1904 Cardiganshire County Council election

The sixth election for Cardiganshire County Council took place in March 1904. They were preceded by the 1901 election and followed by the 1907 election

The election was dominated by the controversy over the Education Act and the funding of church schools. In some quarters, candidates were described as 'Progressive' or 'Sectarian' rather than on party lines.^[1] However, as in previous elections, there was a large Liberal majority, which was assured once the unopposed returns had been confirmed.

There were a large number of unopposed returns.^[2]

A few seats were lost by Liberals.

contested elections were mostly won by Liberals.^[3]

Eight aldermen retired, all of whom were Liberals apart from Sir Marteine Lloyd. Peter Jones, J.M. Howell, Walter T. Davies and the Rev T. Mason Jones stood in the election but were not re-elected aldermen. Sir Marteine Lloyd, Evan Richards and Rev John Williams were re-elected without facing the electorate. John Powell stood down.

Cardiganshire County Council 1904 : elected members

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal
	Conservative
	Liberal Unionist
	Independent

Cardiganshire County Council 1904 : elected members and sitting aldermen

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal
	Conservative
	Liberal Unionist
	Independent

Cardiganshire County Council 1904 : following election of new aldermen and by-elections

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal
	Conservative
	Liberal Unionist
	Independent

Aberaeron 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	J. Lima Jones*	168
	Liberal	D. Jones	100
Majority			68
	Liberal hold		Swing

Aberbanc 1904

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

Aberporth 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Watkins*	84
	Liberal	Joshua Hughes	60
Majority			68
	Liberal hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 1 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	R.J. Jones*	unopposed
	Unionist hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 2 1904

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

Aberystwyth Division 3 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Robert Ellis*	172
	Liberal hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 4 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	E.H. James*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

J.M. Howell, whose term as alderman had come to an end, was elected unopposed for a seat that was previously held by a Conservative.

Aeron 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	John Morgan Howell**	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Liberal gain from Conservative

Borth 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Richard James	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Bow Street 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	A. Howell	119
	Conservative	Henry Bonsall*	72
Majority			47
	Liberal gain from Ind. Conservative		Swing

Cardigan North 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	O. Beynon Evans*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Cardigan South 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	James Stephens*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Cilcennin 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Dr Jenkin Lewis	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Cwmrheidol 1904

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

Devil's Bridge 1904

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

Llanfihangel Ystrad 1901

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Walter Thomas Davies**	135
	Liberal	John Jones	98
	Unionist	D. Jones	75
Majority			23
	Liberal hold		Swing

Goginan 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Joseph Parry	unopposed
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Lampeter Borough 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Rev Ll.J. Bebb	210
	Liberal	Rev R.C. Jones	182
Majority			28
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llanarth 1904

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

Llanbadarn Fawr 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	J.J. Bonsall*	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llanddewi Brefi 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	R.S. Rowland	136
	Liberal	David Davies*	115
Majority			68
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing

Llandygwydd 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Thomas Evans	181
	Conservative	E. Williams	85
Majority			96
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llandysul North 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Jenkin Jones	147
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llandysul South 1904

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

Llansysiliogogo 1904

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

Llanfair Clydogau 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	D.S. Davies	176
	Unionist	William Rees*	93
Majority			83
	Liberal gain from Unionist		Swing

Llanfarian 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Vaughan Davies	Unopposed	N/A	N/A
	Liberal hold

Llanfihangel y Creuddyn 1904

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

Llangoedmor 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	D. Samuel Jones	140
	Liberal	D. Samuel Jones	70
Majority			68
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llangeitho 1904

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

Llangrannog 1904

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

Llanilar 1904

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

Llanrhystyd 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	E.J. Evans	139
	Conservative	D. Morgan James*	129
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

Llanllwchaiarn 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Evan Lewis	110
	Liberal	Rev D. Evans	45
Majority			68
	Liberal hold		Swing

Llansantffraed 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Evan James Price	unopposed
	Conservative hold		Swing

Llanwnen 1904

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

Llanwenog 1904

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

Lledrod 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	D.L. Jones	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Dr Evan Evans, sitting member for Felinfach, switched to Nantcwnlle, allowing retiring alderman Walter Thomas Davies to contest Felinfach.

Nantcwnlle 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Dr Evan Evans*	169
	Unionist	Rev D Edwards	71
Majority			68
	Liberal gain from Conservative		Swing

New Quay 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Evan James Davies*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Penbryn 1904

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

Strata Florida 1904

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

Taliesin 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unionist	Dr James	134
	Liberal	David Williams*	79
Majority			68
	Unionist gain from Liberal		Swing

Talybont 1904

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

Trefeurig 1904

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

Tregaron 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Dr Evan Lloyd*	unopposed
	Liberal hold		Swing

Troedyraur 1901

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

Ysbyty Ystwyth

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

Once again a number of aldermen who had not faced the electorate were elected.^[4] Evan Richards was elected aldermen for a third term (although he had not faced the electorate since 1892) and Sir Marteine Lloyd and the Rev John Williams for a second term. The other five aldermen were new appointments, including Thomas Morris who had not contested the election. Peter Jones (an alderman since 1889 although he had always sought re-election) and J.M. Howell (an alderman since 1898) were two prominent figures who were re-elected as councillors but not as aldermen.

The following were elected:

• Sir Marteine Lloyd, Conservative. (retiring alderman, from outside Council - did not seek election)
• Edward Evans, Liberal (elected councillor for Strada Florida)
• Vaughan Davies, M.P., (elected councillor for Llanfarian)
• Thomas Morris. (from outside the Council, retiring member for Troedyraur)
• Lima Jones (elected councillor for Aberaeron)
• Evan Richards, (retiring alderman, from outside Council - did not seek election)
• Rev. John Williams (retiring alderman, from outside Council - did not seek election)
• Dr. Jenkyn Lewis.(elected councillor for Cilcennin)

At Cilcennin and Llanfarian Conservative candidates were elected unopposed to fill Liberal vacancies. While one local paper said it 'spoke well' of the Liberals to allow political opponents to take the two seats, including that previously held by the sitting Liberal MP, it also reflected the decline of partisan politics in the county since 1889.^[5]

Following Lima Jones's election as alderman, three candidates contested the by-election.^[5]

Aberaeron by-election 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Francis Evans	124
	Liberal	John Davies	98
	Conservative	D. Pennant James	48
Majority			26
	Liberal hold		Swing

Cilcennin by-election 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Price Lewes	unopposed
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Llanfarian by-election 1904

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Edward Powell	unopposed
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing

Strata Florida by-election 1904

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