Joseph Davies (MP)
Encyclopedia
Sir Joseph Davies was a Welsh
businessman, commercial statistician
and Liberal Party
politician. He was one of a talented group of men and women who worked closely with David Lloyd George
during his premiership as a key member of Lloyd George’s wartime secretariat, known as the Garden Suburb.
in Pembrokeshire
. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School
In 1894, he married Blanche, the daughter of John Heron Wilson, from Cardiff
. She died in 1951. They do not appear to have had any children.
. He had a flair for statistics and organization and in partnership with C P Hailey he built up a considerable business including the formation of investment trusts. He also became Secretary of the Cardiff Exchange. Over the years, Davies successfully built up his business interests based around the traditional industries of South Wales
, coal and railways. He was sometime Director of the Cambrian Railways
and Chairman of the Totton and Fawley Light Railway Co. He later became Chairman of the Agwi Petroleum Corporation, which was later absorbed into Esso
. He also diversified into property and was a Director of the Anglo-Scottish Amalgamated Trust, Chairman of the Status Investment Trust Ltd as well as holding directorships in a number of other companies.
Davies also undertook charitable work and Lloyd George became impressed with his success as chairman of the committee set up to distribute the sums of money sent by Welshmen in the USA for the relief of suffering in Wales. Lloyd George invited him to join his secretariat in Downing Street
, known as the Garden Suburb. The group around the prime minister at this time included Frances Stevenson
, Waldorf Astor
, Philip Kerr
, Cecil Harmsworth and Edward Grigg
. Davies acted as Secretary to the prime minister’s secretariat from 1917-1920.
in 1913. However in December 1916 a by-election
was caused in the Liberal seat at Derby
when Sir Thomas Roe
resigned in anticipation of being sent to the House of Lords
. Derby Liberals favoured Davies for their candidate but Liberal Party headquarters in London was still under the control of H H Asquith, even though he had ceased to be prime minister
and they issued an edict that, because of his close association with Lloyd George, Davies was not to be selected under any circumstances. Asquith’s personal secretary went to Derby to enforce this ruling. Although a majority of Derby’s Liberal delegates wanted Davies, they chose an Asquithian Liberal, William Job Collins
instead.
When the 1918 general election
was called, Davies was adopted for Crewe. He secured the Coalition coupon
and the sitting Unionist
MP, Ernest Craig
stood aside. His Labour opponent was J T Brownlie, President of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers
. Although Davies achieved a majority of 2,953 votes, the largest recorded in the constituency since its creation in 1885, the Labour vote rose to 10,439 - up from the 2,485 achieved at the previous election, a by-election in 1912.
When Davies defended Crewe at the 1922 general election
, standing as a Lloyd George National Liberal
he again faced no Conservative opponent. It was reported that the National Liberals in Cheshire
had come to an agreement with the Tories that if they declined to stand a candidate against Davies in Crewe, there would be no National Liberal opposition to Conservative candidates in the divisions of Eddisbury
, Chester and Northwich
and the National Liberals would urge their supporters to support the Conservative candidates in those seats. The Lloyd George Liberals appear to have held to their side of the bargain as there were no National Liberal candidates in any Cheshire seat at the 1922 general election
except for Davies in Crewe. There were a number of Independent Liberals including one in Chester but this did not stop the Tories from making a clean sweep of every Cheshire seat they contested in the election. The pact was not enough to save Davies however who was this time defeated by Labour’s Edward Hemmerde
, a former Liberal MP. One historian has commented that politics in Crewe had been changed by a number of factors including deaths among pre-war Liberal stalwarts, the decline of nonconformity
, the decreasing importance of temperance agitation and the rise of trade unionism. The progressive torch in Crewe passed from Liberalism to Labour.
. He also served as a Justice of the Peace
.
From 1914-1917 he was the representative for Wales
and Monmouthshire
on the Cabinet Committee for Prevention of Unemployment. He was a member of the Royal Commission
on Daylight Saving
and was a member of a War Cabinet Delegation to the USA in 1917. He later served as a member of a Parliamentary Inquiry into the government’s scheme for the establishment of a motor repair works at Cippenham
, near Slough
.
. He died in Cardiff on 3 December 1954, aged 87.
, along with those of many distinguished Liberal politicians who were early contemporaries of Lloyd George at Westminster. In addition some notes by Davies on his visits to Newcastle
, Sunderland, Glasgow
and South Wales in relation to the Labour question are part of the Lloyd George papers in the Parliamentary Archives
.
