W. R. P. George facts for kids

William Richard Philip George (born October 20, 1912, died November 20, 2006) was a very important person from Wales. He was a solicitor (a type of lawyer), a poet, and even the Archdruid of Wales. He was also the nephew of David Lloyd George, who was once the Prime Minister of the UK.

Early Life and Family

William George was born in a town called Criccieth in North Wales. His father, also named William George, was the younger brother of the famous Prime Minister, David Lloyd George. While his uncle David became a national politician, William's father stayed in Wales. He ran the family law firm. He also served for 60 years on the Caernarfonshire County Council.

Education and Law Career

William George went to school at Friars School, Bangor. He later attended Wrekin College in Shropshire. In the late 1920s, he studied law at a special school called Gibson & Weldon. One of his teachers there later became a very important judge.

In the early 1930s, he trained to become a solicitor in Caernarfon. He officially became a solicitor in November 1934. He then joined his father's law firm, William George & Son, in Porthmadog. He worked at this same firm for his entire life. When he passed away at 94, he was one of the oldest working solicitors in England and Wales. His father had worked until he was 101!

William George also served as a Clerk to the Justices in Barmouth from 1948 to 1975. He was also a deputy judge in the Crown Court from 1975 to 1980. He even worked as a solicitor for the National Eisteddfod, which is a big Welsh festival.

Public Service and Politics

Outside of his law work, William George chose a different path from his family's political views. His family usually supported the Liberal Party. However, he decided to support Plaid Cymru, a Welsh nationalist party.

During the Second World War, he was a conscientious objector. This means he believed it was wrong to fight in the war. Instead, he worked on farms to help the country. He was also an independent councillor. He served on the Carnarvonshire County Council and later the Gwynedd County Council. He was a councillor from 1967 to 1996. In 1982, he was the Chairman of the council. In 1996, he was given a special award, the Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for his great work in local government.

Poet and Archdruid

William George was also a talented Welsh language poet. He won a major award at the National Eisteddfod in 1974. He was crowned for his poem called Tân, which means "Fire."

In 1988, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Wales. From 1990 to 1993, he held a very special role. He was the Archdruid of Wales. This is the leader of the Gorsedd of Bards, a group that promotes Welsh culture. When he became Archdruid, he took the bardic name "Ap Llysor." This name means "son of Solicitor." He was also the Chairman of the Assembly of Welsh Counties. He was also the Secretary of the Baptist chapel in Criccieth.

Published Works

William George published several books of Welsh poems. These include:

• Dwyfor (1948)
• Cerddi'r Neraig ("Neraig Poems", 1968)
• Grawn Medi ("September Grapes", 1974)
• Tân ("Fire", 1979)
• Dringo'r Ysgol ("Climbing the Ladder", 1989)

He also released a collection of poems called Mydylau ("Haycocks") in 2004.

He wrote three biographies as well. Two of these were about his famous uncle, Lloyd George. These books were The Making of Lloyd George (1976) and Lloyd George: backbencher (1983). He wrote these using old papers he received after his father passed away. He also wrote his own life story, called 88 Not Out, which came out in 2001.

Personal Life

William George was married twice. He first married Dora Harley in 1943. Later, he married Greta Bogner in 1953. He had four children with Greta, and three of them also became solicitors.