Davies, David, 1818-1890

Person

Davies, David, 1818-1890

1818-1890

David Davies (1818-1890), industrialist and MP. He was born at Llandinam, Montgomeryshire, the eldest of nine children of David and Elizabeth Davies. On leaving the village school at the age of 11, David Davies helped his father in farming and sawing timber on commission, and his prowess was such that in later life he boasted that he was always "top sawyer". In 1846 he was invited to make the foundation and approaches for a bridge over the Severn at Llandinam; this set him on a career as a railway contractor. In 1851 Davies married Margaret Jones of Llanfair Caereinion; they had one child, Edward (1852-1898). In 1855 Davies built the first section of the Llanidloes & Newtown railway (opened in 1859). He subsequently built, with various partners, the following railways: Vale of Clwyd (1858), Oswestry & Newtown (1861), Newtown & Machynlleth (1862), Pembroke & Tenby (1863, extended to Whitland, 1866), 'Manchester & Milford' (Pencader to Aberystwyth, 1867), Van (Caersws to Van mines, 1871). In 1864 David Davies took a lease of coal in the Upper Rhondda Valley and sank the Parc and Maendy pits. David Davies & Co. was formed as a private company in 1867 to work these 'Ocean Merthyr' pits, and new collieries were sunk: Dare (1868), Western and Eastern (1872), Garw (1884), and Lady Windsor (1885). In 1887 the output had so increased that it was deemed advisable to set up a limited liability company, the Ocean Coal Co. Ltd. The inability of the Taff Vale railway and the Bute docks at Cardiff to cope with the Ocean traffic led Davies to promote a new dock at Barry with a railway connection from the Rhondda. The project was carried through after a severe parliamentary fight, and was brought to completion in 1889. As a man of wealth, David Davies entered public life. In 1865 he unsuccessfully contested Cardiganshire against another Liberal, but in 1874 and again in 1880 he was returned unopposed for Cardigan district. He was returned in 1885 after a contest, but in 1886 he disagreed with Gladstone over home rule for Ireland and was defeated by nine votes. He was one of the first governors of the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth and in 1875 was elected treasurer, a post which he held till 1887. He was returned unopposed in 1889 to represent Llandinam on the first Montgomeryshire county council.