1937 Glamorgan County Council election

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The sixteenth election to Glamorgan County Council, south Wales, took place in March 1937. It was preceded by the 1934 election and followed, due to the Second World War by the 1946 election.

Overview[edit]

Labour's comfortable majority on the council, including the aldermanic bench, remained unchanged.

Boundary changes[edit]

There were no boundary changes at this election.

Candidates[edit]

Many candidates were returned unopposed.[1]

Contested elections[edit]

Labour contested almost every seat on the council, with a significant proportion of candidates returned unopposed.

Of the eleven aldermen retiring at the end of their sixth year term, the ten Labour aldermen all sought re-election while Rev D.H. Williams (Ind) stood down from the Council after over thirty years. Alderman Dorothy Rees (Lab), who was elected for three years to fill a vacancy in 1934, also sought re-election.

Outcome[edit]

Labour retained their majority, losing two seats but gaining three.[2]

Results[edit]

Aberaman[edit]

Aberaman 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Florence Rose Davies** Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour hold

Aberavon[edit]

Aberavon 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Edward Lewis Hare* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Abercynon[edit]

Abercynon 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Joseph Dicks** Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Aberdare Town[edit]

Aberdare Town 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Thomas Alwyn John 1,292
Labour Tom Williams 977
Independent Henry Cohen 242
Majority 315
Independent hold Swing

Bargoed[edit]

Bargoed 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William John Kedward* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Barry[edit]

Dudley Howe had previously represented Cadoxton and gained the neighbouring Barry ward from Labour. However, Labour won Cadoxton for the first time against the new candidate.

Barry 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Dudley Thomas Howe* 2,304
Labour W. East* 2,004
Majority 300
Independent gain from Labour Swing

Barry Dock[edit]

Barry Dock 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dorothy Rees** 1,965
Independent G. Edward Smith 1,762
Majority 203
Labour hold Swing

Blaengwawr[edit]

Blaengwawr 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William J. Edwards* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Bridgend[edit]

Bridgend 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent William W. Phillips* Unopposed
Independent hold Swing

Briton Ferry[edit]

Briton Ferry 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Gethin* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Cadoxton[edit]

Cadoxton 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Digby Smith 1,499
Independent A.L. Davies 1,158
Majority 341
Labour gain from Independent Swing

Caerphilly[edit]

Caerphilly 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Evan Phillips* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Cilfynydd[edit]

Cilfynydd 1934
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Pearson* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Coedffranc[edit]

Coedffranc 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour D.T. Jenkins 2,916
Independent Isaac David 1,798
Majority 1,118
Labour gain from Independent Swing

Cowbridge[edit]

Cowbridge 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour P. John Smith Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Cwm Aber[edit]

Cwm Aber 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rev David M. Jones* Unopposed
Majority
Labour hold Swing

Cwmavon[edit]

Cwmavon 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Jones Edwards* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Cymmer[edit]

Cymmer 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John James Garwood* 1,167
Independent Evan Thomas 485
Majority 682
Labour hold Swing

Dinas Powys[edit]

Dinas Powys 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Ivor Broadbent Thomas* Unopposed
Independent hold Swing

Dulais Valley[edit]

Dulais Valley 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gwilym Davies* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Ferndale[edit]

Ferndale 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alfred Evans* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Gadlys[edit]

Gadlys 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Thomas Phillips* 1,802
Labour David Idris Bruton 796
Majority 1,006
Independent hold Swing

Garw Valley[edit]

Garw Valley 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charles Gunter* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Glyncorrwg[edit]

Glyncorrwg 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sir William Jenkins** Unopposed
Labour hold

Gower[edit]

Gower 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Fredrick William Davies 2,083
Labour Stanley Jones 1,480
Majority 603
Independent hold Swing

Hengoed[edit]

Hengoed 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Frank Loveday* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Hopkinstown[edit]

Hopkinstown 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour E.H. Fleming** Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Kibbor[edit]

Kibbor 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Edgar L. Chappell 1,769
Independent John Kane 1,400
Majority 369
Independent hold Swing

Castell Coch[edit]

