1895 Cardiganshire County Council election

The third election to the Cardiganshire County Council took place in March 1895. It was preceded by the 1892 election and followed by the 1898 election

The Liberals were again returned with a large majority. There were a large number of unopposed returns.^[1]

The following aldermen, all of whom were Liberals, retired at the election.

• C.M. Williams
• David Jenkins, Maesteg, Glandovey
• Levi James
• William Davies
• J.T. Morgan
• David Lloyd
• John Davies
• Rev John Owen

Only C.M. Williams in Aberystwyth and David Lloyd in Aberbanc sought election. Levi James (Cardigan), William Davies (New Quay), J.T. Morgan (Talybont) and David Jenkins, Glandovey (elected from outside the Council) all stood down and did not seek re-election. John Davies, Tanycoed and John Owen, Blaenpennal, who had filled aldermanic vacancies since 1889 did likewise.^[1] All those who stood down retired from county politics apart from J.T. Morgan who was re-elected as an alderman despite not facing the electorate.^[2]

There were fewer contested elections than on the previous two occasions as the politics of the county seems to settle down after the initial contests. In Aberystwyth it was said that the Town Council elections the previous November had elicited much greater interest.^[3]

Those seats that were contested witnessed a swing towards the Conservative candidates, who captured a total of seven seats. These included significant victories at Cardigan and Llandysul. The contest in Bow Street could also be regarded as a Conservative gain.

It was said that a plough belonging to a farmer in Borth was destroyed due to his support for the Conservative candidate.

The Liberals once again had a comfortable majority. Morgan Evans of Llanarth was elected chairman for 1895/96.

Cardiganshire County Council 1895 : elected members

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal	35	2	8	-6
	Conservative	12	7	1	+6
	Liberal Unionist	0	0	1	-1
	Ind. Conservative	1	1	0	+1
	Independent	0	0	0	0

Cardiganshire County Council 1895 : following the election of aldermen

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal	44
	Conservative	14
	Liberal Unionist	1
	Ind. Conservative	1
	Independent

Cardiganshire County Council 1895 : following by-elections

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal	48	0	0	0
	Conservative	14	0	0	0
	Liberal Unionist	1	0	0	0
	Ind. Conservative	1	0	0	0
	Independent

Aberaeron 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Morgan Howell*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Two Liberals faced each other although the sitting member was described as a Conservative in some quarters.

Aberarth 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Evan Lima Jones	147
	Liberal	John Timothy Evans*	72
Majority			75
	Liberal hold		Swing

Dr David Lloyd, whose aldermanic term had come to an end, was elected unopposed in place of Evan Davies.

Aberbanc 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Lloyd**	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Aberporth 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Joshua Hughes*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 1 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	William Hughes Jones	148
	Liberal	J.P. Thomas	116
Majority			32
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing

The sitting member was returned unopposed after E.V. Wynne, chemist, withdrew.^[1]

Aberystwyth Division 2 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	D.C. Roberts*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 3 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Robert Ellis	148
	Conservative	Dr T.P. Beddoes	141
Majority			7
	Liberal hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 4 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	C.M. Williams**	165
	Conservative	Capt. Thomas Doughton	90
Majority			75
	Liberal hold		Swing

Borth 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Morgan Williams	188
	Liberal	Capt. John Francis	84
Majority			104
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Bow Street 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Ind. Conservative	Henry Bonsall	75
	Conservative	Richard Thomas	74
Majority			1
	Ind. Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Cardigan North 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev John Williams*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Cardigan South 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	C.E.D. Morgan-Richardson	200
	Liberal	James Stephens*	126
Majority			74
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Cilcennin 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Jones*	136
	Conservative	Evan Felix	95
Majority			41
	Liberal hold		Swing

Nicholas Bray regained the seat he lost in 1892 after winning the initial election in 1889.

Cwmrheidol 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Capt. Nicholas Bray	72
	Liberal	John Morgan	65
Majority			7
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Devil's Bridge

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Jones	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

This ward was now commonly described as Felinfach rather than Llanfihangel Ystrad.

Felinfach 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Walter Thomas Davies*
	Liberal hold		Swing

Goginan 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Joseph Parry	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Harford, elected in a close contest in 1889, did not initially seek re-election in 1892, but was returned unopposed after David Lloyd was made an alderman.

Lampeter Borough 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	John Charles Harford	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llanarth 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Morgan Evans*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanbadarn Fawr 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Hugh Hughes*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

David Davies had lost his seat at the previous election in 1892 and narrowly lost the by-election following the successful candidate's election as alderman.

Llanddewi Brefi 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Davies	139
	Conservative	Rees Price	99
Majority			40
	Liberal gain from Liberal Unionist		Swing

Llandygwydd 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Col. John Richard Howell*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llansysiliogogo 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Evan Evans*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llandysul North 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Jones	80
	Liberal	Daniel Evans	47
Majority			33

The sitting member, Enoch Davies, was returned for the neighbouring Penbryn Ward, leading to the loss of this ward to the Conservatives.

