1937 Carmarthenshire County Council election

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[edit]

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[edit]

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.

Other wards were renamed or had their boundaries slightly altered.

Unopposed returns[edit]

Around half the wards were uncontested, mainly in the rural areas.

Contested elections[edit]

A similar number of contests took place compared with 1934. This included contests in rural areas between rival Independent candidates.

Summary of results[edit]

53 councillors were elected.

Ward results[edit]

Abergwili[edit]

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

Ammanford No.1[edit]

Boundary Change.

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

Ammanford No.2[edit]

Boundary Change.

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

Berwick[edit]

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

Burry Port[edit]

Boundary Change.

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

Caio[edit]

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

Carmarthen Division 1[edit]

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

Carmarthen Division 2[edit]

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

Carmarthen Division 3[edit]

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

Cenarth[edit]

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

Cilycwm[edit]

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

Conwil[edit]

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

Cwmamman[edit]

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

Hengoed[edit]

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

Kidwelly[edit]

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

Laugharne[edit]

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

Llanarthney[edit]

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

Llanboidy[edit]

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

Llandebie North[edit]

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

Llandebie South[edit]

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

Llandilo Rural[edit]

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

Llandilo Urban[edit]

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

Llandovery[edit]

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

Llandyssilio[edit]

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

Llanedy[edit]

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

Llanegwad[edit]

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

Llanelly Division 1[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Boundary Change

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

Llanelly Division 7[edit]

Boundary Change

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

Llanelly Division 8[edit]

Boundary Change

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

Llanelly Division 9[edit]

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[edit]

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

Llanfihangel-ar-Arth[edit]

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

Llangadock[edit]

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

Llangeler[edit]

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

Llangendeirne[edit]

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

Llangennech[edit]

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

Llangunnor[edit]

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

Llanon[edit]

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

Llansawel[edit]

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

Llanstephan[edit]

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

Llanybyther[edit]

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

Myddfai[edit]

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

Pembrey[edit]

Boundary Change

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

Pontyberem[edit]

Boundary Change

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

Quarter Bach[edit]

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

Rhydcymmerai[edit]

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

St Clears[edit]

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

St Ishmael[edit]

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

Trelech[edit]

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

Trimsaran[edit]

Boundary Change

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

Westfa and Glyn[edit]

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

Whitland[edit]

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

Election of aldermen[edit]

In addition to the 53 councillors the council consisted of 17 county aldermen. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term. Following the elections the following nine aldermen were elected (with the number of votes in each case).

References[edit]