1937 Carmarthenshire County Council election

1937 Carmarthenshire County Council election
← 1934 1946 →
All 57 seats to Carmarthenshire County Council; 29 seats needed for a majority
	Council control after election ; TBD;

An election to the Carmarthenshire County Council was held in March 1937. It was preceded by the 1934 election. Due to the Second World War no elections were held in 1940 and 1943 therefore the 1937 election was followed by the 1946 election.

Overview of the result

As in all previous inter-war elections, the Independent group won a majority of the seats and this majority was bolstered by holding the majority of the aldermanic seats also. By 1937 the Labour Party held almost all the seats in the industrial eastern part of the county.

Boundary changes

There were a number of boundary changes at this election. In Carmarthen town the boundaries were redrawn, reducing the number of wards from four to three. In Llanelli, in contrast, the number of wards were increased from eight to nine following a similar process. An additional ward was also created in Ammanford and new wards at Pontyberem and Trimsaran.^[1]

Other wards were renamed or had their boundaries slightly altered.

Candidates

Around half the wards were uncontested, mainly in the rural areas. At Kidwelly, Sir Alfred Stephens, a member of the Council since 1898 (apart from a short interval between 1907 and 1910) decided to retire.^[2]

Outcome

A similar number of contests took place compared with 1934. This included contests in rural areas between rival Independent candidates. Overall, Labour gained four seats, including three of the newly created wards.^[1]

In the Llanelli area, six Labour candidates were returned unopposed including for the new Llanelly Division 7 and Pontyberem wards.^[3] The owner of the Llanelly Star, Brinley Jones, was defeated by a Labour candidate, and Labour gained another seat in Burry Port. In Llanelly Ward 3, Haddon Jones was displaced by another Independent, Jim Jones, while in Ward 4, Martin Edwards, a member of Llanelly Borough Council won the seat previously held by the late Tom Charles.^[3] In Ward 8, W. Powell Rees, who had lost his borough council seat to Communist Brin James in 1935, now faced the same oppoenent in the county election. On this occasion, however, Rees won very comfortably. Much attention was also focused on Lady Howard Stepney's successful campaign in Pembrey ward.^[3]

Ward results

Abergwili

Abergwili 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Davies*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Ammanford No.1

Boundary Change.

Ammanford No.1 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Harries	unopposed
	Labour win (new seat)

Ammanford No.2

Boundary Change.

Ammanford No.2 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Frank Davies*	708
Independent	David Jones	487
Labour win (new seat)

Berwick

Berwick 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	T.S. Bowen*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Burry Port

Boundary Change.

Burry Port 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	W.D. Jenkins	993
Independent	F.J. Morgan	672
Labour win (new seat)

Caio

Caio 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	Thomas Davies	438
Independent	Isaac Williams*	297
Independent hold		Swing

Carmarthen Division 1

Carmarthen Division 1 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Jones*	unopposed
	Independent win (new seat)

Carmarthen Division 2

Carmarthen Division 2 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	H.S. Holmes*	unopposed
	Independent win (new seat)

Carmarthen Division 3

Carmarthen Division 3 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	J. Ithel P. Thomas*	unopposed
	Independent win (new seat)

Cenarth

Cenarth 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ellenora James*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Cilycwm

Cilycwm 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ivor Elystan Campbell Davys*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Conwil

Conwil 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	J.J. Evans*	523
Independent	J.W.L. Harries	222
Independent hold		Swing

Cwmamman

Cwmamman 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	John Phillips*	1,068
Independent	D.M. Richards	735
Independent hold		Swing

Hengoed

Hengoed 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Joseph Howells*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Kidwelly

Kidwelly 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	J. Amos Jones	708
Independent	H.J. Owen	378
Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Laugharne

Laugharne 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	S.B. Williams*	612
Labour	Owen Williams	197
Independent hold		Swing

Llanarthney

Llanarthney 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Edgar Lewis*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llanboidy

Llanboidy 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Benjamin Salmon*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandebie North

Llandebie North 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	David O. Davies	702
	Labour	Gwilym R. Thomas*	666
Majority
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing

