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 showing boundaries for 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 by-election Abel Thomas Liberal
1912 by-election Josiah Towyn Jones Liberal
1918 constituency abolished

History

When the former Carmarthenshire constituency was established in 1885, both the sitting members chose to contest the West Carmarthesnhire division. The Liberals of East Carmarthesnhire chose David Pugh as their candidate. Pugh had previously served as MP for Carmarthenshire from 1857 until his defeat in 1868 and had been considered to be on the more conservative wing of the Liberal Party. Pugh, has, however, become increasingly radical in his pronouncements in recent years.[1] 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. [2]

Upon his death in 1890 he was succeeded by Abel Thomas, who served for twenty two years until his death in 1912.

Abel Thomas

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.

Towyn Jones

Election Results 1885-1918

General Election 1885 East Carmarthenshire[3]

Electorate 8,669

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal David Pugh 4,487 67.9 n/a
Conservative Sir Marteine 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[4]

Electorate 8,669

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal David Pugh unopposed n/a n/a
Liberal hold Swing n/a


East Carmarthenshire by-election, 1890[5]

Electorate 9,308

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Abel Thomas unopposed n/a n/a
Liberal hold Swing n/a


General Election 1892 East Carmarthenshire[6]

Electorate 9,136

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[7]

Electorate 9,217

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Abel Thomas 4,471 64.5 -13.9
Conservative EE Richardson 2,466 35.5 +13.9
Majority 2,005 29.0 -27.8
Turnout 75.3 +13.3
Liberal hold Swing -13.9


General Election 1900 East Carmarthenshire[8]

Electorate 9,967

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Abel Thomas 4,337 66.8
Conservative EE Richardson 2,155 33.2
Majority 2,182 33.6
Turnout 65.1
Liberal hold Swing


General Election 1906 East Carmarthenshire[9]

Electorate 10,746

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Abel Thomas unopposed n/a n/a
Liberal hold Swing n/a


General Election January 1910 East Carmarthenshire[10]

Electorate 12,268

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:[11]

Electorate 12,268

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Abel Thomas 5,825 62.5
Conservative Mervyn Lloyd Peel 2,315 24.8
Labour Dr John Henry Williams 1,176 12.6
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing


East Carmarthenshire by-election, 1912

Electorate [12]

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 Dr John Henry Williams 1,089 10.3 -2.3
Majority
Turnout
Liberal hold Swing

References

  1. ↑ "Representation of East Carmarthenshire. Biographical Sketch of Mr David Pugh". South Wales Daily News. 29 July 1885. p. 2. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
  2. ↑ "Election Prospects in South Wales. Carmarthenshire,". South Wales Daily News. 2 November 1885. p. 3. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  3. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  4. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  5. ↑ British parliamentary election results, 1885-1918 (Craig)
  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. ↑ East Carmarthenshire British parliamentary election results 1885-1918
  12. ↑ East Carmarthenshire British parliamentary election results 1885-1918
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