1937 Cardiganshire County Council election

The sixteenth election to Cardiganshire County Council took place in March 1937. It was preceded by the 1934 election and, after those scheduled for 1940 and 1943 were postponed due to the Second World War, by the 1946 election.

Candidates

36 of the 50 councillors were returned unopposed and this resulted in fourteen contests, one fewer than three years previously^[1] Political affiliations did not feature in the election.

Retiring aldermen

Eight aldermen retired, of whom four sought election.

Contested elections

Following the fourteen contests, three retiring members (including one who withdrew too late to be removed from the ballot paper) were defeated while two retiring aldermen were defeated by incumbent councillors.^[2]

Outcome

Very little change took place as a result of an election in which only one sitting member lost his seat.

Results

Aberaeron

Aberaeron 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Mary Nesta Poulgrain*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberbanc

Aberbanc 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Ieuan John Luke	501
	Independent	Benjamin John Davies*	423
Majority			78
	Independent gain from Independent		Swing

Aberporth

Aberporth 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Rev Evan Melinfab Lewis	453
	Independent	Thomas Rhys Williams	179
Majority			274
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 1

Aberystwyth Division 1 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Edwards*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 2

Aberystwyth Division 2 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Capt. B. Taylor Lloyd	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 3

Aberystwyth Division 3 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	J. Barclay Jenkins*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 4

Aberystwyth Division 4 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	T.C. Jenkins*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 5

Aberystwyth Division 5 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Mrs M.E. Roberts*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 6

Aberystwyth Division 6 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Llewellyn Samuel*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Aeron

Aeron 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Evan Thomas Davies*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Borth

Borth 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Jones*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Bow Street

Bow Street 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Edward James*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Cardigan North

Cardigan North 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Hubert Maxwell Davies*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Cardigan South

Cardigan South 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Evans*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Cilcennin

Cilcennin 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Evan Evans	262
	Independent	Henry Lewis*	205
Majority			57
	Independent gain from Independent		Swing

Cwmrheidol

Cwmrheidol 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Llew J. Lewis	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Devil's Bridge

Devil's Bridge 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	J.G. Morris Davies**	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Felinfach

Felinfach 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Mrs Gladys Mary Douglas*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Goginan

Goginan 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	John Williams*	204
	Independent	William Thomas*	192
Majority			12
	Independent hold		Swing

Lampeter Borough

Lampeter Borough 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Lewis*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanarth

Llanarth 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Rev J.M. Lloyd Thomas*	368
	Independent	David Christmas Evans	214
Majority			154
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanbadarn Fawr

Llanbadarn Fawr 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Emile Thomas Evans*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanddewi Brefi

Llanddewi Brefi 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rev John Ellis Williams*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandygwydd

Llandygwydd 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David James*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandysul North

Llandysul North 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Josiah Richard Jones*	323
	Independent	Griffith Davies	250
Majority			73
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandysul South

Llandysul South 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Lewis*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llansysiliogogo

Llandysiliogogo 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Rees Williams*	285
	Independent	James Elias Jones+	220
Majority			65
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanfair Clydogau

Llanfair Clydogau 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Joseph Gwyn Evans*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanfarian

Llanfarian 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Richard Jones*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanfihangel y Creuddyn

Llanfihangel y Creuddyn 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Daniel Evans*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llangoedmor

Llangoedmor 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Evan Davies*	314
	Independent	T.D. Roberts	174
Majority			140
	Independent hold		Swing

Llangeitho

Llangeitho 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Daniel Lodwick Herbert*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llangrannog

Llangrannog 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Williams*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanilar

Llanilar 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	R.J.R. Loxdale+	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanrhystyd

Llanrhystyd 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rowland Hugh Jones*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanllwchaiarn

Llanllwchaiarn 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Evan Parry Jenkins*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llansantffraed

Llansantffraed 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Capt. David Morgan*	304
	Independent	Isaac Frederick Jones	190
Majority			114
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanwnen

Llanwnen 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Evans*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanwenog

Llanwenog 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Meredith Ll. Gwarnant Williams*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Lledrod

Lledrod 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Richard David Herbert**	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Nantcwnlle

