1934 Glamorgan County Council election

The fifteenth election to Glamorgan County Council, south Wales, took place in March 1934. It was preceded by the 1931 election and followed by the 1937 election.

Overview of the Result

By the 1930s, Labour had secured a comfortable majority on the council, and dominated the aldermanic bench. The 1934 election saw little change.

Boundary Changes

There were no boundary changes at this election.

Candidates

Many candidates were returned unopposed.^[1]

Contested Elections

Most of the retiring aldermen were returned. However, two conflicts arose when retiring councillors sought the nomination at the expense of retiring aldermen, at Hopkinstown and Newcastle.

Outcome

Labour retained their majority, losing only one seat, at Pencoed.^[2] Their victory in the rural Cowbridge ward reflected their domination of county politics.

Results

Aberaman

Aberaman 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sydney Herbert Stephens*
	Labour hold		Swing

Aberavon

Aberavon 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Edward Lewis Hare*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Abercynon

Abercynon 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	R.A. Thomas*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Aberdare Town

Aberdare Town 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	William Thomas*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Bargoed

Bargoed 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William John Kedward*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Barry

Barry 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	L.P. Griffiths*	2,158
	Labour	W. East	2,103
Majority			55
	Independent hold		Swing

Barry Dock

Barry Dock 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Dorothy Rees	2,194
	Independent	E. Irfon Griffiths*	1,690
Majority			504
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Blaengwawr

Blaengwawr 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	W.J. Edwards*	1,091
	Communist	Trevor Williams	624
	Independent	Henry Vause	358
Majority			467
	Labour hold		Swing

Bridgend

Bridgend 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Dapho Llewellyn Powell*	1,988
	Ind. Conservative	R.H. Thomas	1,204
Majority			784
	Independent hold		Swing

Briton Ferry

Briton Ferry 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	George Gethin*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Cadoxton

Cadoxton 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Dudley Thomas Howe	1,631
	Labour	Frederick Cook	1,160
Majority			471
	Independent hold		Swing

Caerphilly

Caerphilly 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Evan Phillips*	2,618
	Independent	Arthur Hopkins	1,445
Majority			1,173
	Labour hold		Swing

Cilfynydd

Cilfynydd 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Arthur Pearson*	2,779
	Communist	T.L. Jenkins	504
Majority			2,275
	Labour hold		Swing

Coedffranc

Coedffranc 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Ogley L. David*	2,609
	Labour	D.T. Jenkins	2,440
Majority			169
	Independent hold		Swing

Cowbridge

Cowbridge 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	P.J. Smith	1,847
	Independent	George Lougher*	1,643
Majority			204
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Cwm Aber

Cwm Aber 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Hubert Jenkins**	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Cwmavon

Cwmavon 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Jones Edwards*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Cymmer

Cymmer 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	David Thomas*	1,446
	Independent	Brinley Ithel Rowlands	868
Majority			578
	Labour hold		Swing

Dinas Powys

Dinas Powys 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ivor Broadbent Thomas*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Dulais Valley

Dulais Valley 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Gwilym Davies*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Ferndale

Ferndale 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Jabez Davies**	Unopposed
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Gadlys

Gadlys 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Thomas Phillips	2,068
	Labour	Tom Davies	924
Majority			1,144
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing

Glyncorrwg

Glyncorrwg 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sir William Jenkins**	Unopposed
	Labour hold

Gower

Gower 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Henry Davies*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Hengoed

Hengoed 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Thomas Evans*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Hopkinstown

Hopkinstown 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Rhys Thomas Williams	2,203
	Labour	John Tristram**	1,050
Majority			1,053
	Labour hold		Swing

Kibbor

Kibbor 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Edgar L. Chappell	1,769
	Independent	John Kane	1,400
Majority			369
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandaff

Llandaff 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Ind. Conservative	Sir Lewis Lougher*	862
	Independent Liberal	Mary Annie Powell	440
Majority			422
	Independent hold		Swing

Llandeilo Talybont

Llandeilo Talybont 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Thomas Jones*	2,405
	Independent	Josiah Jones	1,661
Majority			744
	Labour hold		Swing

Llanfabon

Llanfabon 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Charles H. Davies*	1,534
	Independent	William Jones	1,030
	Independent Labour	Charles Fournier	129
Majority			504
	Labour hold		Swing

Llwydcoed

Llwydcoed 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Martha Emma Jones*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Llwynypia

Llwynypia 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Philip Haines Rowlands*	2,152
	Communist	John Jones	708
Majority			1,444
	Labour hold		Swing

