David Davies (18 December 1818 – 20 July 1890) was a Welsh industrialist and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1874 and 1886. Davies was often known as David Davies Llandinam (from the place of his birth, Llandinam in Powys), in order to differentiate him from others of the same name.[1]
Davies was the son of David Davies and his wife Elizabeth. He attended the day school at Llandinam but was primarily self-educated. He began work as a workman and went into agriculture and then became a railway contractor.[2] In due course he became a coal magnate, and was an important figure in the industrialisation of the Rhondda Valley. He founded the Parc and Maendy collieries, and constructed the docks at Barry. He was also responsible for the construction of railways across rural mid Wales including the very difficult crossing of Tregaron Bog in the construction of the line between Lampeter and Aberystwyth in 1866. It is reputed that he bought up the entire year's production of sheep fleeces in Ceredigion to lay as a foundation for the railway line on the bog.[1] He was a director of Brecon and Merthyr Railway, J.P. for Montgomeryshire and chairman of the Llandinam School Board.[2]
Davies was elected as Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardigan Boroughs in 1874 and held the seat until 1885,[3] when the constituency was reorganised under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. He was then elected MP for Cardiganshire in 1885.[3] In the 1886 general election he stood as a Liberal Unionist candidate, but was defeated by William Bowen Rowlands, the Liberal candidate, by 9 votes.
During his lifetime, he was also known by the nicknames, "Top Sawyer" and "Davies the Ocean". His father was a sawyer and lived on the south side of the Severn valley in Llandinam so that in winter the house was shaded from the sun because of the enclosing hills. Once he had started to amass his fortune, he built Broneirion, a grand country mansion on the north side of the river that would enjoy sunshine all year round, which is maintained in good order to this day in the ownership of Girlguiding Cymru. In order to gain access to the house, Davies built the first iron bridge in Montgomeryshire.[1]
Davies married Margaret Jones, daughter of Edward Jones of Llanfair in 1851.[2] His grandson, another David Davies, continued Llandinam's philanthropic activities and was elevated to the peerage. Llandinam's two granddaughters, Gwendoline Davies and Margaret Davies, donated their substantial art collection to the National Museum of Wales.[1]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Thomas Lloyd, Bt |
Member of Parliament for Cardigan Boroughs 1874 – 1885 |
Constituency abolished |
| Preceded by Lewis Pugh Pugh |
Member of Parliament for Cardiganshire 1885 – 1886 |
Succeeded by William Bowen Rowlands |