Nantcwnlle 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	John Edwardes Rogers Lewis	160
	Independent	John Lloyd Edwardes	134
Majority			26
	Independent hold		Swing

New Quay

New Quay 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	David Oswald Davies	318
	Independent	Jack Evans	287
Majority			31
	Independent hold		Swing

Penbryn

Penbryn 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	David Lloyd Thomas	259
	Independent	John William Lewis+	235
Majority			24
	Independent hold		Swing

Strata Florida

Strata Florida 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Morgan Jones*	239
	Independent	William James Jones	159
Majority			80
	Independent hold		Swing

Taliesin

Taliesin 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Basil Jones*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Talybont

Talybont 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rev Fred Jones*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Trefeurig

Trefeurig 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Richard R. Davies	113
	Independent	John Thomas	110
	Independent	William James*	5
Majority			3
	Independent gain from Independent		Swing

Tregaron

Tregaron 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Roderick Lloyd*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Troedyraur

Troedyraur 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Evans*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Ysbyty Ystwyth

Ysbyty Ystwyth 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Joshua Davies*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Election of Aldermen

In addition to the 50 councillors the council consisted of 16 county aldermen. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term. Following the 1937 election, there were eight aldermanic vacancies which were filled at the annual meeting.^[3] There was some controversy due to the fact that the principle did seniority was not observed in the selection of aldermen. The following retiring aldermen were re-elected:

Sir D.C. Roberts, Aberystwyth
R.J.R. Loxdale, Llanilar
J.G. Morris Davies, Devil's Bridge
E.J. Davies, New Quay
W.E. Matthews, Cardigan

In addition, the following four new aldermen were elected:

David Evans, Troeduraur
Meredydd Ll.G. Williams, Llanwenog
Rev John Ellis Williams, Llanddewi Brefi

The following retiring aldermen had been re-elected as members of the council but were not re-elected as aldermen:

R.D. Herbert, Lledrod

The five re-elected aldermen had served at least two previous terms while Meredith Gwarnant Williams had been an alderman from 1922 until 1928.

By-elections

Five by-elections were held following the election of aldermen.^[4] Morgan Davies was returned unopposed at Llanddewi Brefi as was the incumbent councillor at Llanilar, James Isaac, who had stood down in favour of Alderman Loxdale. New members were elected for the three other divisions, including Devil's Bridge where the veteran member T. Mason Jones, who had returned to the council in 1934 after fifteen years absence did not stand due to ill health.

Devil's Bridge by-election

Devil's Bridge by-election 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Rev T. Noah Jones	180
	Independent	Morgan Morgan	129
Majority			51
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanddewi Brefi by-election

Llanddewi Brefi by-election 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Morgan Davies	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanilar by-election

Llanilar by-election 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	James Isaac*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanwenog by-election

Llanwenog by-election 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	David Lloyd James	391
	Independent	J. Elias Jones	213
Majority			178
	Independent hold		Swing

Troedyraur by-election

Troedyraur by-election 1937
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	James Jenkins Davies	484
	Independent	Owen Evans	331
Majority			153
	Independent hold		Swing

References

^ "Cardiganshire County Council. The Triennial Elections. Contests in 14 Divisions". Welsh Gazette. 25 February 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
^ "Cardiganshire County Council. Election Results". Welsh Gazette. 11 March 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
^ "Cardiganshire County Council. New Chairman's Advice". Welsh Gazette. 18 March 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
^ "Cardiganshire County Council. Results of By-Elections". Welsh Gazette. 22 April 1934. p. 4. Retrieved 25 May 2022.

[WG_250237_Cards_noms-1] "Cardiganshire County Council. The Triennial Elections. Contests in 14 Divisions". Welsh Gazette. 25 February 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 20 May 2022.

[110337_WG_results-2] "Cardiganshire County Council. Election Results". Welsh Gazette. 11 March 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 23 May 2022.

[180337_WG_AGM-3] "Cardiganshire County Council. New Chairman's Advice". Welsh Gazette. 18 March 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 25 May 2022.

[220437_by-el_WG-4] "Cardiganshire County Council. Results of By-Elections". Welsh Gazette. 22 April 1934. p. 4. Retrieved 25 May 2022.

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