Loughor

Loughor 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	David John Davies	2,245
	Independent	Moses Thomas*	1,854
Majority			1,073
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Maesteg, Caerau and Nantyffyllon

Maesteg, Caerau and Nantyffyllon 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	E.D. Evans	1,570
	Communist	Idris Cox	1,348
	Independent	Brinley Richards	1,043
Majority			232
	Labour hold		Swing

Maesteg, East and West

Maesteg East and West 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Tom Jenkins	1,930
	Independent	T. Evans	1,716
	Communist	R. Davies	488
Majority			214
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Mountain Ash

Mountain Ash 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Hon. John H. Bruce*	2,152
	Labour	Miss M. Nicholls	1,757
Majority			396
	Independent hold		Swing

Neath (North)

Neath (North) 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	David Griffith Davies	1,538
	Labour	Charles P. Huins	1,474
Majority			64
	Independent hold		Swing

Neath (South)

Neath (South) 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Rev W. Degwel Thomas*	2,117
	Independent	Mrs M.L. Lloyd	861
Majority			1,256
	Labour hold		Swing

Newcastle

Newcastle 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Rev H.R. Protheroe*	2,093
	Independent Labour	Edward Horace Mole**	1,512
Majority			581
	Labour hold		Swing

Ogmore Valley

Ogmore Valley 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Communist	Frederick Arthur Llewellyn	1,987
	Labour	Rev J.E. Rees	1,118
	Labour	E.L. Howells	1,116
	Independent	S. Moore	440
Majority			869
	Communist gain from Labour		Swing

Penarth North

Penarth North 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Frank L. Nicholls	1,215
	Labour	H.J. Cook	819
Majority			306
	Independent hold		Swing

Penarth South

Penarth South 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Samuel Thomas*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Pencoed

Pencoed 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Trevor David	1,744
	Labour	Mervyn W. Paine*	1,670
Majority			74
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing

Penrhiwceiber

Penrhiwceiber 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John William Bath*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Pentre

Pentre 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	James Jenkin Lewis*	2,053
	Independent	Thomas Alfred Thomas	1,482
Majority			571
	Labour hold		Swing

Pontardawe

Pontardawe 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Griffith H. Davies	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Pontyclun

Pontyclun 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Johnson Miles*	2,574
	Independent	John Williams	1,562
Majority			1,012
	Labour hold		Swing

Port Talbot East

Port Talbot East 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Tal Mainwaring*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Port Talbot West

Port Talbot West 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Llewelyn David*	1,584
	Labour	Maurice Leonardo Bonvonni	1,225
Majority			359
	Independent hold		Swing

Porthcawl

Porthcawl 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	W.A. Howell*	Unopposed
	Independent hold		Swing

Pontlottyn

Pontlottyn 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	William Hammond**	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Pontycymmer

Pontycymmer 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Rev William Saunders**	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Pontypridd Town

Pontypridd Town 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Myra O'Brien	1,687
	Independent	Gwilym Seaton*	1,243
Majority			444
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Penygraig

Penygraig 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	William Job*	2,312
	Communist	Frederick James Howard	656
Majority			1,666
	Labour hold		Swing

Porth

Porth 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	William Evans*	1,940
	Communist	Will Paynter	541
Majority			1,399
	Independent hold		Swing

Swansea Valley

Swansea Valley 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	D.T. Williams**	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch

Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Arthur Jones**	2,515
	Independent	Isaac Christmas Morgan	1,448
Majority			1,067
	Labour hold		Swing

Trealaw

Trealaw 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	John Atkins*	1,414
	Communist	Lewis Jones	853
	Plaid Cymru	James Kitchener Davies	428
Majority			561
	Labour hold		Swing

Treforest

Treforest 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Arthur James Chick*	2,428
	Independent	Zenos Thomas	1,380
	Communist	J.A. Cox	472
Majority			1,048
	Labour hold		Swing

Treherbert

Treherbert 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	David Edward Williams*	2,856
	Independent	Edwin Jenkins	402
Majority			2,454
	Labour hold		Swing

Treorchy

Treorchy 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Rhys Evans**	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Tylorstown

Tylorstown 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Mardy Evans*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Vale of Neath

Vale of Neath 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	William A. Betty*	2,871
	Independent	David Arthur	1,824
Majority			1,047
	Labour hold		Swing

Ynyshir

Ynyshir 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	William Howell	1,852
	Independent	Daniel Jones*	1,595
	Communist	Gwen Ray Evans	334
Majority			257
	Labour gain from Independent		Swing

