Burry Port Urban District

The Burry Port Urban District was an urban district covering the town of Burry Port in Carmarthenshire between 1903 and 1974, when it was absorbed into the District of Llanelli.

The first election was held in May 1903 after Carmarthenshire County Council agreed to establish new urban districts at Ammanford and Burry Port.^[1]

John Henry Williams was a chairman of the council.

Premises

Until 1949 the council was based at Somerset House, at the corner of Station Road and Parkes Street (which was subsequently occupied by the Royal British Legion). In 1949, the council bought Bryn-y-Môr House (or Brynmor House) at the western end of Carway Street to serve as its headquarters instead. The building had been built around 1900 as a pair of semi-detached houses but had been converted into one house some years before the council purchased it.^[2] Following the council's abolition in 1974 the building was converted into the town's library.^[3]

Election Results

1903 Election

Elected: Thos F. Wilkins White, leadworks manager 452; A. A. Lewis, tinplate works manager 362; William M. Howell, solicitor 346; D. Williams, builder 340; E. J. Bowen, tinplate manufacturer 339; E. E. Evans, accountant 334; T. Williams, bar cutter 327; Rev. J. H. Rees (Congregational Minister) 323; William Howell, fitter; 270 D Charles, chemist 256; D. Hughes, colliery manager 238; R. T. Hammond, agent 236; Robert Williams, salesman 227; Thomas Griffith. coal merchant 219; J. R. Griffiths, cashier 214.^[1]

Non-elected: William Bevan. brewers agent, 138; Thomas Bevnon, builder, 133; M. I. Davies. draper. 91; Thomas Davies, tailor, 68; Francis J. Evans, shipbroker, 135; Joseph Griffith, smelter. 87; Thomas Hughes, tailor, 147; Phillip Jones, sawyer, 194; Arthur Morgan, manager, 163; Fred. J Morgan, clerk. 193; John Rees, shoemaker, 177; W. B. Roderick, solicitor, 198.^[1]

1905 Election

J.H. Williams, a local doctor and future Labour MP for Llanelli was elected as a Progressive at the head of the poll.^[4]

Burry Port Urban District 1905
	Candidate	Votes
Progressive	J.H. Williams	397
Progressive	H.J. Brown	330
Progressive	Rev J.H. Rees*	318
Progressive	W. Howell*	275
Conservative	Thomas Evans	245
Progressive	R.T. Hammond*	184
Conservative	W.M. Griffiths	163
Progressive	D. Hugh	157
Progressive	E. Evans	147
Progressive	J. Eager	95

1906 Election

A.A. Lewis was returned at the head of the poll.^[5]

Burry Port Urban District 1906
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		A.A. Lewis*	459
		W.T. Edmunds	368
		David Williams*	335
		Mervyn Howell*	277
		Joseph Williams	268
		John Edwards	231
		R. Roberts	206
		David Howell	157
		Philip Eynon	138
		Archibald Badger	89
		William Bevan	81
		Charles Tottenham	31

1907 Election

Elected: R.G. Thomas 529; F.J. Evans 415; R. Roberts 361; *R.T. Hammond 354; J. Leyshon 296.

Non-Elected: J. Rowlands 229; Jophn Edwards 164; Philip Eynon 130.

Source:^[6]

1909 Election

Six members were returned due to an occasional vacancy.^[7]

Burry Port Urban District 1909
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Hume Buckley Roderick	399
		John Rowlands	390
		James McDowell	369
		David Evans	300
		Thomas Hughes	289
		Thomas Beynon	266
		Griffith P. Williams	238

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Burry Port Election Result". Cambrian. 8 May 1903. p. 6. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
^ "Council in their new home". Llanelly Star. 20 August 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
^ "Burry Port Library". Carmarthenshire County Council. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
^ "District Council Elections". Welshman. 8 April 1905. p. 8. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
^ "West Wales Elections. Urban Council Pollings". Cambrian. 6 April 1906. p. 8. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
^ "Urban District Council Elections". Carmarthen Weekly Reporter. 29 March 1907. p. 3. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
^ "District Council Elections". Cambrian. 9 April 1909. p. 8. Retrieved 16 October 2020.

[Camb_8-5-03-1] "Burry Port Election Result". Cambrian. 8 May 1903. p. 6. Retrieved 1 August 2020.

[2] "Council in their new home". Llanelly Star. 20 August 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 2 January 2025.

[3] "Burry Port Library". Carmarthenshire County Council. Retrieved 2 January 2025.

[W_7-4-05-4] "District Council Elections". Welshman. 8 April 1905. p. 8. Retrieved 10 October 2020.

[Camb_6-4-06-5] "West Wales Elections. Urban Council Pollings". Cambrian. 6 April 1906. p. 8. Retrieved 7 August 2020.

[CWR_29-3-07-6] "Urban District Council Elections". Carmarthen Weekly Reporter. 29 March 1907. p. 3. Retrieved 12 August 2020.

[Camb_9-4-09-7] "District Council Elections". Cambrian. 9 April 1909. p. 8. Retrieved 16 October 2020.

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v t e Politics of Carmarthenshire, 1835–1974
County Council	Carmarthenshire County Council, 1889–1974
Borough	Carmarthen Borough Council Llandovery Borough Municipal Borough of Llanelly (1894-1913) Kidwelly Borough Council Newcastle Emlyn Borough
Urban Districts	Ammanford Urban District Council (1903-1974) Burry Port Urban District (1903-1974) Cwmamman Urban District (1912-1974) Llandeilo Urban District (1984-1973) Newcastle Emlyn Urban District
Rural Districts	Carmarthen Rural District Llandeilo Rural District Llandovery Rural District (1984-1935) Llanelli Rural District Llanybyther Rural District (1894-1935) Newcastle Emlyn Rural District Whitland Rural District (1894-1935)

v t e Council elections in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire County Council	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 1995 1999 2004 2008 2012 2017 2022
Carmarthen District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 Abolished
Dinefwr Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 Abolished
Llanelli Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 Abolished
Ammanford Urban District	1903 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914
Burry Port Urban District	1903 1906 1907 1909
Carmarthen Rural District Council	1894 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1935 Abolished
Llandeilo Rural District Council	1894 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1935 Abolished