1937 Neath Rural District Council election

An election to the Neath Rural District Council in West Glamorgan, Wales was held in April 1937. It was preceded by the 1934 election and was followed, as the 1940 and 1943 elections were postponed due to the Second World War, by the 1946 election. ^[1]

Overview of the results

Having won control of the authority for the first time in 1934, Labour consolidated their position by winning a number of additional seats across the area with the Independent group, which previously controlled the authority, reduced to only six members. ^[1]

Candidates

Most seats were contested although a number of Labour candidates were returned unopposed including former chairmen William Jones (Tonmawr) and John James (Onllwyn) even though they had fallen out with their own party a few months earlier. ^[2]

A feature of the election was the decision of a number of long-serving Independent members not to seek re-election. These included Ogley David, father of the Council and a member for many years, who had also recently stood down from the Glamorgan County Council. His brother, Isaac David, also stood down. ^[2]

Outcome

Labour captured a number of seats from the Independents, including two vacated by Independents at Blaenrhonddan, another two at Skewen (where the former Glamorgan county councillor W.P. Jenkins headed the poll), and a further seat at Crynant. Labour also regained the seat of Resolven lost at a by-election a few years previously. ^[1]

Ward results

Baglan Higher (one seat)

Baglan Higher 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Jones*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Blaengwrach (one seats)

Blaengwrach 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Albert Vowles*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Blaenrhonddan (three seats)

Blaenrhonddan 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J.T. Evans*	1.055
	Labour	William R. Griffiths	701
	Labour	Albert John	616
	Independent	Daniel Jones	602
	Independent	David Peregrine Richards	402
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Clyne (one seats)

Clyne 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Charles R. Kimber*	225
	Independent	Thomas A. Davies	188
Majority			37
	Labour hold		Swing

Coedffranc (five seats)

Coedffranc 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	W.P. Jenkins	1,764
	Independent Labour	Mary Elizabeth Davies*	1,617
	Independent	Amy Jones*	1,519
	Labour	David Jenkins*	1,382
	Labour	William Davies	1,377
	Labour	C.W. Rushby	1,275
	Labour	Thomas Lovering	1,083
	Independent	Mary Jane Reid	1,013
	Independent	W.T.A. Macamara	1,009
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing
	Independent Labour gain from Labour		Swing
	Independent hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Dyffryn Clydach (two seats)

Dyffryn Clydach 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Communist	Alun C. Thomas	436
	Independent	David Williams	387
	Independent	Joseph Thomas*	274
	Labour	Percy Cantle	265
	Independent	David Johns	122
	Communist gain from Labour		Swing
	Independent hold		Swing

Dulais Higher, Crynant Ward (one seat)

Dulais Higher, Crynant Ward 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John James	334
	Independent	Daniel Davies	255
Majority			79
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Dulais Higher, Onllwyn Ward (one seat)

Dulais Higher, Onllwyn Ward 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John James*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Dulais Higher, Seven Sisters Ward (two seats)

Dulais Higher, Seven Sisters Ward 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	George Jones*	747
	Independent	W.P. Harries*	554
	Labour	George Adams	450
	Labour hold		Swing
	Independent hold		Swing

Dulais Lower (one seat)

Dulais Lower 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J.S. George*	396
	Independent	Llewellyn Davies	183
Majority			213
	Labour hold		Swing

Michaelstone Higher (one seat)

Michaelstone Higher 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Patrick Boyle	272
	Independent	William H. Crouch	165
Majority			107
	Labour hold		Swing

Neath Higher (three seats)

Neath Higher 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Arthur*	947
	Labour	Cliff Protheroe*	931
	Labour	Morgan Morgan*	861
	Labour	Stephen Jeffreys	573
	Independent hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

Neath Lower (one seat)

Neath Lower 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Samuel Burnard*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Resolven, Cwmgwrach Ward (one seat)

Resolven, Cwmgwrach Ward 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Edward John Ateyo	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Resolven, Resolven Ward (two seats)

Resolven, Resolven Ward 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Richard Geary	718
	Independent	David John Evans*	517
	Independent	Mary Jenkins*	378
	Independent	Benjamin Jones	344
	Independent	John William Davies	109
	Labour gain from		Swing
	Independent hold		Swing

Resolven, Rhigos Ward (two seats)

Resolven, Rhigos Ward 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rees Morgan Smith*	396
	Labour	Richard George Norman	323
	Labour	Henry Walters	317
	Independent hold		Swing
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Resolven, Tonna Ward (one seat)

Resolven, Tonna Ward 1937

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Gethin Thomas	362
	Independent	Haydn Evans	358
Majority			4
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

References

1. "Socialist Party Triumphs in Rural Council Elections. Sweeping Victories All Over Area". Neath Guardian. 9 April 1937. p. 1. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
2. "Neath Rural Council Election Prospects. Many Old Faces To Disappear". Neath Guardian. 25 March 1937. p. 1. Retrieved 8 December 2022.