Richard James Lewis (4 October 1900 – 20 January 1966) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

politician and co-operative activist. Born in Tavernspite, in

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...

, Lewis grew up in

Rhondda Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley ( cy, Cwm Rhondda ), is a former coalmining area in South Wales, historically in the county of Glamorgan. It takes its name from the River Rhondda, and embraces two valleys – the larger Rhondda Fawr valley ('' ...

and studied at Treorchy Grammar School. When he was fourteen, he began working at the local coal mine, joining the

South Wales Miners' Federation The South Wales Miners' Federation (SWMF), nicknamed "The Fed", was a trade union for coal miners in South Wales. It survives as the South Wales Area of the National Union of Mineworkers. Forerunners The Amalgamated Association of Miners (AA ...

(SWMF). In 1921, the SWMF sponsored him to attend the

Central Labour College The Central Labour College, also known as The Labour College, was a British higher education institution supported by trade unions. It functioned from 1909 to 1929. It was established on the basis of independent working class education. The colle ...

for two years, after which he returned to Rhondda, where he was active in the

1926 UK general strike The 1926 general strike in the United Kingdom was a general strike that lasted nine days, from 4 to 12 May 1926. It was called by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in an unsuccessful attempt to force the British governm ...

, although this left him unemployed. In 1927, he was elected to Rhondda

Urban District Council In England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected urban district council (UDC), which shared local gove ...

.Joyce Bellamy and H. F. Bing, "Lewis, Richard James", ''Dictionary of Labour Biography'', vol.I, pp.214–215 In 1928, Lewis moved to London, to work for the

National Council of Labour Colleges The National Council of Labour Colleges (NCLC) was an organisation set up in the United Kingdom to foster independent working class education. The organisation was founded at a convention held in the Clarion Club House, Yardley, Birmingham on 8/9 O ...

as an organiser of tutors. In 1930, he also became education secretary of the Ipswich Co-operative Society, and was then a founding member of the education executive of the

Co-operative Union Co-operatives UK is a British co-operative federation described as "the central membership organisation for co-operative enterprise throughout the UK". It was founded in 1870 as the Co-operative Central Board, changing its name to the Co-oper ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Lewis formed the Ipswich Committee Against Malnutrition, which distributed cheap milk for children and elderly people, a scheme later rolled out nationally. He was elected to Ipswich Town Council for the Labour Party in 1942, and stood unsuccessfully for

Liverpool West Derby Liverpool, West Derby is a List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies, constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament since 2019 by Ian Byrne ...

as a

Labour Co-operative Labour and Co-operative Party (often abbreviated Labour Co-op; cy, Llafur a'r Blaid Gydweithredol) is a description used by candidates in United Kingdom elections who stand on behalf of both the Labour Party and the Co-operative Party. Candidat ...

candidate at the

1945 UK general election The 1945 United Kingdom general election was a national election held on 5 July 1945, but polling in some constituencies was delayed by some days, and the counting of votes was delayed until 26 July to provide time for overseas votes to be bro ...

, and then in Sudbury and Woodbridge at the

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

and

1955 UK general election The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election in 1951. It was a snap election: after Winston Churchill retired in April 1955, Anthony Eden took over and immediately ca ...

s. In 1959/60, Lewis served as

Mayor of Ipswich Ipswich was created a Borough in 1200 by charter of King John.Text of charter (translated into English) and image of 1200 Town Seal, see Wodderspoon, J., ''Memorials of the Ancient Town of Ipswich'' (Pawsey (Ipswich): Longman, Brown, Green & Lon ...

. He died in 1966, following an unsuccessful operation.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Dick 1900 births 1966 deaths Labour Party (UK) councillors Labour Party (UK) parliamentary candidates Mayors of Ipswich, Suffolk People from Pembrokeshire Welsh trade unionists