John Wingett Davies (1908 – 11 September 1992) was a British company director in the fields of ship broking, aviation, and films, whose main interest was as an exhibitor in the world of cinema. He was managing director of Davies Cinemas Ltd and chairman of British Cinematograph Theatres, Deputy Chairman of

Davies and Newman Davies and Newman Limited was a Privately held company, privately held British shipping company, formed in 1922, a member of the Baltic Exchange, from which several other companies developed, including Dan-Air, Dan-Air Engineering, Dan-Air Flying S ...

, the

parent company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...

Dan-Air Dan-Air (Dan Air Services Limited) was an airline based in the United Kingdom and a wholly owned subsidiary of London shipbroker, shipbroking firm Davies and Newman. It was started in 1953 with a single aircraft. Initially, it operated cargo a ...

, and President of the

Cinema Exhibitors' Association The UK Cinema Association (UKCA), formerly known as the Cinema Exhibitors Association, is the national trade association for cinema operators in the United Kingdom. The UKCA represents the interests of well over 90 per cent of UK cinema operator ...

Life

The son of William Davies, a

sea captain A sea captain, ship's captain, captain, master, or shipmaster, is a high-grade licensed mariner who holds ultimate command and responsibility of a merchant vessel.Aragon and Messner, 2001, p.3. The captain is responsible for the safe and efficie ...

and ship-broker, the young Davies was born in London and educated at

Marlborough College Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Founded in 1843 for the sons of Church ...

and

Whitgift School ("He who perseveres, conquers") , established = , closed = , type = Independent school , religious_affiliation = Church of England , president = , head_label = Head Master , head = Christopher Ramsey , c ...

, then became a broker in his father's firm, Davies and Newman. In July 1928, when the Davies family was living at Coopersale Hall, Epping, his younger sister, Letitia, married F. C. Chalklin, a research physicist of

Hadlow Hadlow is a village in the borough of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. It is situated in the Medway valley, north-east of Tonbridge and south-west of Maidstone. The Saxon name for the settlement was Haeselholte (in the Textus Roffens ...

, at

St Clement Danes St Clement Danes is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London. It is situated outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand. Although the first church on the site was reputedly founded in the 9th century by the Danes, the current ...

Strand, London Strand (or the Strand) is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster, Central London. It runs just over from Trafalgar Square eastwards to Temple Bar, where the road becomes Fleet Street in the City of London, and is part of the A4 ...

, and a year later his older sister Mary Frances married

Geoffrey Gillam Geoffrey Gerard Gillam FRCP (28 January 1905 – 15 February 1970) was a British medical doctor and consultant cardiologist who became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. During the Second World War he was commissioned into the Royal ...

and went on to have three sons. In 1931 Davies entered the cinema business and became a member of the London branch committee of the

, going on to be elected as its chairman and as a delegate to the General Council. In 1947, he was managing director of Davies Cinemas Ltd, with offices at 26-27,

D'Arblay Street D'Arblay Street is a street in the Soho district of the City of Westminster, London, named after Frances Burney (Madame d'Arblay). It was formerly known as Portland Street and was built on land owned by the Dukes of Portland known as Doghouse Cl ...

, London W1. In 1952 he was vice-president of the CEA and President in 1953–54. In 1974 he was Director of F.I.D.O. After his father's death in 1936, Davies was a major shareholder in Davies and Newman and took a seat on the board. By 1971, he was Deputy Chairman, under the chairmanship of Frederick Newman. In that year, 1971, the Davies and Newman Group was floated on the

London Stock Exchange London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange in the City of London, England, United Kingdom. , the total market value of all companies trading on LSE was £3.9 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Pau ...

, having become more important thanks to the success of its subsidiary

.Letter to

Hambros Bank Hambros Bank was a British bank based in London. The Hambros bank was a specialist in Anglo-Scandinavian business with expertise in trade finance and investment banking, and was the sole banker to the Scandinavian kingdoms for many years. The Bank ...

from Mr. F. E. F. Newman, M.C., Chairman and Managing Director of Davies and Newman, dated 30 September 1971, published in ''

The Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nikk ...

'' dated 4 October 1971 Davies was also chairman of British Cinematograph Theatres Ltd, and in the

1977 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1977 are appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1977. The awards were announced on 30 December 1976 in the United Kingdom,United Kingdom: Australia,Australia: Ne ...

he was appointed

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

for services to the

Cinematograph Films Council The Cinematograph Films Council was established by the Cinematograph Films Act 1938 as a result of a Board of Trade report by a committee chaired by Lord Moyne, which recommended that such a statutory body should be created to advise the UK governme ...

. He retired in 1984 and died in September 1991, leaving an estate valued at £614,274. At the time of his death he was living at 45, Melbury Road,

West Kensington West Kensington, formerly North End, is an area in the ancient parish of Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, England, 3.4 miles (5.5 km) west of Charing Cross. It covers most of the London postal area of W14, includin ...

, London W14.

Private life

In 1931, Davies married Elizabeth Mary Mann, at

Epping Epping may refer to: Places Australia * Epping, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney ** Epping railway station, Sydney * Electoral district of Epping, the corresponding seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly * Epping Forest, Kearns, a he ...

. Their son Richard William was born in 1933, a daughter, Diana Wingett, in 1938, and a second son, Michael John, in 1946. Davies was a nephew of Sir Joseph Davies (1866–1954), a business man and Liberal politician, and acted as Executor of his uncle’s will.“DAVIES sir Joseph K.B.E.” in ''Wills and Administrations 1955'' (England and Wales series, 1955), p. 695

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, John Wingett 1908 births 1992 deaths Davies and Newman Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Marlborough College People educated at Whitgift School