Ystalyfera

Ystalyfera 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John David Brazell**	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Ystrad

Ystrad 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sidney Cadogan*	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Election of Aldermen

In addition to the 66 councillors the council consisted of 22 county aldermen. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term. Following the 1934 election, there were twelve Aldermanic vacancies (one vacancy due to the recent death of a sitting alderman).^[3]

The following retiring aldermen were re-elected:

William Bowen (Lab, Llanfabon)
David Daniel Davies (Lab, Pontardawe)
Rose Davies (Lab, Aberaman)
John Evans (Lab, Maesteg)
Johnson Dicks (Lab, Abercynon)
E.H. Fleming (Lab, Hopkinstown)
William Jenkins (Lab, Glyncorrwg)
Caradoc Jones (Lab, Llandeilo Talybont)
David Lewis (Lab, Tylorstown)
John Thomas (Lab, Port Talbot)
Rev D.H. Williams (Ind, Barry)

By-elections

Eleven vacancies were caused by the election of aldermen.

Aberaman by-election

Aberaman by-election 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Sydney Herbert Stephens*
	Labour hold		Swing

Abercynon by-election


Party		Votes
	Labour
	Independent
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent	Swing

Barry by-election

Barry by-election 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	L.P. Griffiths	2,032
	Labour	Rev R.H. Lomas	1,624
Majority			408
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing

Glyncorrwg by-election


Party		Votes
	Labour
	Independent
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent	Swing

Hopkinstown by-election


Party		Votes
	Labour
	Independent
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent	Swing

Llandeilo Talybont by-election

Llandeilo Talybont
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Independent	Llewellyn Davies	1,501
	Labour	J. Powell	1,378
Majority
	Independent gain from Labour		Swing

Llanfabon by-election

Llanfabon by-election 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Charles H. Davies	1,212
	Independent	William Jones	1,169
Majority			43
	Labour hold		Swing

Maesteg by-election


Party		Votes
	Labour
	Independent
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent	Swing

Pontardawe by-election

Pontardawe by-election 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Charles Williams	Unopposed
	Labour hold		Swing

Port Talbot by-election


Party		Votes
	Labour
	Independent
Majority
	Labour gain from Independent	Swing

Tylorstown by-election

Tylorstown by-election 1934
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	John Mardy Evans*	1,977
	Communist	George Edward Maslin	584
	Independent	David John	284
Majority			1,393
	Labour hold		Swing

By-elections 1934-37

Neath South by-election 1935

A by-election was held following the elevation of the Rev. Degwel Thomas to fill a vacancy on the aldermanic bench. Charles Percival Huins, a pioneer of the Labour movement in the Neath area and a former national president of the Shop Assistants Union^[4] comfortably held the seat by an unexpectedly large majority.^[5]

Neath South by-election 1935
Party		Candidate	Votes
	Labour	Charles P. Huins	2.024
	Independent	Thomas Cole	975
Majority			1,049
	Labour hold		Swing

References

^ "Nominations for Glamorgan. Many Retiring Members Not Opposed". Western Mail. 27 February 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
^ "Glamorgan and Gwent Election Results". Western Mail. 6 March 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
^ "The Burden of Public Assistance. County Council Chairman's Plea". Western Mail. 16 March 1934. p. 7. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
^ "Labour Pioneer Passes. Death Of County Councillor C.P. Huins". Neath Guardian. 13 June 1947. p. 6. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
^ "South Ward By-Election. Socialists Win Seat". Neath Guardian. 6 December 1935. p. 8. Retrieved 16 December 2022.

Bibliography

Williams, Chris (1996). Democratic Rhondda: Politics and society 1885-1951. Cardiff: University of Wales Press.

[WM_27-2-34-1] "Nominations for Glamorgan. Many Retiring Members Not Opposed". Western Mail. 27 February 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 10 March 2021.

[WM_6-3-34-2] "Glamorgan and Gwent Election Results". Western Mail. 6 March 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 10 March 2021.

[WM_16-3-34-3] "The Burden of Public Assistance. County Council Chairman's Plea". Western Mail. 16 March 1934. p. 7. Retrieved 7 April 2021.

[NG_13-6-46-4] "Labour Pioneer Passes. Death Of County Councillor C.P. Huins". Neath Guardian. 13 June 1947. p. 6. Retrieved 16 December 2022.

[NG_6-12-35-5] "South Ward By-Election. Socialists Win Seat". Neath Guardian. 6 December 1935. p. 8. Retrieved 16 December 2022.

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