1958 Cardiganshire County Council election

The twenty-first election to Cardiganshire County Council took place in April 1958. It was preceded by the 1955 election and followed by the 1961 election.

Candidates

41 candidates were returned unopposed resulting in only nine contests. ^[1]

Eight aldermen retired, of whom four sought election. Retiring councillors stood down in favour of aldermen in Aberystwyth, Llanllwchaiarn and at Bow Street, where D.R. Morgan, first elected in 1922, was again returned. At Aberporth, however, retiring alderman the Rev. Evan Melinfab Lewis was opposed by the retiring councillor, the Rev. Tegryn Davies.

Outcome

With only four contests, attention focused entirely on the contest at Aberporth between the retiring alderman and councillor, both of whom were nonconformist ministers. Evan Melinfab Lewis, Baptist minister at Penparc, was a previous chairman of the council and a member since 1937, while Tegryn Davies was the Congregational minister at Aberporth. Denominationlism featured prominently in the contest and on a turnout of 88%, Davies was returned. It was reported that the crowd that gathered at Aberporth to hear the result was among the largest ever seen at a Cardiganshire local authority election. Two other sitting members were also defeated. ^[2]

Results

Aberaeron

Aberaeron 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Evan John Thomas*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberbanc

Aberbanc 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Dr Stanley George Budd*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberporth

Aberporth 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rev Tegryn Davies*	668
	Independent	Rev Evan Melinfab Lewis+	477
Majority			191
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 1

Aberystwyth Division 1 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	J. Caleb Edwards	422
	Independent	William Williams	317
Majority			105
	Labour hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 2

Aberystwyth Division 2 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Gwendoline Calan Evans+	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 3

Aberystwyth Division 3 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ryland Kenneth Clues*	386
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 4

Aberystwyth Division 4 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Richard Rowlands	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 5

Aberystwyth Division 5 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Richard Jenkin Ellis*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 6

Aberystwyth Division 6 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Gwendolen Eluned Jones*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Aeron

Aeron 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Evan Hughes*	Unopposed
	Independent	Lewis Phillips	223
Majority			112
	Independent hold		Swing

Borth

Borth 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W. Jones Morris	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Bow Street

Bow Street 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Rees Morgan+	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Cardigan North

Cardigan North 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Arthur Thomas*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Cardigan South

Cardigan South 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Albert Hallam*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Cilcennin

Cilcennin 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	L.E. Jones	298
	Independent	William Jenkin Jones*	238
Majority			60
	Independent gain from Independent		Swing

Cwmrheidol

Cwmrheidol 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Geraint Wyn Howells*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Devil's Bridge

Devil's Bridge 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ivor Charles Williams	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Felinfach

Felinfach 1958

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

Goginan

Goginan 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Isaac Richard Lewis*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Lampeter Borough

Lampeter Borough 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rev T. Oswald Williams*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanarth

Llanarth 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rev. Edwin Pryce Jones*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanbadarn Fawr

Llanbadarn Fawr 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Percy Ewart Davies	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanddewi Brefi

Llanddewi Brefi 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Morgan Davies*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandygwydd

Llandygwydd 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Melbourne Evan Griffiths*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandysul North

Llandysul North 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Griffith Davies*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandysul South

Llandysul South 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Edward Lewis*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llansysiliogogo

Llandysiliogogo 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ben Thomas*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanfair Clydogau

Llanfair Clydogau 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Daniel Owen Morgan*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanfarian

Llanfarian 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Herbert Daniel Matthews*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanfihangel y Creuddyn

Llanfihangel y Creuddyn 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Howell Jones*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llangoedmor

Llangoedmor 1958

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

Llangeitho

Llangeitho 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Lloyd*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llangrannog

Llangrannog 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Benjamin Griffiths*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanilar

Llanilar 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Charles Morgan*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanrhystyd

Llanrhystyd 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Idwal James	Unopposed
	Independent	Jenkin Griffiths*	241
Majority			25
	Independent gain from Independent		Swing

Llanllwchaiarn

Llanllwchaiarn 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	David Owen Williams+	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llansantffraed

Llansantffraed 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	G.T. Davies*	Unopposed
	Independent	Brinley Jenkins Jones	178
Majority			176
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanwnen

Llanwnen 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Grey Hughes*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanwenog

Llanwenog 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Thomas Donald Gwarnant Williams*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Lledrod

Lledrod 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John David Herbert*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Nantcwnlle

Nantcwnlle 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Edwardes Rogers Lewis*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

New Quay

New Quay 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Owen Williams*	Unopposed

Penbryn

Penbryn 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Morgan Lloyd Jenkins*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Strata Florida

Strata Florida 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Owen Davies	Unopposed
	Independent	J.G. Williams	194
Majority			81
	Independent hold		Swing

Taliesin

Taliesin 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Gwilym Caradog Jones*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Talybont

Talybont 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Isaac Richard Jenkins*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Trefeurig

Trefeurig 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Jenkin Davies*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Tregaron

Tregaron 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	John Lewis	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Troedyraur

Troedyraur 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Hywel Heulyn Roberts*	Unopposed
	Independent gain from Independent		Swing

Ysbyty Ystwyth

Ysbyty Ystwyth 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Thomas Caradog Edwards*	Unopposed
	Independent	John Jnes	157
Majority			31
	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 1955 election, there were eight aldermanic vacancies which were filled at the annual meeting. ^[3]

The following retiring aldermen was re-elected:

• D.R. Morgan, Bow Street
• Mrs G.C. Evans, Aberystwyth
• Capt. D. Oswald Davies, New Quay

In addition, the follwoing new aldermen were elected:

• Isaac R. Lewis, Capel Bangor
• J.E. Rogers-Lewis, Abermeurig
• W.G. Hughes, Silian
• Griffith Davies, Pontshaen
• Rev Tegryn Davies, Aberporth

Evan Evans, Cilcennin, stood down after over thirty years as a member of the council

By-elections

Eight by-elections were called following the election of aldermen. ^[4] Four of the wards were contested. At Bow Street, the retiring councillor who had stood down in favour of long-serviong alderman D.R. Morgan was returned unopposed.

Aberporth by-election

Aberporth by-election 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rev Tegryn Davies	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Aberystwyth Division 3 by-election

Aberystwyth Division 5 by-election 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ryland Kenneth Clues	307
	Independent	Brinley L. Jones	203
Majority			104
	Independent hold		Swing

Bow Street by-election

Bow Street by-election 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Bodin Trevor Williams*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Goginan by-election

Goginan by-election 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Llewelyn B. Bebb	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanllwchaiarn by-election

Llanllwchaiarn by-election 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rev T.P. Jarman	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llanwnen by-election

Llanwnen by-election 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Lyn Jones	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Nantcwnlle by-election

Nantcwnlle by-election 1958

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	R.O. Williams	249
	Independent	Rev W.J. Davies	243
Majority			6
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandysul North by-election

Llandysul North by-election 1952

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Rev Victor Thomas	314
	Independent	John Williams	302
	Independent	Walter Cherry	96
Majority			12
	Independent hold		Swing

References

1. "County Council Elections". Welsh Gazette. 27 March 1958. p. 5. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
2. "County Council Election. Three Old Members Defeated". Welsh Gazette. 17 April 1958. p. 1. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
3. "More Women Members on County Council?". Welsh Gazette. 1 May 1958. p. 1. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
4. "County Council By-Elections". Welsh Gazette. 15 May 1952. p. 1. Retrieved 22 September 2025.