Timothy Davies

Timothy Davies (17 January 1857 – 22 August 1951)[1] was a British Liberal Party politician). He represented Fulham as a Borough Councillor, Borough Alderman, County Councillor, Mayor and Member of Parliament.

Background

Timothy Davies was born in Llanpumsaint, Carmarthenshire where he spent his childhood years until later moving to Liverpool to become an apprentice in the textile industry.[2] In 1885, he founded his own company in Fulham, London but maintained strong links with Wales as evidenced when he commissioned a stone fountain for Carmarthen Park in 1899.[2]

Political career

In 1896 he was elected a member of Fulham Vestry as a Progressive. He continued as a councillor of the new Fulham Borough Council in 1900. In 1901 he was elected mayor of the borough council, serving from 1901 to 1902. In 1903 he was appointed a borough alderman.[3] In 1901 he was elected to the London County Council as a Progressive Party candidate, gaining Fulham from the Conservative-backed Moderate party.

1901 London County Council election: Fulham[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Timothy Davies 5,341 29.3 +5.5
Progressive Peter Lawson 5,259 28.9 +5.1
Conservative Edward George Easton 3,497 19.2 -6.7
Conservative Cameron Gull 3,483 19.1 -7.3
Independent James Edwin Cooney 645 3.5 n/a
Progressive gain from Conservative Swing
Progressive gain from Conservative Swing +6.2

He was re-elected in 1904 and served until 1907.[3]

He was a supporter of the Temperance movement.[5] For many years he had a close friendship with David Lloyd George who had an affair with Davies's wife, Lizzie.[6]Tempestuous Journey by Frank Owen</ref> In 1906 he completed his hat-trick of Fulham representation when he gained the parliamentary seat at the General Election;

Fulham in London 1900-18
1906 General Election: Fulham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Timothy Davies 8,037 52.0 +12.6
Conservative Hayes Fisher 7,407 48.0 -12.6
Majority 630 4.0 25.2
Turnout 20,620 74.9 +9.9
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing +12.6

In 1910, rather than seek re-election at Fulham, he switched constituencies to contest Louth in Lincolnshire;

General election January 1910: Louth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Langton Brackenbury 4,433 50.9 +6.9
Liberal Timothy Davies 4,275 49.1 -6.9
Majority 158 1.8 13.8
Turnout 84.4 +3.8
Conservative hold Swing

Despite failure, he fought the seat again 11 months later;

General election December 1910: Louth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Timothy Davies 4,260
Conservative Langton Brackenbury 4,188
Majority
Turnout
Liberal gain from Conservative Swing

In 1912 he voted against and in 1917 he voted in favour of giving votes to women. In 1916 he supported the introduction of Conscription. In 1918, he was absent during the key Maurice debate.[7] He sought re-election at the 1918 election but found that the Coalition 'coupon' had been issued to his Unionist opponent;

General election 1918: Louth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Langton Brackenbury 9,055 54.5
Liberal Timothy Davies 7,559 45.5
Majority 1,496 9.0
Turnout 16,614 60.3
Unionist gain from Liberal Swing

Davies did not stand for Parliament again.

As well as serving as an MP Timothy Davies also became a Justice of the Peace and an Income Tax Commissioner. He died in 1951, aged 94.

References

  • Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [First published 1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  1. ↑ "Deaths". The Times. London. 24 August 1951. p. 1.
  2. 1 2 http://vads.ahds.ac.uk/large.php?pic=ahcarmarth01515&page=48&mode=boolean&words=stone&idSearch=boolean&vadscoll=Public+Monuments+and+Sculpture+Association Public Monuments and Sculpture Association: Fountain donated by Timothy Davies to Carmarthen
  3. 1 2 Liberal Year Book 1907
  4. ↑ "London County Council Election." Times [London, England] 4 March 1901: 7. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 22 September 2016.
  5. ↑ General Election 1906, Wales and Monmouthshire
  6. ↑ Simon Heffer, The Age of Decadence, p 569
  7. ↑ Hansard
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