David Sanders Davies
Encyclopedia
Sir David Sanders Davies (11 May 1852 – 28 February 1934) was a Welsh
businessman and merchant and Liberal Party
politician.
In 1886,he married Jane Emily Gee and they made their home at Dolgelly
in Merionethshire
. They had one daughter who married Lt-Col J E Lewis DSO.
merchant. He became Governing Director of Pugh, Davies & Co. Ltd, Manchester wholesale milliners, warehousemen and textile merchants. Davies clearly acquired great wealth through his business interests. In 1913 he presented 244 acre (0.98743384 km²) of land near Denbigh
, worth £5000, to the Welsh National Memorial Association for the building of a sanatorium
for people suffering from Tuberculosis
. He served for a while as the Treasurer of the Welsh National Memorial Association.
and educational work in Denbighshire
. He was High Sheriff of Denbighshire
in 1915. He was Chairman of the Denbighshire County Appeal Tribunal and Pensions Committee and also served as a Justice of the Peace
.
of Denbighshire at the 1918 general election
as a Coalition Liberal
. He had no Unionist
opponent, so was presumably awarded the Coalition coupon
. He won the seat easily in a straight fight with Labour
, gaining 83% of the poll.
Davies did not contest Denbigh again, intimating as early as the autumn of 1921 that he wished to stand down at the next election (by which time he would be 70 years old). It was reported at that time that his likely successor as Coalition Liberal candidate would be Alderman
Walter Gummow Dodd, the Chairman of the Denbighshire Education Committee. Dodd was not selected however but the seat was won by another member of the Denbighshire Education establishment, John Cledwyn Davies
, for the Lloyd George National Liberals
.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
businessman and merchant and Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Family and education
David Sanders Davies was the son of John Owen Davies He was educated at Llandovery CollegeLlandovery College
Llandovery College is an independent school in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was founded and endowed by Thomas Phillips in 1847 to provide a classical and liberal education in which the Welsh language; the study of Welsh literature and history were also to be cultivated.Llandovery...
In 1886,he married Jane Emily Gee and they made their home at Dolgelly
Dolgellau
Dolgellau is a market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the county town of the former county of Merionethshire .-History and economy:...
in Merionethshire
Merionethshire
Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974...
. They had one daughter who married Lt-Col J E Lewis DSO.
Career
Davies went into the textile business. By the end of the First World War he was described as a successful ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
merchant. He became Governing Director of Pugh, Davies & Co. Ltd, Manchester wholesale milliners, warehousemen and textile merchants. Davies clearly acquired great wealth through his business interests. In 1913 he presented 244 acre (0.98743384 km²) of land near Denbigh
Denbigh
Denbigh is a market town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Before 1888, it was the county town of Denbighshire. Denbigh lies 8 miles to the north west of Ruthin and to the south of St Asaph. It is about 13 miles from the seaside resort of Rhyl. The town grew around the glove-making industry...
, worth £5000, to the Welsh National Memorial Association for the building of a sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
for people suffering from Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. He served for a while as the Treasurer of the Welsh National Memorial Association.
Local government
Davies involved himself in local government affairs. He took a leading part in county councilCounty council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
and educational work in Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
. He was High Sheriff of Denbighshire
High Sheriff of Denbighshire
The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...
in 1915. He was Chairman of the Denbighshire County Appeal Tribunal and Pensions Committee and also served as a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
.
Parliament
Davies was selected to fight the Denbigh DivisionDenbigh (UK Parliament constituency)
Denbigh was a county constituency centred on the town of Denbigh in North Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
of Denbighshire at the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
as a Coalition Liberal
Coalition Government 1916-1922
The Coalition Government of David Lloyd George came to power in the United Kingdom in December 1916, replacing the earlier wartime coalition under H.H. Asquith, which had been held responsible for reverses during the Great War. Those Liberals who continued to support Asquith served as the Opposition...
. He had no Unionist
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
opponent, so was presumably awarded the Coalition coupon
Coalition Coupon
The ‘Coalition Coupon’, often referred to as ‘the coupon’, refers to the letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the United Kingdom general election, 1918 endorsing them as official representatives of the Coalition Government. The 1918 election took place in the heady atmosphere of victory in...
. He won the seat easily in a straight fight with Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
, gaining 83% of the poll.
Davies did not contest Denbigh again, intimating as early as the autumn of 1921 that he wished to stand down at the next election (by which time he would be 70 years old). It was reported at that time that his likely successor as Coalition Liberal candidate would be Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
Walter Gummow Dodd, the Chairman of the Denbighshire Education Committee. Dodd was not selected however but the seat was won by another member of the Denbighshire Education establishment, John Cledwyn Davies
John Cledwyn Davies
John Cledwyn Davies was a Welsh Liberal Party politician, educationist and lawyer.-Education:Davies was educated at Llanrwst Grammar School, University College, Bangor and London University where he gained his MA degree.-Career:...
, for the Lloyd George National Liberals
National Liberal Party (UK, 1922)
The National Liberal Party was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1922 to 1923. It was led by David Lloyd George and was, at the time, separate to the original Liberal Party.-History:...
.