An election to the Carmarthenshire County Council was held on 5 April 1949. [1] It was preceded by the 1946 election and followed, by the 1952 election.
After steadily increasing their representation throughout the inter-war period, the Labour Party finally won a majority on the Council, and strengthened their hold by taking nine of the ten vacancies on the aldermanic bench. Labour victories included taking a seat in the Borough of Carmarthen for the first time.
There were no boundary changes.
There were a number of unopposed returns, both in Labour held seats and in the western part of the county, which was described as still being 'traditionally Liberal in character'. [2] Gwynfor Evans, President of Plaid Cymru, was returned for the Llangadog ward, having been defeated by one vote in 1946.
This was the second election held since a new rule requiring retiring aldermen to face the electorate was introduced. Much attention focused on the contest in the Llangendeirne ward where Alderman James Jenkins, leader of the Independent group, faced the sitting Labour member, the Rev. R.G. James. In Llanelli, Dame Gwendoline Trubshaw, a member of the council since 1919, faced Labour opposition. Her fellow Independent, Daniel Roberts, retired and the decision of two Indepednent candidates to contest Ward One was described as 'unfortunate'. [3] Three other Indepdendent aldermen stood down. At Llanarthney, David Stephens, who had last contested an election in 1931, did not challenge Labour member Edgar Lewis who was returned unopposed. David Davies (Abergwili) and Lewis Bowen (Trelech) chose not to opposed the sitting Independents in their former wards. [4]
While there were more unopposed returns than in 1946, many wards were keenly contested and the result was a narrow Labour majority amongst the elected members. Electioneering reached a peak in Llanelli where an Independent association was formed to fight the elections as a united front against Labour. However, Labour won all but two seats in Llanelli town. The exceptions were Ward One, where the intervention of former councillor James Jones split the Independent vote and Ward Five, where Dame Gwendolone Trubsahw withstood a Labour challenge.
Retiring aldermen faced the electorate for the first time since 1937. In Llangyndeyrn, Alderman Rev. James Jenkins, a member of the Council since 1925, was defeated by the retiring Labour councilor. In Carmarthen, George V. Davies, a former borough councillor, narrowly defeated 82 year-old William Jones to secure the first Labour victory in the town. [5]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Col. Grismond P. Philipps* | 631 | |||
Labour | David John Evans | 399 | |||
Majority | |||||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Haydn Lewis* | unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Boundary Change.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | John Harries* | unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Thomas Sidney Bowen* | 1,172 | |||
Independent | William John Thomas | 743 | |||
Independent | Elvet Pugh | 155 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Edward Lewis* | 1,525 | |||
Independent | Archibald Edgar Morgan | 714 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Thomas Davies* | 685 | |||
Independent | Frank Wolsely Armitage | 271 | |||
Majority | |||||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | George V. Davies | 769 | |||
Independent | William Jones* | 736 | |||
Independent Labour | D.W. Davies | 49 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour gain from Independent | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | J.O. Morgans* | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | J. Verdi Jenkins* | 700 | |||
Labour | W.D. Jones | 575 | |||
Majority | |||||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | D.J. James Jones* | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | J.A. Owen* | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | W.A. Phillips* | Unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | David Davies* | unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | David John Stone* | 1,312 | |||
Independent | Sydney Phillip James | 393 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | J. Amos Jones* | 869 | |||
Independent | David Phillips | 626 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Rev. Chancellor S.B. Williams* | 689 | |||
Labour | W.J. John | 497 | |||
Majority | |||||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | W. Edgar Lewis* | unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | William Joshua Phillips* | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gwilym R. Thomas* | unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Evan Bevan* | unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | William John Thomas* | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | James Morgan Davies* | 866 | |||
Labour | E. Gwyn Williams | 224 | |||
Majority | |||||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Anthony H. Gower* | 564 | |||
Independent | James James | 412 | |||
Majority | |||||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Hugh Davies | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Thomas William Morgan* | unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Griffith Evans* | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Rev David Penry Jones* | 1,016 | |||
Independent | Henry Richards | 764 | |||
Independent | James Jones | 222 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William T. Griffiths* | 976 | |||
Independent | John Zammit | 737 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Mrs Claudia R. Rees* | 631 | |||
Independent | David J. Edmunds | 313 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Mrs Charlotte Hopkins* | 1,115 | |||
Independent | Sidney Ellis | 955 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Dame Gwendoline Trubshaw** | 530 | |||
Labour | Ben Howells | 403 | |||
Majority | |||||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | W. Douglas Hughes* | 815 | |||
Independent | William Hughes | 182 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | J. Llewellyn Evans* | 762 | |||
Independent | Aneurin Thomas | 462 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | George M. McConkey | 868 | |||
Independent | Fred Howells* | 530 | |||
Communist | Martin H. Thomas | 17 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour gain from Independent | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | A.H. Olive* | 987 | |||
Labour | John A. Palmer | 803 | |||
Communist | Brinley James | 80 | |||
Majority | |||||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | T.J. Williams* | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | John Davies* | 789 | |||
Independent | William Harry | 211 | |||
Majority | |||||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plaid Cymru | Gwynfor Richard Evans | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
Plaid Cymru gain from Independent |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Daniel Griffiths | 908 | |||
Independent | John Evans | 812 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Rev R.G. James* | 1,012 | |||
Independent | Rev James Jenkins** | 666 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Thomas Bowen* | 815 | |||
Independent | John Rees | 369 | |||
Independent | Trefor Beasley | 101 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | William Parry Thomas* | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Sidney Jones* | unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Daniel Williams | 317 | |||
Independent | John Morgan* | 275 | |||
Majority | |||||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | T.Ll. Haries* | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Benjamin Edward Davies* | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Morgan Lewis Jones* | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Simon John Elwyn Samuel* | unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | David John Jones* | unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Watkin Davies* | unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | David Thomas* | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Joseph David Rees** | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Trevor Rhys Morris* | 685 | |||
Independent | William Anthony | 600 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Simon Owen Thomas* | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent Labour | Brinley Jenkins* | unopposed | |||
Independent Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Emrys Aubrey* | unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | William Hughes Mathias* | unopposed | |||
Independent hold | Swing |
In addition to the 57 councillors the council consisted of 19 county aldermen. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term. Following the elections the following nine aldermen were elected.
Following the selection of aldermen the following by-elections were held. [6] In Llanelli, the Independents gained two seats but Labour won the seat vacated by Dame Gwendoline Trubshaw.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Isaac Daniel | 921 | |||
Independent Labour | Emrys Daniel Lewis | 873 | |||
Independent | Elvet Pugh | 22 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | J.H. Williams | 999 | |||
Independent | W.G. Gilbert | 294 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Gwyn Howells | unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | John Zammit | 984 | |||
Labour | T.M. Price | 795 | |||
Majority | |||||
Independent gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Ben Howells | 454 | |||
Independent | Harry Richards | 307 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour gain from Independent | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | W.J. Davies | 666 | |||
Independent | Harry Beaton | 310 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Mrs Eleanor Thomas | 616 | |||
Labour | Miss Elsie Jones | 590 | |||
Majority | |||||
Independent gain from Labour | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | John Williams | unopposed | |||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Josiah Jones | 1,422 | |||
Independent | Owen A. Jenkins | 920 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | W.J.F. Thomas | 1,389 | |||
Independent | Archibald Ivor Bailey | 373 | |||
Majority | |||||
Labour hold | Swing |