# Ammanford Urban District Council

Ammanford Urban District Council was a former local authority in Carmarthenshire, Wales, responsible for administering the town of Ammanford. It was established in 1903 covering areas ceded from 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 the new borough of Dinefwr.

## Election Results
### 1903 Election

In the first election, eight of the fifteen seats were won by labour candidates.
Ammanford Urban District 1903 :
| 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

Following 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.
Ammanford Urban District 1904 :
| 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

Four of the five retiring members were re-elected.
Ammanford Urban District 1905 :
| 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

D.J. Jones, who headed the poll at the first election in 1903 lost his seat.
Ammanford Urban District 1906 :
| 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

Labour candidates fared badly in this election.
Ammanford Urban District 1907 :
| 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

Due to a vacancy, six candidates were returned at this election.
Ammanford Urban District 1908 :
| 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

A closely fought election saw one of the leading members of the authority defeated.
Ammanford Urban District 1910 :
| 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

W.N. Jones regained his seat following a surprise defeat the previous year.
Ammanford Urban District 1911 :
| 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

Four of the five retiring members were returned.
Ammanford Urban District 1912 :
| 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

In a somewhat heated campaign three of the five sitting members were defeated.
Ammanford Urban District 1913 :
| 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

Although fourteen candidates sought election for the five seats, the election was described as a quiet affair with no public meetings.
Ammanford Urban District 1914 :
| 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

Elections 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.
Ammanford Urban District 1919 :
| 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 |