Llandebie South

Llandebie South 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D.B. Lewis*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llandilo Rural

Llandilo Rural 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Evan Davies*	708
	Independent	J.W. Nicholas	660
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandilo Urban

Llandilo Urban 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Benjamin Hughes*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandovery

Llandovery 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	Harry Vaughan Watkins*	586
Labour	James James	220
Independent hold		Swing

Llandyssilio

Llandyssilio 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Henry Morris*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanedy

Llanedy 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Thomas William Morgan*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llanegwad

Llanegwad 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	Griffith Evans*	576
Independent	Wynne Davies	265
Independent hold		Swing

Llanelly Division 1

Boundary Change

Llanelly Division 1 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	Daniel Roberts*	1,141
Ind. Labour Party	J.G. Davies	465
Independent win (new seat)

Llanelly Division 2

Boundary Change

Llanelly Division 2 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	W.T. Griffiths	565
Independent	Brinley R. Jones*	486
Labour win (new seat)

Llanelly Division 3

Boundary Change

Llanelly Division 3 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	James Jones	400
	Labour	C.R. Rees	309
	Independent	D. Haddon Jones*	252
Majority
	Independent win (new seat)

Llanelly Division 4

Boundary Change

Llanelly Division 4 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Martin L. Edwards	598
	Labour	D.J. Charles	512
Majority
	Independent win (new seat)

Llanelly Division 5

Boundary Change

Llanelly Division 5 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Gwen Trubshaw*	666
	Communist	E.F. Seaward	25
Majority
	Independent win (new seat)

Llanelly Division 6

Boundary Change

Llanelly Division 6 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W. Douglas Hughes*	unopposed
	Labour win (new seat)

Llanelly Division 7

Boundary Change

Llanelly Division 7 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Llewellyn Evans	unopposed
	Labour win (new seat)

Llanelly Division 8

Boundary Change

Llanelly Division 8 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	W. Powell Rees*	857
Communist	Brin James	212
Independent win (new seat)

Llanelly Division 9

Boundary Change

Llanelly Division 8 1934
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	A.H. Olive*	1,077
Labour	R.S. Beynon	191
Independent win (new seat)

Llanfihangel Aberbythick

Llanfihangel Aberbythick 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W.J. Evans*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth 1934
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	E. Haydn Davies*	612
Independent	E.J. Lewis	298
Independent hold		Swing

Llangadock

Llangadock 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	W.T. Morgan	536
Independent	R.E. Williams*	493
Independent hold		Swing

Llangeler

Llangeler 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	R.G. Owen*	851
Independent	Thomas Jones	431
Independent hold		Swing

Llangendeirne

Llangendeirne 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	James Jenkins*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llangennech

Llangennech 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D.J. Davies*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llangunnor

Llangunnor 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	William Edwards*	528
Independent	J.J. Bowen	384
Independent hold		Swing

Llanon

Llanon 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Rees Morgan*	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Llansawel

Llansawel 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Morgan	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanstephan

Llanstephan 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	T.Ll. Haries*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanybyther

Llanybyther 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Benjamin Edward Davies	585
	Independent	W. James Williams*	529
Majority
	Independent hold		Swing

Myddfai

Myddfai 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W.R. Clement*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Pembrey

Boundary Change

Pembrey 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	Lady Howard Stepney	799
Labour	J.J. Davies	586
Independent win (new seat)

Pontyberem

Boundary Change

Pontyberem 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	David John Jones	unopposed
	Labour win (new seat)

Quarter Bach

Quarter Bach 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Watkin Davies	unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Rhydcymmerai

Rhydcymmerai 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Thomas*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

St Clears

St Clears 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Joseph David Rees*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

St Ishmael

St Ishmael 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	E.H. Stephens*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Trelech

Trelech 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Independent	Lewis L. Bowen*	525
Independent	J.E. Jones	295
Independent hold		Swing

Trimsaran

Boundary Change

Trimsaran 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Gomer Evans*	unopposed
	Labour win (new seat)

Westfa and Glyn

Westfa and Glyn 1937
	Candidate	Votes
Labour	Emrys Aubrey*	1,256
Independent Labour	I.J. Haries	428
Labour hold		Swing

Whitland

Whitland 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Thomas Lewis Phillips*	unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Election of aldermen

In addition to the 57 councillors the council included an aldermanic bench amounting to a third of the number of elected councillors. Following the creation of additional wards an extra aldermanic seat was created. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term.

