 | | |
| Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) | Independent win (new seat) |

## Carmarthen Board of Guardians

All members of the District Council also served as members of Carmarthen Board of Guardians. In addition, six members were elected to represent the borough of Carmarthen. Edith Hancock was a member of a prominent Carmarthen family, being the daughter of David Archard Williams, incumbent of St David's Church for 37 years until his death in 1879

### Carmarthen (six seats)

Carmarthen 1894 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| Independent | Edith Mary Hancock | 892 |
| Independent | Jonah Davies | 752 |
| Independent | Jonathan Phillips | 705 |
| Independent | Isobel Gertrude Anne Thomas | 692 |
| Independent | William Thomas | 596 |
| Independent | Thomas Thomas | 550 |
| Independent | Edward Lewis | 550 |
| Independent | John Patagonia Lewis | 509 |
| Independent | D. Parcell Rees | 489 |
| Independent | James Phillips | 396 |
| Independent | John Lewis | 371 |
| Independent | Walter Jenkin Evans | 274 |
| Independent | Andrew Fuller-Mills | 269 |
| Independent | John Jeremy | 135 |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |