1937 Glamorgan County Council election
1937 Welsh local government 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
Labour's comfortable majority on the council, including the aldermanic bench, remained unchanged.
Boundary changes
There were no boundary changes at this election.
Candidates
Many candidates were returned unopposed.[1]
Contested elections
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
Labour retained their majority, losing two seats but gaining three.[2]
Results
Aberaman
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Florence Rose Davies** | Unopposed | N/A | N/A | |
| Labour hold | |||||
Aberavon
Abercynon
Aberdare Town
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Thomas Alwyn John | 1,292 | |||
| Labour | Tom Williams | 977 | |||
| Independent | Henry Cohen | 242 | |||
| Majority | 315 | ||||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Bargoed
Barry
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.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Dudley Thomas Howe* | 2,304 | |||
| Labour | W. East* | 2,004 | |||
| Majority | 300 | ||||
| Independent gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Barry Dock
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Dorothy Rees** | 1,965 | |||
| Independent | G. Edward Smith | 1,762 | |||
| Majority | 203 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Blaengwawr
Bridgend
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | William W. Phillips* | Unopposed | |||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Briton Ferry
Cadoxton
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Digby Smith | 1,499 | |||
| Independent | A.L. Davies | 1,158 | |||
| Majority | 341 | ||||
| Labour gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Caerphilly
Cilfynydd
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Arthur Pearson* | Unopposed | |||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Coedffranc
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | D.T. Jenkins | 2,916 | |||
| Independent | Isaac David | 1,798 | |||
| Majority | 1,118 | ||||
| Labour gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Cowbridge
Cwm Aber
Cwmavon
Cymmer
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | John James Garwood* | 1,167 | |||
| Independent | Evan Thomas | 485 | |||
| Majority | 682 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Dinas Powys
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Ivor Broadbent Thomas* | Unopposed | |||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Dulais Valley
Ferndale
Gadlys
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Thomas Phillips* | 1,802 | |||
| Labour | David Idris Bruton | 796 | |||
| Majority | 1,006 | ||||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Garw Valley
Glyncorrwg
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Sir William Jenkins** | Unopposed | |||
| Labour hold | |||||
Gower
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Fredrick William Davies | 2,083 | |||
| Labour | Stanley Jones | 1,480 | |||
| Majority | 603 | ||||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Hengoed
Hopkinstown
Kibbor
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Edgar L. Chappell | 1,769 | |||
| Independent | John Kane | 1,400 | |||
| Majority | 369 | ||||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Castell Coch
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Sir Lewis Lougher* | 1,458 | |||
| Labour | Edward Harry Follis | 606 | |||
| Majority | 852 | ||||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Llandeilo Talybont
Llanfabon
Llwydcoed
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Martha Emma Jones* | Unopposed | |||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Llwynypia
Loughor
Maesteg, Caerau and Nantyffyllon
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | John Evans** | Unopposed | |||
| Labour hold | |||||
Maesteg, East and West
Mountain Ash
The sitting member, the Hon. John Bruce (Ind) stood down and Labour gained the seat without a contest.[1]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Justin Lewis | Unopposed | |||
| Labour gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Neath (North)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | David Griffith Davies* | 1,336 | |||
| Labour | J.W. Morgan | 1,042 | |||
| Majority | 294 | ||||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Neath (South)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Charles P. Huins | 1,679 | |||
| Independent | Col. R.G. Llewellyn | 912 | |||
| Majority | 767 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Newcastle
Ogmore Valley
Penarth North
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | H.J. Cook | 1,001 | |||
| Independent | F.R. Cratchley | 801 | |||
| Majority | 200 | ||||
| Labour gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Penarth South
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | D.B. Jones | Unopposed | |||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Pencoed
Penrhiwceiber
Pentre
Pontardawe
Pontyclun
Port Talbot East
Port Talbot West
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Llewelyn David* | Unopposed | |||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Porthcawl
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | W.A. Howell* | Unopposed | |||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Pontlottyn
Pontypridd Town
Penygraig
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Thomas Churchill* | 2,148 | |||
| Independent | William John Gribble | 981 | |||
| Majority | 1,267 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Porth
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People's Candidate | Daniel Jones | 1,067 | |||
| Labour | John Talfryn Llewellyn | 1,008 | |||
| Majority | 59 | ||||
| Independent hold | Swing | ||||
Swansea Valley
Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch
| 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
Treforest
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Hopkin J. Smith | 1,840 | |||
| Labour | Arthur James Chick* | 1,836 | |||
| Majority | 4 | ||||
| Independent gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Treherbert
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | David Edward Williams* | 2,856 | |||
| Independent | Edwin Jenkins | 402 | |||
| Majority | 2,454 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Treorchy
Tylorstown
Vale of Neath
| 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
Ystalyfera
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Alice Williams* | 2,051 | |||
| Plaid Cymru | Wynne Samuel | 873 | |||
| Majority | 1,176 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Ystrad
Election of Aldermen
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
Eleven vacancies were caused by the election of aldermen.
Aberaman by-election
Abercynon by-election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | |||||
| Independent | |||||
| Majority | |||||
| Labour gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Barry Dock by-election
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.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | J. Edward Smith | 2,080 | |||
| Labour | W. East* | 1,783 | |||
| Majority | 297 | ||||
| Independent gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Glyncorrwg by-election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | |||||
| Independent | |||||
| Majority | |||||
| Labour gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Hopkinstown by-election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | |||||
| Independent | |||||
| Majority | |||||
| Labour gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Llandeilo Talybont by-election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Llewellyn Davies | 1,501 | |||
| Labour | J. Powell | 1,378 | |||
| Majority | |||||
| Independent gain from Labour | Swing | ||||
Llanfabon by-election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Charles Herbert Davies | 1,387 | |||
| Independent | Rev. Henry Withers | 798 | |||
| Majority | 589 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Maesteg by-election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | |||||
| Independent | |||||
| Majority | |||||
| Labour gain from Independent | Swing | ||||
Pontardawe by-election
Port Talbot by-election
Joe Brown, former agent to Ramsay Macdonald when he was MP for Aberavon, failed to gain the Labour nomination and ran as an Independent.[5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Llewellyn Heycock | 1,817 | |||
| Independent | Joseph A. Brown | 1,248 | |||
| Majority | 569 | ||||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||