David Davies (industrialist)

David Davies
Born	Llandinam, Montgomeryshire, Wales
Died	July 20, 1890(1890-07-20) (aged 71) Plas Dinam estate, Wales
Occupation(s)	Industrialist, politician
Years active	1850s–1890
Known for	Establishing Barry Docks; Member of Parliament for Cardigan Boroughs and Cardiganshire

David Davies (18 December 1818 – 20 July 1890) was a Welsh industrialist and Liberal Party politician who represented his constituency in the House of Commons from 1874 until 1886. Frequently referred to as David Davies Llandinam after his birthplace in Llandinam, Montgomeryshire, he is most notably recognized for establishing Barry Docks.

Early life and education

As the eldest of nine siblings born to farmer David Davies and his wife Elizabeth, Davies received little formal schooling and was largely self-taught. He initially worked alongside his father in agriculture and as a sawyer. Following his father’s death when Davies was twenty years old, he assumed responsibility for managing the family farm. By 1848, he had purchased a larger estate named Tynymaen, which later became the principal farm of the Plâs Dinam estate, and expanded his holdings further in 1850 by acquiring Gwerneirin.

Religion

Raised within the Calvinistic Methodist tradition, Davies practiced strict teetotalism and adhered rigorously to the Sunday observance. He emerged as a prominent leader within Calvinistic Methodism, which counted over 13,000 adherents in Cardiganshire alone, and financially supported the building of numerous chapels.

Initial foray: the 1865 Cardiganshire election

David Davies made his first attempt to enter Parliament during the 1865 General Election, contesting the Cardiganshire seat. The incumbent member, Colonel Powell of Nanteos, had initially intended to retire, prompting Sir Thomas Davies Lloyd—a Whig landowner—to declare his candidacy as a Liberal. After Powell reversed his retirement decision, Lloyd withdrew but re-entered the race when Powell ultimately stepped down again. Henry Richard withdrew in favor of Lloyd; however, Davies remained in contention. Lloyd ultimately prevailed with a majority of 361 votes.

Davies’ campaign was bolstered by his railway ventures that generated local employment opportunities. Nonetheless, opposition from influential landowners—particularly the powerful Pryse family—and fragmented support among nonconformists contributed to his defeat. His challenge was viewed as "a contest between two kinds of wealth," with Davies investing £10,000 into his campaign. He highlighted his role as an entrepreneur fostering jobs rather than advocating for more radical reforms such as the secret ballot.

Although a Calvinistic Methodist deacon anticipating backing from nonconformists, many leading figures within that community were indifferent or opposed him due to his associations with landowners who controlled chapel leases.

Davies secured 1,149 votes compared to Lloyd’s 1,510. His strongest support came from the Tregaron area and Lampeter district—attributed to both railway expansion and religious connections—while he suffered significant losses elsewhere.

Following this defeat in 1865, Davies appeared ready to contest future elections and made notable chapel donations in regions where Lloyd’s margin was slim. By 1868, senior Liberals invited him to stand if Lloyd stepped down; however, Davies declined and reportedly offered Lloyd £500 to maintain his candidacy instead.

Member of Parliament

Davies secured election as the Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardigan Boroughs in 1874, retaining this position until 1885 when the county and borough constituencies were combined following the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885. Subsequently, he was chosen as MP for the Cardiganshire county division. Although not an eloquent orator, Davies sustained considerable backing due to his support for the newly established university college at Aberystwyth and his strong ties with the Calvinistic Methodist community, which counted over 13,000 adherents in Cardiganshire. His 1885 electoral victory was also bolstered by a well-organized Liberal Association led by H. C. Fryer, which managed voter registration and arranged transportation for constituents who had relocated to the South Wales coalfields.

