Saffron Walden RDC – 1937
Herts and Essex Observer, 27 March 1937 (nominations), 10 April 1937 (results). The edition of the
Saffron Walden News, 9 April 1937, confirmed the voting figures.
The elections, where needed, took place on 5 April. 42 nominations were handed in, but there was one withdrawal – Harry Spencer in Hempstead parish. Contests took place at Elsenham, Radwinter and Stansted. The Chairman of the Council, J. Butterworth, did not seek re-election, and the Vice-Chairman, D.S. Wilson, was defeated at Elsenham. The contest at Elsenham must have been controversial and clouded by slanderous accusations, as the following inserts in the 10 April issue of the
Observer testify:
In late July Wilson withdrew the offer of £50 "as no one has tried to prove the scandal and libel which was said about me during the Election. I now take it that I am innocent of all that was said. DAN WILSON Elsenham Hall, Elsenham."
* indicates a previous member of the Council seeking re-election. The ‘qualification’ of each candidate (i.e. their rank, profession or occupation) was given by the Observer and included in the list below.
Arkesden and Wicken (1)
*Rev. Horace J. Stares (Clerk in Holy Orders)
Ashdon and Bartlow Hamlet (2)
Rev. Tom P. Rumbold (Clerk in Holy Orders)
*Alfred S. Hagger (farmer)
Berden (1)
*Rev. Herbert K. Hudson (Clerk in Holy Orders)
Birchanger (2)
*Robert C. Chester (solicitor)
*George B. Harrison (doctor of philosophy)
Chrishall (1)
Walter L. Kent (farmer)
Clavering (2)
*James A. Clarke (justice of the peace)
*Walter W. Peacock (butcher)
Debden (2)
*Reginald J. Harvey (estate agent)
*John E. Tetlow (farmer)
Elsenham (1)
Miss Mary D. Sladen (spinster) 79
*Danzy S. Wilson (farmer) 73
Majority 6
Elmdon and Wenden Lofts (1)
*Jonathan P. Fison (farmer)
Farnham (1)
Harry J. Caton (farmer)
Great and Little Chesterford (2)
*Geoffrey W. King (miller)
*Alan S.W. Stanley (independent)
Great and Little Sampford (1)
*Walter C.V. Schwier (farmer)
Hadstock (1)
*Arthur H. Crawley (farmer)
Hempstead (1)
*Frank Foster (gentleman)
Harry Spencer (postmaster) - withdrew
Henham (2)
*Albert Edge (insurance agent)
John Pimblett (farmer)
Langley (1)
*Ether G. Wombwell (builder)
Littlebury and Strethall (2)
Thomas G. Fairhead (farmer)
*Henry C. Merton (poultry farmer)
Manuden (1)
*William C. Burls (
not given)
Newport (2)
*Charles Gawthrop (retired stationmaster)
*Mrs. Helen W. de G. Salter (married woman)
Quendon and Rickling (1)
*Herbert L. Mumford (grocer)
Radwinter (1)
Archibald P. Bird (retired civil servant) 136
*Mrs. Carolina M. Price-Powell (married woman) 27
Majority 109
Stansted (5)
George E. Rose (farmer) 454
*James Friend (retired) 356
*Thomas Gawthrop (retired stationmaster) 348
*Herbert Little (builder) 335
* Jack T. Gaylor (company director) 315
*Walter E. Mayhew (garage proprietor) 286
648 electors voted. "The election was carried out with an unusual amount of enthusiasm. Many cars were in use taking voters to the poll, and the activities generally were of a kind associated more with Parliamentary than Rural District Council elections." The
Saffron Walden News additionally commented that there were "a thousand odd electors", and that one of the candidates "even provided an attendant for minding perambulators while mothers voted."
Ugley (1)
*Mrs. Mary A. Macaulay (widow)
Wendens Ambo (1)
*Robert G. Smith (farmer)
Widdington (1)
*Thomas T. Carmichael (farmer)
Wimbish (1)
*Harold A. Raven (landowner and farmer)
At the first meeting of the new Council, held 27 April 1937, Mrs. H.W. Salter (Newport) was elected to the Chair and Cllr. H. Little (Stansted) was elected Vice-Chairman. A proposal that defeated ex-councillor Dan Wilson be elected Chairman was defeated.
At the meeting held 3 August 1937 the Clerk announced that there had been only one nomination for a new, extra, seat on the RDC for Wimbish parish:
Wimbish: Harry Wiseman
Wimbish parish had seen a increase in housing/population in recent years following the construction of RAF Debden. Membership of the Council was thereby increased from 38 to 39 members.
1938At the January meeting of the Council the resignation of Berden councillor Rev. H.K. Hudson was accepted as he was leaving the district. The
Essex and Herts Observer (19 February 1938) reported that a by-election had taken place on 17 February:
Captain Guy R. Pedder 55
John V. Trevor 43
majority 12. There were no spoilt papers and there was a 78% turnout.
At the February meeting of the Council the resignation of Stansted councillor J. Friend was received. He had been advised to resign by his doctor. The
Observer (19 March 1938) reported the result of a by-election of 17 March:
L.W. Norman 237
Walter E. Mayhew 91
majority 146. Norman had been a former member of Stansted RDC before amalgamation.
In April the resignation of Rev. H.J. Stares as councillor for Arkesden and Wicken was received. Stares explained that he had to attend many other important meetings, many of which clashed with RDC meetings. Unfortunately, no nominations to fill the vacancy were received (reported at the May meeting) and another election would be needed. The vacancy was eventually filled, news coming of an unopposed return at the July meeting of the Council:
Arkesden and Wicken: Lt.-Col. T. Slingsby
At the same July 1938 meeting another new councillor was welcomed, again after having been returned unopposed. The missing councillor was R.J. Harvey from Debden (further information not having come to light):
Debden: Rev. R.E. Fanshawe
1939
In March one of the representatives for Birchanger, Cllr. G.B. Harrison resigned, as he was leaving the district. At April's Council meeting it was reported that no nominations had been received, but by May a re-run had taken place resulting in an unopposed return of the owner-occupier of Birchanger Hall:
Birchanger: Nicholas C.S. Bosanquet
At the May meeting of the Council the Clerk reported that Cllr. W.C.V. Schwier (Great and Little Sampford) had resigned. The increase in RDC work, demanding a greater time commitment from members, was given as the reason. At the July meeting a further resignation was received: Lt.Col. T. Slingsby (Arkesden and Wicken) vacated his seat as he was re-joining the Army. These vacancies were both reported as being filled at the August meeting of the Council; no mention of a contest in either area has been found in the
Observer and it must be assumed that they were unopposed returns:
Great and Little Sampford: Rev. Thomas P. Conyers Barker
Arkesden and Wicken: C.A. Kemp
The Rev. Conyers Barker was a previous member, having represented Great Sampford until 1934. These two elections would appear to be the final ones to the RDC to have taken place before the onset of the Second World War.
One final comment of a minor nature was the receipt, at the July 1939 meeting, of an Order from the Essex County Council amalgamating the civil parishes of Ashdon and Bartlow Hamlet. Representation on the RDC would be unchanged, but the amalgamated parish would be known as Ashdon.