East Carmarthenshire (UK Parliament constituency)

East Carmarthenshire
Former County constituency
for the House of Commons
1885–1918
Number of members one
Created from Carmarthenshire

East Carmarthenshire was a county constituency in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

It was created for the 1885 general election, when the old two-member Carmarthenshire constituency was divided into two new single-member seats: East Carmarthenshire and West Carmarthenshire, both of which were in turn abolished for the 1918 general election.

Boundaries

Carmathenshire boundaries 1885-1918

The constituency included parts of the Sessional Divisions of Llandeilo and Llandovery and the Sessional Division of Llanelly.

Members of Parliament

YearMemberParty
1885 David Pugh Liberal
1890 Abel Thomas Liberal
1912 Josiah Towyn Jones Liberal
1918 constituency abolished

History

1885-90

When the constituency was established most interest was concentrated on the choice of Liberal candidate as the seat appeared to contain a strong Liberal vote, primarily in the emerging industrial communities which emerged as a result of the development off the anthracite coal and tinplate industries. Both sitting members for the former Carmarthenshire constituency chose to contest the West Carmarthesnhire division. This created a vacancy in the new Eastern division. A Liberal association was established in June at a meeting in Ammanford which was addressed by David Pugh, Lewis Morris and John Lloyd Morgan.[1] Pugh had previously served as MP for Carmarthenshire from 1857 until his defeat in 1868, while Morris was a well known literary figure. Morgan was the least known of the three speakers, but as the son of William Morgan, former Principal of the Presbyterian College at Carmarthen, had strong local connections.

Pugh was shortly later selected as candidate.[2] He had been considered to be on the more conservative wing of the Liberal Party but had become increasingly radical in his pronouncements in recent years.[3] The significant increase in the electorate in the industrial portions of the constituency was considered to be the key element in deciding the contest. The electorate of Cwmamman, for example, had increased from 164 to 550 and that of neighbouring Brynamman from 175 to 450.[4] However, the characters of the local Liberal Association was reflected in the choice of Sir Arthur Stepney, who by reason of his influence and wealth was a prominent figure in their ranks, as its first president.[2] Pugh was re-elected in 1886 but in his last years as member there were frequent criticisms at the annual meetings of the Liberal association of Pugh's regular absences from the Commons.[5]

1890-1918

Upon his death in 1890 he was succeeded by Abel Thomas, who served for twenty two years until his death in 1912. By this time, the first signals of the emergence of the Labour Party were seen in the constituency, but a Labour candidate made little impact at the by-election which saw the election of the prominent nonvonformist minister, Josiah Towyn Jones, as the new MP.

Election Results

General Election 1885: East Carmarthenshire[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal David Pugh 4,487 67.9 n/a
Conservative Sir Marteine Owen Mowbray Lloyd 2,122 32.1 n/a
Majority 2,365 35.8 n/a
Turnout 76.2 n/a
Liberal win (new seat)
General Election 1886: East Carmarthenshire[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal David Pugh unopposed n/a n/a
Liberal hold Swing n/a
East Carmarthenshire by-election, 1890[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Abel Thomas unopposed n/a n/a
Liberal hold Swing n/a
Abel Thomas
General Election 1892: East Carmarthenshire[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Abel Thomas 4,439 78.4 n/a
Liberal Unionist Thomas Davies 1,223 21.6 n/a
Majority 3,216 56.8 n/a
Turnout 62.0 n/a
Liberal hold Swing n/a
General Election 1895: East Carmarthenshire[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Abel Thomas 4,471 64.5 -13.9
Conservative Ernald Edward Richardson 2,466 35.5 +13.9
Majority 2,005 29.0 -27.8
Turnout 75.3 +13.3
Liberal hold Swing -13.9
Abel Thomas
General Election 1900: East Carmarthenshire[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Abel Thomas 4,337 66.8
Conservative Ernald Edward Richardson 2,155 33.2
Majority 2,182 33.6
Turnout 65.1
Liberal hold Swing
General Election 1906: East Carmarthenshire[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Abel Thomas unopposed n/a n/a
Liberal hold Swing n/a
General Election January 1910: East Carmarthenshire[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Abel Thomas 7,619 75.7 n/a
Conservative Mervyn Lloyd Peel 2,451 24.3 n/a
Majority 5,168 51.4 n/a
Turnout n/a
Liberal hold Swing n/a
General Election December 1910: East Carmarthenshire[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Abel Thomas 5,825 62.5
Conservative Mervyn Lloyd Peel 2,315 24.8
Labour John Henry Williams 1,176 12.6
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing
Towyn Jones
East Carmarthenshire by-election, 1912[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Rev. Josiah Towyn Jones 6,082 57.8 -4.7
Unionist Mervyn Lloyd Peel 3,354 31.9 +7.1
Labour John Henry Williams 1,089 10.3 -2.3
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing

References

  1. ↑ "Representation of East Carmarthenshire. Meeting of Liberals at Ammanford". Cardiff Times. 20 June 1885. p. 6. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  2. 1 2 "East Carmarthen". Carmarthen Journal. 31 July 1885.
  3. ↑ "Representation of East Carmarthenshire. Biographical Sketch of Mr David Pugh". South Wales Daily News. 29 July 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  4. ↑ "Election Prospects in South Wales. Carmarthenshire,". South Wales Daily News. 2 November 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "East Carmarthen". Welshman. 6 July 1888.
  6. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  7. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  8. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  9. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  10. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  11. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  12. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  13. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  14. ↑ East Carmarthenshire British parliamentary election results 1885-1918
  15. ↑ East Carmarthenshire British parliamentary election results 1885-1918
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