Llandysul South 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Charles Lloyd	198
	Liberal	Benjamin Jones	176
Majority			22
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

The sitting member held on against the most prominent Liberal Unionist in Cardiganshire.

Llanfair Clydogau 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Watkin Davies*	129
	Liberal Unionist	Henry Tobit Evans	124
Majority			5
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanfarian 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Vaughan Davies*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanfihangel y Creuddyn 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	William Evans*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llangoedmor 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Samuel Jones*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Robert J. Davies of Cwrt Mawr had died shortly after the 1892 election.

Llangeitho 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Rowlands	142
	Liberal	John Humphreys Davies	130
Majority			12
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing

Llangrannog

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Evans	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanilar 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Benjamin Jones*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanrhystyd 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Evan Jones	unopposed
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Llanllwchaiarn 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev William Griffiths	86
	Liberal	Enoch Thomas	65
Majority			21
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llansantffraed 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Evan Morgan	113
	Liberal	Capt. Daniel Jones*	95
Majority			18
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Llanwnen

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Hugh Rice Hughes*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llanwenog 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Bowen Jones	149
	Conservative	Thomas Jones	115
Majority			34
	Liberal hold		Swing

Lledrod

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Jenkins	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Having captured the seat in 1892, Jenkin Howells held on by a mere three votes over David Jones of Station Road, Lampeter.

Nantcwnlle 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Jenkin Howells	121
	Liberal	David Jones	118
Majority			3
	Conservative hold		Swing

New Quay 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Sir Marteine Lloyd*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Penbryn 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Enoch Davies	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Strata Florida 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Richards	unopposed
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

John Jones, elected unopposed in 1892, was returned by a small majority over another Liberal

Taliesin 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Jones*	94
	Liberal	Richard Jenkins	86
	Liberal hold		Swing

Talybont 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Edward Jones*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

This was the first time Llewelyn Edwards had won a contested election, having been defeated at Llanbadarn Fawr in 1889 and 1892. On the former occasion he was made an alderman despite his defeat and on the latter elected unopposed for Trefeurig following Peter Jones's elevation to the aldermanic bench.

Trefeurig 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Llewelyn Edwards*	63
	Conservative	Henry William Francis	47
	Liberal hold		Swing

D.J. Williams had previously represented Tregaron as a Liberal Unionist from a by-election in 1889 until 1892 when he did not stand. He was elected for Llanddewi Brefi at a by-election in 1892

Tregaron 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Daniel Jenkin Williams*	195
	Conservative	William Rees	82
	Liberal hold		Swing

Troedyraur 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Morris*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Ysbyty Ystwyth 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Rev T.M. Jones	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

The overhaul of the aldermanic bench saw the election of key figures from the liberal ranks. Having avoided the principle of electing from outside the Council four years previously this practice was now adopted once again, leading to criticism, most notably from the Liberal-supporting Cambrian News.^[2] It was noted in particular that three defeated candidates were elected, namely James Stevens at Cardigan, Daniel Jones of Llanon and Davies of Cwrtmawr. J.T. Morgan of Talybont was also re-elected although he had not contested the election.

• T. H. R. Hughes, Liberal (elected councillor at Llanwnen)
• C. M. Williams, Liberal (retiring alderman; elected councillor at Aberystywth Ward 4)
• Morgan Evans, Liberal (elected councillor at Llanarth)
• James Stephens, Liberal (defeated candidate at Cardigan South)
• John Humphreys Davies, Liberal (defeated candidate at Llangeitho)
• Enoch Davies, Liberal (elected councillor at Penbryn )
• J.T. Morgan, Liberal (retiring alderman, from outside Council - did not seek election)
• Daniel Jones, Liberal (defeated candidate at Llansanffraed )

Daniel Jones died a few months after the election. In August 1895, James James of Ffynonhowell, from outside of the Council, was appointed to succeed him.^[4]

Therefore, the following appointment was made for the remainder of the six-year term.

• James Jones, Liberal (from outside the Council)

The Liberals comfortably retained the seat although the Aberystwyth Observer complained that the Conservatives 'made no special effort' to support their candidate.^[5]

Aberystwyth Division 4 by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	E.H. James	181
	Conservative	Thomas Salmon	97
Majority			84
	Liberal hold		Swing

Following the appointment of Morgan Evans as alderman, James Evans of Esgerwenfawr was selected as a candidate by the local Liberals, and was returned unopposed.^[6]

Llanarth by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James Evans	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

The Liberals narrowly held the seat following the election of T.H.R. Hughes as alderman.^[7]

Llanwnen by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Edward Owen Jones	104
	Conservative	Joseph Price	91
Majority			13
	Liberal hold		Swing

Following the appointment of Dr Enoch Davies as alderman, the previous member, Peter R. Beynon won the by-election.^[8]

Penbryn by-election 1895

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Peter R. Beynon	121
	Liberal	D. Griffiths	96
Majority			25
	Liberal hold		Swing