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, commercial statistician
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
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. He was one of a talented group of men and women who worked closely with David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
during his premiership as a key member of Lloyd George’s wartime secretariat, known as the Garden Suburb.
Family and education
Joseph Davies was the son of Thomas S Davies of St Issells, near SaundersfootSaundersfoot
Saundersfoot is a community in Pembrokeshire, west Wales. It is known as a seaside resort, and along with nearby Tenby is one of the most visited Welsh holiday destinations.-Harbour:...
in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School
Bristol Grammar School
Bristol Grammar School is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England. The school was founded in 1532 by two brothers, Robert and Nicholas Thorne....
In 1894, he married Blanche, the daughter of John Heron Wilson, from Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. She died in 1951. They do not appear to have had any children.
Career
Davies began working life in Cardiff DocksCardiff Docks
Cardiff Docks is a port in south Cardiff, Wales. At its peak, the port was one of the largest dock systems in the world with a total quayage of almost...
. He had a flair for statistics and organization and in partnership with C P Hailey he built up a considerable business including the formation of investment trusts. He also became Secretary of the Cardiff Exchange. Over the years, Davies successfully built up his business interests based around the traditional industries of South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, coal and railways. He was sometime Director of the Cambrian Railways
Cambrian Railways
Cambrian Railways owned of track over a large area of mid-Wales. The system was an amalgamation of a number of railways that were incorporated in 1864, 1865 and 1904...
and Chairman of the Totton and Fawley Light Railway Co. He later became Chairman of the Agwi Petroleum Corporation, which was later absorbed into Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
. He also diversified into property and was a Director of the Anglo-Scottish Amalgamated Trust, Chairman of the Status Investment Trust Ltd as well as holding directorships in a number of other companies.
Davies also undertook charitable work and Lloyd George became impressed with his success as chairman of the committee set up to distribute the sums of money sent by Welshmen in the USA for the relief of suffering in Wales. Lloyd George invited him to join his secretariat in Downing Street
Downing Street
Downing Street in London, England has for over two hundred years housed the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers: the First Lord of the Treasury, an office now synonymous with that of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the Second Lord of the Treasury, an...
, known as the Garden Suburb. The group around the prime minister at this time included Frances Stevenson
Frances Stevenson
Frances Stevenson, Countess Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, CBE was the mistress, personal secretary, confidante and second wife of British Prime Minister David Lloyd George....
, Waldorf Astor
Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor
Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor was an American-born British politician and newspaper proprietor.-Early life:...
, Philip Kerr
Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian
Philip Henry Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian KT CH PC was a British politician and diplomat.Philip Kerr was the son of Lord Ralph Drury Kerr, the third son of John Kerr, 7th Marquess of Lothian...
, Cecil Harmsworth and Edward Grigg
Edward Grigg, 1st Baron Altrincham
Edward William Macleay Grigg, 1st Baron Altrincham, KCMG, KCVO, DSO, MC, PC was a British colonial administrator and politician.-Early years:...
. Davies acted as Secretary to the prime minister’s secretariat from 1917-1920.
Parliament
Davies was adopted as Liberal candidate for CreweCrewe (UK Parliament constituency)
Crewe was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in 1913. However in December 1916 a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
was caused in the Liberal seat at Derby
Derby (UK Parliament constituency)
Derby is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950. It was represented by two Members of...
when Sir Thomas Roe
Thomas Roe, 1st Baron Roe
Thomas Roe, 1st Baron Roe , known as Sir Thomas Roe between 1894 and 1917, was a British businessman and Liberal politician, particularly associated with the town of Derby.-Background and early life:...
resigned in anticipation of being sent to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. Derby Liberals favoured Davies for their candidate but Liberal Party headquarters in London was still under the control of H H Asquith, even though he had ceased to be prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
and they issued an edict that, because of his close association with Lloyd George, Davies was not to be selected under any circumstances. Asquith’s personal secretary went to Derby to enforce this ruling. Although a majority of Derby’s Liberal delegates wanted Davies, they chose an Asquithian Liberal, William Job Collins
William Job Collins
Sir William Job Collins KCVO was a surgeon and later a Liberal politician and legislator.-Background:...
instead.
When 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...
was called, Davies was adopted for Crewe. He secured 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...
and the sitting 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...
