Wilfred Mitford Davies
Encyclopedia
Wilfred Mitford Davies was a Welsh
artist and publisher, best known for his work with the Cymru'r Plant imprint to produce children's reading matter in the Welsh language
.
Davies was born at Menai Bridge
, Anglesey
, and brought up in the village of Star. He went to school at Llanfairpwll and Llangefni
, and hoped to become an architect. He served in the army during World War I
, and afterwards studied at Liverpool
School of Art, returning to his home village of Star in the early 1920s. He was approached by Ifan ab Owen Edwards
to produce children's cartoon characters for the newly launched Cymru'r Plant magazine. His characters Toodles and Twm y Gath ("Tom the Cat") were later used in Breton
children's publications. He illustrated many children's books, as well as providing cartoons for newspapers and magazines. He also produced landscape paintings, mostly of North 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...
artist and publisher, best known for his work with the Cymru'r Plant imprint to produce children's reading matter in the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
.
Davies was born at Menai Bridge
Menai Bridge
Menai Bridge is a small town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford...
, Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, and brought up in the village of Star. He went to school at Llanfairpwll and Llangefni
Llangefni
Llangefni is the county town of Anglesey in Wales and contains the principal offices of the Isle of Anglesey County Council. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llangefni was 4,662 people and it is the second largest settlement on the island...
, and hoped to become an architect. He served in the army during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and afterwards studied at Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
School of Art, returning to his home village of Star in the early 1920s. He was approached by Ifan ab Owen Edwards
Ifan ab Owen Edwards
Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards , was a Welsh academic, writer and film-maker, best known as the founder of Urdd Gobaith Cymru, the Welsh League of Youth....
to produce children's cartoon characters for the newly launched Cymru'r Plant magazine. His characters Toodles and Twm y Gath ("Tom the Cat") were later used in Breton
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
children's publications. He illustrated many children's books, as well as providing cartoons for newspapers and magazines. He also produced landscape paintings, mostly of North Wales.