D. Jacob Davies (5 September 1916 – 11 February 1974) was a Welsh Unitarian minister who became a prominent figure within Welsh public life and within his denomination in Wales and beyond.

Early life

Jacob Davies was born on 5 September 1916 at Penlon,

Tregroes Tregroes ( cy, Tregroes, "Settlement of the Cross") is a hamlet in the community of Llandysul, Ceredigion, Wales, which is 64.1 miles (103.2 km) from Cardiff and 183.6 miles (295.5 km) from London. Tregroes is represented in the Senedd ...

, near Llandysul, one of the five children of David and Mary Davies. He was educated at Tregroes Primary School before earning a scholarship to

Llandysul Grammar School Ysgol Dyffryn Teifi was a bilingual (Welsh and English) comprehensive school in Llandysul, Ceredigion. It stood on the site of the previous Llandysul Grammar School. The school was established in 1984 following the re-organisation of education in ...

in 1929, where he remained until 1936. He then became a student at

Carmarthen Presbyterian College Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, dow ...

to prepare for the Unitarian ministry. After some years in Carmarthen he became minister of the Capel Bach, the Unitarian chapel in

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...

, where he enrolled as a student at the

University A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

and graduated in 1945.

Hen-Dy-Cwrdd

Although Davies had intended to study for an MA degree, he received a call to minister the Unitarian churches at Highland Place,

Aberdare Aberdare ( ; cy, Aberdâr) is a town in the Cynon Valley area of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, at the confluence of the Rivers Dare (Dâr) and Cynon. Aberdare has a population of 39,550 (mid-2017 estimate). Aberdare is south-west of Merthyr Tyd ...

and Hen-Dy-Cwrdd, Trecynon. The latter was the oldest nonconformist place of worship in the Aberdare Valley. As well as his duties as a minister, Davies played a wider role in the life of Aberdare, including supporting the movement to establish a Welsh-medium primary school, Ysgol Gymraeg Aberdar.

Return to Cardiganshire

In 1957, Jacob Davies returned to his native area to minister the three Unitarian churches at

Alltyblacca Alltyblaca is a village in the Welsh county of Ceredigion, Mid-West Wales, located on the road between Llanybydder and Llanwnnen. The chapel There has been a chapel in the village since 1740. This was the sister chapel to the building at Llwyn ...

; Capel y Bryn, Cwrtnewydd and Cwmsychbant. He remained there until his death in 1974. Davies was an active broadcaster, writer and journalist, and edited the Unitarian journal, ''Yr Ymofynnydd''. He was an active campaigner for pensioners' rights and the ''Pensioner of Wales'' from 1955 until 1973. He was in demand to preside at the

National Eisteddfod of Wales The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Eur ...

and the Llangollen International Eisteddfod. Politically, Davies supported Plaid Cymru, and unsuccessfully stood as a candidate in the inaugural Dyfed County Council election in

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...

. He finished fourth with 21% of the vote. Together with these various activities, Davies was prominent in his denomination beyond Wales and at the time of his death was President of the General Unitarian Assembly.

Death

Davies died suddenly on 11 February 1974. He was buried four days later at Bwlchydadfa Cemetery,

Talgarreg Talgarreg is a small village in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. Culture, history & amenities Economically it is sustained by farming, though there are also some small quarries in the area. The language of the village is still largely Welsh ...

References

Sources

Books and Journals

Online

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, D. Jacob 1917 births 1974 deaths Plaid Cymru politicians Welsh Unitarians People educated at Llandysul Grammar School