# 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.

## 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.

## 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.
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.

## 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.

## Ward Results
### Baglan Higher (one seat)

Baglan Higher 1937 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | William Jones* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Blaengwrach (one seats)

Blaengwrach 1937 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Albert Vowles* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | 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 | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing |
| Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing |

### Clyne (one seats)

Clyne 1937 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Charles R. Kimber* | 225 |
| | Independent | Thomas A. Davies | 188 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 37 |
| | Labour hold | 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 | Labour gain from Independent | Swing |
| Independent Labour gain from Labour | Independent Labour gain from Labour | Swing |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour gain from Independent | 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 | Communist gain from Labour | Swing |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |

### Dulais Higher, Crynant Ward (one seat)

Dulais Higher, Crynant Ward 1937 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | John James | 334 |
| | Independent | Daniel Davies | 255 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 79 |
| | Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing |

### Dulais Higher, Onllwyn Ward (one seat)

Dulais Higher, Onllwyn Ward 1937 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John James* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | 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 | Labour hold | Swing |
| Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing |

### Dulais Lower (one seat)

Dulais Lower 1937 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | J.S. George* | 396 |
| | Independent | Llewellyn Davies | 183 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 213 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |

### Michaelstone Higher (one seat)

Michaelstone Higher 1937 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Patrick Boyle | 272 |
| | Independent | William H. Crouch | 165 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 107 |
| | Labour hold | 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 | Independent hold | Swing |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |

### Neath Lower (one seat)

Neath Lower 1937 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Samuel Burnard* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Resolven, Cwmgwrach Ward (one seat)

Resolven, Cwmgwrach Ward 1937 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Edward John Ateyo | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour hold | 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 | Labour gain from | Swing |
| Independent hold | 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 | Independent hold | Swing |
| Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing |

### Resolven, Tonna Ward (one seat)

Resolven, Tonna Ward 1937 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Gethin Thomas | 362 |
| | Independent | Haydn Evans | 358 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4 |
| | Labour gain from Independent | Labour gain from Independent | Swing |