Break with the Liberal Party and the 1886 General Election

In 1886, Davies parted ways with Gladstone over the issue of Irish home rule and contested the general election as a Liberal Unionist candidate, having initially suggested he would retire from political life. Several colleagues, including Robert J. Davies, Cwrtmawr, aligned with him in this new political faction. The election caused a division within Cardiganshire’s Liberal Party and was intensely fought; most local landowners—even those who had previously leaned Liberal—backed Davies, alongside influential Liberals from his Methodist denomination. In the end, he was narrowly defeated by the Gladstonian Liberal William Bowen Rowlands by just nine votes—a margin largely attributed to the sway of nonconformist ministers. Rowlands remained in office until 1895.

Following his loss in 1886, Davies stepped back from national politics but continued his involvement at a local level as a member of Montgomery County Council starting in 1889 and held the position of chairman on the Llandinam School Board. He also served as a JP for Montgomeryshire.

Early career

Davies’ initial venture involved constructing a bridge over the Severn at Llandinam. He quickly built a reputation as a contractor responsible for numerous roads and bridges. Beginning in 1855, he contributed to the development of the Llanidloes and Newtown Railway, which commenced operation in 1859. This railway was distinctive because it did not connect to any other line at either end, necessitating that locomotives and carriages be transported on specialized wagons from Oswestry, located 36 miles away. Together with partners such as Thomas Savin, Davies was instrumental in building several lines: the Vale of Clwyd Railway (1858), the Oswestry and Newtown Railway (1861), the Newtown and Machynlleth Railway (1862), and the Pembroke and Tenby Railway (1863), which was later extended to Whitland in 1866. Among his most notable accomplishments was completing the stretch of the Manchester and Milford Railway between Pencader and Aberystwyth, opened in 1867. This project included traversing the difficult terrain of Tregaron Bog between Lampeter and Aberystwyth during 1866, where he reportedly procured an entire year’s supply of sheep fleece from Ceredigion to reinforce the railway’s foundation. Later on, he held a directorship at the Brecon and Merthyr Junction Railway.

Industrialist

Building on his achievements in the railway sector, Davies emerged as a prominent coal mine proprietor, significantly contributing to the industrial transformation of the Rhondda Valley by establishing the Parc and Maendy collieries during the 1860s. As chairman, he founded the Ocean Merthyr company in 1867, which subsequently developed multiple new mining sites, including Dare (1868), Western and Eastern (1872), Garw (1884), and Lady Windsor (1885).

Coal production surged by the 1880s, leading Davies to create the limited liability Ocean Coal Company. Confronted with limitations in capacity and elevated expenses associated with the Taff Vale railway and Cardiff’s Bute docks, he spearheaded the development of new dock facilities at Barry, connected by rail to the Rhondda coalfields. Completed in 1889 following extensive parliamentary authorization, Barry Docks was described by historian Kenneth Morgan as "the crowning triumph" of David Davies. These docks played a pivotal role in broadening the international market for South Wales coal, rapidly becoming Great Britain’s foremost coal export harbor.

Although Davies passed away just one year after Barry Docks commenced operations, this infrastructure had already established Ocean Coal as the largest and most lucrative coal enterprise in South Wales.

Personal life and family

Referred to by nicknames such as "Top Sawyer" and "Davies the Ocean," his father worked as a sawyer on the southern bank of the Severn valley in Llandinam. After amassing his wealth, Davies commissioned Broneirion, an impressive riverside mansion situated on the northern side of the river to maximize sunlight throughout the year. Since the 1940s, Broneirion has functioned as a training center and lodging managed by Girlguiding Cymru, which announced intentions to sell the estate in 2022.

In 1851, Davies wed Margaret Jones from Llanfair. The couple had one son, Edward Davies (1852–1898). His grandson, also named David Davies, extended the family’s philanthropic commitments and was granted a peerage. Additionally, two granddaughters, Gwendoline Davies and Margaret Davies, generously donated their extensive art collection to the National Museum of Wales.

A devoted supporter of education, Davies was among the inaugural governors of the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth and held the position of treasurer between 1875 and 1887.

In 1884, he purchased Plas Dinam, a substantial rural estate where he later died on 20 July 1890 at age 71.

External links

• Obituary published in the Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald, 25 July 1890
• Last Will and Testament featured in the Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald, 24 October 1890