Following the elections the ten retiring aldermen were re-elected and Gwendoline Trubshaw, the new chairman of the Council, elected to the additional aldermanic seat created as a result of redistribution.^[4]

By-elections 1937-46

1937 Llanelly Division 5 by-election

A by-election was held in May due to the elevation of Gwendoline Trubshaw, the current chair of Carmarthenshire County Council, to the aldermanic bench. The Labour candidate secured a narrow victory over a former long-serving member of the Llanelly Borough Council.^[5]

Llanelly Division 3 by-election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Daniel Ll. Richards	286
	Independent	T. Hay Samuel	245

1938 Llanelly Division 8 by-election

A by-election was held in May due to the elevation of W. Powell Rees to the aldermanic bench following the death of Alderman Joseph Roberts. The Rev. Waldo Roberts, minister of Bethel Baptist Chapel was returned unopposed.^[6] He had previously served on Boards of Guardians at Neath and Holyhead.

Llanelly Division 8 by-election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rev F. Waldo Roberts	Unopposed

1939 Llanelly Division 8 by-election

Having servved as a county councillor for less than a year, the Rev. Waldo Roberts died in April 1939.^[7] At the by-election, Fred Howells held the seat for the Independents.^[8]

Llanelly Division 8 by-election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Fred Howells	446
	Labour	T.M. Price	215

References

^ ^a ^b "County Council Election. New Constitution of Bigger Body. Independents Lose One Seat: Labour Gain Four". Welshman. 12 March 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
^ "36 Years' Public Service. Sir Alfred Stephens Leaves County Council". Welshman. 5 March 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Surprises in County Council Elections. Two Independents Lose their Seats". Llanelly Star. 6 March 1937. p. 1. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
^ "County Aldermen Re-Elected". Llanelly Star. 20 March 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
^ "Socialist Wins Division 5 Bye-Election. 41 Votes Majority Over Former Mayor". Llanelly Star. 8 May 1937. p. 1.
^ "Unopposed Return of Bethel Pastor to County Council". Llanelly Star. 21 May 1938. p. 3.
^ "Death of Rev. Waldo Roberts. Bethel Pastor's Interest in Public Affairs". Llanelly Star. 29 April 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
^ "County Council By-Election". Llanelly Star. 29 July 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 9 December 2024.

[W_12-3-37_results-1] "County Council Election. New Constitution of Bigger Body. Independents Lose One Seat: Labour Gain Four". Welshman. 12 March 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 12 September 2024.

[W_5-3-37_AS-2] "36 Years' Public Service. Sir Alfred Stephens Leaves County Council". Welshman. 5 March 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 12 September 2024.

[LS_6-3-37-3] "Surprises in County Council Elections. Two Independents Lose their Seats". Llanelly Star. 6 March 1937. p. 1. Retrieved 28 November 2024.

[Star_20-3-37-4] "County Aldermen Re-Elected". Llanelly Star. 20 March 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 12 September 2024.

[LS_8-5-37-5] "Socialist Wins Division 5 Bye-Election. 41 Votes Majority Over Former Mayor". Llanelly Star. 8 May 1937. p. 1.

[LS_26-3-38-6] "Unopposed Return of Bethel Pastor to County Council". Llanelly Star. 21 May 1938. p. 3.

[="LS-7] "Death of Rev. Waldo Roberts. Bethel Pastor's Interest in Public Affairs". Llanelly Star. 29 April 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 9 December 2024.

[LS_8-5-37LS_29-7-39-8] "County Council By-Election". Llanelly Star. 29 July 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 9 December 2024.

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