Gwilym Elfed Davies, Baron Davies of Penrhys (9 October 1913 – 28 April 1992) 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 ...

Labour Party politician. Born in

Pontygwaith, Rhondda Pontygwaith (Welsh language: "Bridge of work" or "Bridge of the Ironworks") is a small village located in the Rhondda Fach valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, in the community of Tylorstown. History Pontygwaith takes its ...

to Welsh-speaking parents, David and Miriam Elizabeth Davies, Elfed was educated at the Tylorstown Rhondda Elementary School before becoming a

coal miner Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use c ...

. Davies joined 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 ...

, and was chair of its Tylorstown Lodge from 1934, then treasurer from 1940, and secretary from 1954. From 1958 to 1959, he was the chair of the Aberdare and Rhondda District of the

National Union of Mineworkers (UK) The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is a trade union for coal miners in Great Britain, formed in 1945 from the Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB). The NUM took part in three national miners' strikes, in 1972, 1974 and 1984–85. Af ...

. Davies was active in the Labour Party, serving on the executive of the Rhondda East Divisional Labour Party, and the Rhondda Borough Labour Party. From 1954 to 1961, he served on

Glamorgan County Council Glamorgan County Council was established in 1889 together with the administrative county of Glamorganshire under the Local Government Act 1888. The first elections to the council were held in January 1889. The council was abolished under the Local ...

. He was elected as

member of parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

(MP) for Rhondda East at the 1959 general election, and from 1964 until 1968, was

Parliamentary Private Secretary A Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) is a Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom who acts as an unpaid assistant to a minister or shadow minister. They are selected from backbench MPs as the 'eyes and ears' of the minister in the H ...

Ray Gunter Raymond Jones Gunter (30 August 1909 – 12 April 1977) was a British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician. He was born in Wales and had a background in the railway industry and the Trade unions in the United Kingdom, British trade union mo ...

, the Minister of Power. Davies served in Parliament until his constituency was abolished at the February 1974 general election. He was subsequently created a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

as Baron Davies of Penrhys, ''of

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 ('' ...

in the County of

Mid Glamorgan , Government= Mid Glamorgan County Council , Status= Non-metropolitan county (1974–1996) Preserved county (1996–) , Start= 1974 , End= 1996 , Arms= ''Coat of arms of Mid ...

'' on 8 July 1974. In retirement, he served on the South Wales Electricity Board, and the National Sports Council for Wales.

References

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External links

* 1913 births 1992 deaths Welsh Labour MPs Davies of Penrhys National Union of Mineworkers-sponsored MPs UK MPs 1959–1964 UK MPs 1964–1966 UK MPs 1966–1970 UK MPs 1970–1974 UK MPs who were granted peerages Life peers created by Elizabeth II {{Wales-Labour-UK-MP-stub