George M. Ll. Davies facts for kids

George Maitland Lloyd Davies (born April 30, 1880 – died December 16, 1949) was a Welsh man who believed strongly in peace. He was known as a pacifist, meaning he was against war and violence. He also became a Member of Parliament (MP) for the University of Wales area. This meant he was elected to represent people in the UK government.

Early Life and Work

George Davies was born in Liverpool in 1880. His family was quite wealthy. His grandfather was a famous Welsh preacher. His cousin, David Davies, was a very important businessman and politician in Wales.

When George was 24, he became a secretary at a bank in Liverpool. In 1908, he moved to Wrexham to work as a bank manager. Later, he wanted a different kind of work. He started working in farming. In 1913, he became the secretary for a housing project called the Welsh Planning and Housing Trust.

Becoming a Pacifist

At first, George Davies thought that joining the military was a good idea. He joined the Territorial Army as an officer. This was because he disagreed with the idea of forcing people to join the army.

By early 1914, he changed his mind. He felt that fighting in the military did not fit with his strong Christian beliefs. So, he resigned from the army. At the end of 1914, he started working for a new group called the Fellowship of Reconciliation. This group worked for peace.

When World War I began, George was a conscientious objector. This means he refused to join the military because of his beliefs. In 1916, a special court allowed him to do other important work instead of fighting. He worked with the Friends Ambulance Unit.

First, he worked in a home for children who had problems. He tried to show his belief that people are good. Then, he worked on sheep farms in the hills of Llyn. However, he started preaching about peace in public places. Because of this, his special permission was taken away.

He was told to report for military training, but he refused. The police arrested him and sent him to the military. He was put on trial by the military, which is called a court-martial. He was sent to prison in Wormwood Scrubs, London, and Winson Green, Birmingham. He was in prison from 1917 to 1919. After the war, he worked for a time at Gregynog.

Political Life and Peace Work

In 1923, George Davies was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP). He represented the University of Wales. He ran as an independent candidate who believed in Christian pacifism. Even though he never joined a political party, he supported the Labour Party in Parliament. He was the only university MP to ever sit with the Labour Party.

In the 1924 election, he ran again but lost his seat. After this, George Davies became a minister for the Calvinistic Methodist church. He served as a pastor in Tywyn and Maethlon from 1926 to 1930.

He then left his church work to help people who did not have jobs. He worked in Rhosllannerchrugog and Brynmawr. Later, he lived in a Quaker community called Maes-yr-Haf in the Rhondda Valley.

In 1939, he became the President of a peace group called Heddychwyr Cymru. This group worked closely with the Peace Pledge Union. He also served as the Chair of the Peace Pledge Union from 1946 to 1949.

Later Life and Writings

In 1946, George Davies settled in North Wales in a place called Dolwyddelan. Even though his health was getting worse, he continued to preach outdoors. He was buried in Dolwyddelan.

George Davies married Leslie Eleanor Royde-Smith in 1916. They had a daughter named Jane Hedd.

He wrote several books in Welsh, including Pererindod Heddwch and Profiadau Pellach, which were about his work as a minister. He also wrote Atgofion Talysarn about his family. He wrote some books in English too. One of his books, A Pilgrimage of Peace, was published after he died in 1950. His brother, John Glyn Davies, was a poet and writer.

See also

• List of peace activists