Castell Coch 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Sir Lewis Lougher* 1,458
Labour Edward Harry Follis 606
Majority 852
Independent hold Swing

Llandeilo Talybont[edit]

Llandeilo Talybont 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Caradoc Jones** Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Llanfabon[edit]

Llanfabon 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William Bowen** Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Llwydcoed[edit]

Llwydcoed 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Martha Emma Jones* Unopposed
Independent hold Swing

Llwynypia[edit]

Llwynypia 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Philip Haines Rowlands* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Loughor[edit]

Loughor 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David John Davies Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Maesteg, Caerau and Nantyffyllon[edit]

Maesteg, Caerau and Nantyffyllon 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Evans** Unopposed
Labour hold

Maesteg, East and West[edit]

Maesteg East and West 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Jenkins* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Mountain Ash[edit]

The sitting member, the Hon. John Bruce (Ind) stood down and Labour gained the seat without a contest.[1]

Mountain Ash 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Justin Lewis Unopposed
Labour gain from Independent Swing

Neath (North)[edit]

Neath (North) 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent David Griffith Davies* 1,336
Labour J.W. Morgan 1,042
Majority 294
Independent hold Swing

Neath (South)[edit]

Neath (South) 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charles P. Huins 1,679
Independent Col. R.G. Llewellyn 912
Majority 767
Labour hold Swing

Newcastle[edit]

Newcastle 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rev Horatio R. Protheroe* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Ogmore Valley[edit]

Ogmore Valley 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Communist Frederick Arthur Llewellyn* 1,963
Labour Stanley James Moore 833
Majority 1,130
Communist hold Swing

Penarth North[edit]

Penarth North 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour H.J. Cook 1,001
Independent F.R. Cratchley 801
Majority 200
Labour gain from Independent Swing

Penarth South[edit]

Penarth South 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent D.B. Jones Unopposed
Independent hold Swing

Pencoed[edit]

Pencoed 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mervyn W. Paine* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Penrhiwceiber[edit]

Penrhiwceiber 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John William Bath* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Pentre[edit]

Pentre 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Tye Andrews* 1,609
Communist Abigail Evans 765
Majority 844
Labour hold Swing

Pontardawe[edit]

Pontardawe 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Daniel Davies** Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Pontyclun[edit]

Pontyclun 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Johnson Miles* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Port Talbot East[edit]

Port Talbot East 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Thomas** Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Port Talbot West[edit]

Port Talbot West 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Llewelyn David* Unopposed
Independent hold Swing

Porthcawl[edit]

Porthcawl 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent W.A. Howell* Unopposed
Independent hold Swing

Pontlottyn[edit]

Pontlottyn 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour W.A. Hancock* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Pontypridd Town[edit]

Pontypridd Town 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jesse Powderhill* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Penygraig[edit]

Penygraig 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Churchill* 2,148
Independent William John Gribble 981
Majority 1,267
Labour hold Swing

Porth[edit]

Porth 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
People's Candidate Daniel Jones 1,067
Labour John Talfryn Llewellyn 1,008
Majority 59
Independent hold Swing

Swansea Valley[edit]

Swansea Valley 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Jenkins* Unopposed N/A N/A
Labour hold

Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch[edit]

Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Rogers* 1,484
Communist David John Griffiths 711
Independent Harold Whitton Davies 584
Independent Evan Jones 97
Majority 773
Labour hold Swing

Trealaw[edit]

Trealaw 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Communist Lewis Jones 1,945
Labour Richard Jones 1,315
Majority 630
Communist hold Swing

Treforest[edit]

Treforest 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Hopkin J. Smith 1,840
Labour Arthur James Chick* 1,836
Majority 4
Independent gain from Labour Swing

Treherbert[edit]

Treherbert 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Edward Williams* 2,856
Independent Edwin Jenkins 402
Majority 2,454
Labour hold Swing

Treorchy[edit]

Treorchy 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Hughes* Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Tylorstown[edit]

Tylorstown 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Lewis** Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Vale of Neath[edit]

Vale of Neath 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour William A. Betty* 2,557
Plaid Cymru Oliver J. Evans 1,083
Independent J.W. Davies 659
Majority 1,474
Labour hold Swing