MP, Ernest Craig
Ernest Craig
Sir Ernest Craig, 1st Baronet was a British Conservative Party politician.He was elected as Member of Parliament for the Crewe division of Cheshire at a by-election in July 1912 after the death of his Liberal predecessor, Walter McLaren...
stood aside. His Labour opponent was J T Brownlie, President of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers
Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union
The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union was a British trade union. It merged with the MSF to form Amicus in 2001.The history of the union can be traced back to the formation of the "Old Mechanics" of 1826, which grew into the Amalgamated Society of Engineers in 1851...
. Although Davies achieved a majority of 2,953 votes, the largest recorded in the constituency since its creation in 1885, the Labour vote rose to 10,439 - up from the 2,485 achieved at the previous election, a by-election in 1912.
When Davies defended Crewe at the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
, standing as a Lloyd George National Liberal
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:...
he again faced no Conservative opponent. It was reported that the National Liberals in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
had come to an agreement with the Tories that if they declined to stand a candidate against Davies in Crewe, there would be no National Liberal opposition to Conservative candidates in the divisions of Eddisbury
Eddisbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Eddisbury is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election.- Boundaries :...
, Chester and Northwich
Northwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Northwich was a constituency in Cheshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 until it was abolished for the 1983 general election.- Members of Parliament :...
and the National Liberals would urge their supporters to support the Conservative candidates in those seats. The Lloyd George Liberals appear to have held to their side of the bargain as there were no National Liberal candidates in any Cheshire seat at the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
except for Davies in Crewe. There were a number of Independent Liberals including one in Chester but this did not stop the Tories from making a clean sweep of every Cheshire seat they contested in the election. The pact was not enough to save Davies however who was this time defeated by Labour’s Edward Hemmerde
Edward Hemmerde
Edward George Hemmerde, KC was an English rower, barrister and politician.-Education, the Law and family:Hemmerde was born at Peckham, south London, the son of James Godfey Hemmerde and his wife Frances Hope. His father was a bank manager and was with the Imperial Ottoman Bank. Hemmerde was...
, a former Liberal MP. One historian has commented that politics in Crewe had been changed by a number of factors including deaths among pre-war Liberal stalwarts, the decline of nonconformity
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
, the decreasing importance of temperance agitation and the rise of trade unionism. The progressive torch in Crewe passed from Liberalism to Labour.
Appointments and honours
Davies was knighted in January 1918 in recognition of his work for the government during the First World War, becoming a KBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. He 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...
.
From 1914-1917 he was the representative for Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
on the Cabinet Committee for Prevention of Unemployment. He was a member of the Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
on Daylight Saving
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
and was a member of a War Cabinet Delegation to the USA in 1917. He later served as a member of a Parliamentary Inquiry into the government’s scheme for the establishment of a motor repair works at Cippenham
Cippenham
Cippenham is a suburb of the unitary authority of Slough in the county of Berkshire, England. It was transferred to Berkshire from Buckinghamshire in 1974.The name, Cippenham derives from the old English Cippan-ham, meaning Cippa's homestead....
, near Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
.
Death
Davies devoted himself to his business affairs after leaving Parliament. However he was also a good lawn tennis player, representing Wales in some tournaments. He also enjoyed golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
. He died in Cardiff on 3 December 1954, aged 87.
Papers
According to one source, a collection of Davies’ papers have been deposited at the National Library of WalesNational Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
, along with those of many distinguished Liberal politicians who were early contemporaries of Lloyd George at Westminster. In addition some notes by Davies on his visits to Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, Sunderland, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and South Wales in relation to the Labour question are part of the Lloyd George papers in the Parliamentary Archives
Parliamentary Archives
The Parliamentary Archives of the United Kingdom preserves and makes available to public the records of the House of Lords and House of Commons back to 1497, as well as some 200 other collections of Parliamentary interest...
.
Publications
- Railway rates, charges, and regulations of the United Kingdom : being a summary of the railway rates and charges (order confirmation) acts, 1891 and 1892, and of the acts passed from 1854 to 1888 for the general regulation of railways McCorquodale, [1892?]
- The North Country Coal and Shipping Annual for 1912 – edited with Graham Wallis
- South Wales Coalfield: map showing the mineral undertakings of steam properties, the position of the pits, the railways serving the district and ports of shipment – Offices of the South Wales Coal Annual, 12 James Street, Cardiff – c1910
- The Prime Minister’s Secretariat, 1916-1920: Memoirs of a member of the secretariat under David Lloyd George – R H Johns, Newport, Mon 1951