DAVIES, WILLIAM EDWARDS (' W. E. Davies '; 1851 - 1927), Cymmrodor and eisteddfodwr

Born 8 August 1851 at Dolgelley, the second son (by the first marriage) of William Davies, Wesleyan minister (1820 - 1875). Nothing pleased him more than to sign his writings ' Ap yr Hen Wyliedydd.' Most of his life was spent in London, and his love for Wales was born from his association with the Hon. Society of Cymmrodorion. He was a member of the society, became an officer (in due course), and was its devoted servant for the remainder of his life. He was a colleague of Sir Hugh Owen's and it was through him that the latter carried out his work for Wales, as the correspondence (in the possession of the family) clearly shows. He wrote a memoir of Sir Hugh Owen, 1885. In 1867 he was appointed to the staff of the North and South Wales Bank and worked for a time in Liverpool, Welshpool, and Llanrwst. He was accountant at the Caernarvon branch, 1875-8, and was secretary of the national eisteddfod held there in 1877. He was partly responsible for building the Caernarvon Pavilion. He wrote a history of the old Caernarvon eisteddfodau from 1821 to 1880 (see Cofnodion 1886). He was joint secretary with Sir Vincent Evans of the London eisteddfod, 1887, and again with D. R. Hughes in 1909. He lived at Beaumaris from 1891 to 1895 as manager of the Anglesey lime works. He took a prominent part in forming the National Eisteddfod Association and in reforming its mechanism; and it was he who signed every annual report from 1882 to 1886 and was responsible for the introductions. He died at his home at Beckenham, Kent, 21 January 1927.

Author

• Reverend Daniel Williams, (1878 - 1968)

Sources

• Cofnodion Cymdeithas yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol
• The Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, 1933-5
• Y Ddolen. Cylchgrawn misol, London, 1927

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20734600

Published date: 1959

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