Ynyshir[edit]

Ynyshir 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Walter Robins 1,192
People's Candidate Morgan Benjamin 1,177
Majority 15
Labour hold Swing

Ystalyfera[edit]

Ystalyfera 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alice Williams* 2,051
Plaid Cymru Wynne Samuel 873
Majority 1,176
Labour hold Swing

Ystrad[edit]

Ystrad 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Walter Henry Winter* 1,235
Communist Edwin Brinley Roberts 881
Independent David Jenkins 871
Majority 354
Labour hold Swing

Election of Aldermen[edit]

In addition to the 66 councillors the council consisted of 22 county aldermen. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term. Following the 1937 election, there were eleven Aldermanic vacancies, and the retiring aldermen were all re-elected.[3]

The following retiring aldermen were re-elected:

  • William Bowen (Lab, Llanfabon)
  • David Daniel Davies (Lab, Pontardawe)
  • Rose Davies (Lab, Aberaman)
  • John Evans (Lab, Maesteg)
  • Johnson Dicks (Lab, Abercynon)
  • E.H. Fleming (Lab, Hopkinstown)
  • William Jenkins (Lab, Glyncorrwg)
  • Caradoc Jones (Lab, Llandeilo Talybont)
  • David Lewis (Lab, Tylorstown)
  • Dorothy Rees (Lab, Barry Dock)
  • John Thomas (Lab, Port Talbot)

By-elections[edit]

Eleven vacancies were caused by the election of aldermen.

Aberaman by-election[edit]

Aberaman by-election 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sydney Herbert Stephens*
Labour hold Swing

Abercynon by-election[edit]

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour
Independent
Majority
Labour gain from Independent Swing

Barry Dock by-election[edit]

Labour lost the by-election held following the re-election of Dorothy Rees to the aldermanic bench.[4] The Labour candidate had been elected following Rees's original election as alderman three years previously and at the recent election had unsuccessfully contested the neighbouring Barry ward.

Barry Dock by-election 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent J. Edward Smith 2,080
Labour W. East* 1,783
Majority 297
Independent gain from Labour Swing

Glyncorrwg by-election[edit]

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour
Independent
Majority
Labour gain from Independent Swing

Hopkinstown by-election[edit]

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour
Independent
Majority
Labour gain from Independent Swing

Llandeilo Talybont by-election[edit]

Llandeilo Talybont
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Llewellyn Davies 1,501
Labour J. Powell 1,378
Majority
Independent gain from Labour Swing

Llanfabon by-election[edit]

Llanfabon by-election 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charles Herbert Davies 1,387
Independent Rev. Henry Withers 798
Majority 589
Labour hold Swing

Maesteg by-election[edit]

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour
Independent
Majority
Labour gain from Independent Swing

Pontardawe by-election[edit]

Pontardawe by-election 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charles Williams Unopposed
Labour hold Swing

Port Talbot by-election[edit]

Joe Brown, former agent to Ramsay Macdonald when he was MP for Abervaron, failed to gain the Labour nomination and ran as an Independent.[5]

Port Talbot by-election 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Llewellyn Heycock 1,817
Independent Joseph A. Brown 1,248
Majority 569
Labour hold Swing

Tylorstown by-election[edit]

Tylorstown by-election 1937
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour John Mardy Evans* 1,977
Communist George Edward Maslin 584
Independent David John 284
Majority 1,393
Labour hold Swing

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Nominations for County Council Elections. Many Unopposed Returns in Glamorgan and Gwent". Western Mail. 16 February 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Glamorgan and Gwent Elections. Little Change in Position of Parties". Western Mail. 2 March 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  3. ^ "County Councillors's Plea to Boycott "Western Mail"". Western Mail. 19 March 1937. p. 12. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  4. ^ "County Council By-Elections". Western Mail. 20 April 1937. p. 10. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Councillor J.A. Brown Leaves Labour Party". Port Talbot Guardian. 14 April 1937. p. 1. Retrieved 20 April 2021.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Williams, Chris (1996). Democratic Rhondda: Politics and society 1885-1951. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.
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