Stretched before Margaret sat a crowd of 90 children from Cellan day school. On this Boxing Day, 1894,[1] she and her husband had invited the students and their teachers to their home for tea. Margaret had just presented each child with a Bible and Christmas card and now they all sat, faces eager, applauding and hollering in encouragement, for her to speak:
“Mrs. Davies rose amid shouts of applause, and said that it was a great pleasure for her and Mr. Davies to be present, and wished from the bottom of her heart great success for them as scholars and teachers. She fully believed that they would strive to study the gifts (namely the Bibles) that she had given, and live close to God’s rules, hoping that she would not hear of any of them turning out to be disobedient to their parents. Also, she wanted them to join the Band of Hope [a national group that taught children about sobriety and abstinence from alcohol], so that they could grow up to be strong and firm temperance men; and wherever Providence leads them, to be zealous for the good things they have learned in their youth.”[2]
Education, Christian morality, and temperance: core values of Margaret’s privileged, Liberal, nonconformist upbringing.
Margaret Davies was born February 15, 1857,[3] to Evan Davies and Sarah Andrew of Bailiau, a farm which had been occupied by her family for over 450 years.[4] She was the eldest daughter of their 11 children and she grew up on various ancient farms in the neighbouring parishes of Llanfair Clydogau and Pencarreg. While her father was a tenant on these farms, he was also a landowner himself.[5]
By the age of 22, Margaret found an appropriate match for a young woman of her status: David D. Davies of Blaenywern, Llanfair Clydogau, another Liberal, nonconformist farmer, and her second cousin twice removed.[6] They married on July 9th, 1879, at Llanfair Clydogau parish church. Margaret’s husband was a very important local figure. He was a deacon at Capel Erw, a member of the Lampeter Board of Guardians, a Cellan School Board member, and vice-president of the Cardiganshire Liberal Association. By 1907, he was also appointed the Justice of the Peace for the county.[7]
Like her husband, Margaret also led a very public life, taking a leading role in local events and liberal organizations. In 1895, she was an adjudicator for the arts performances at the Llangybi eisteddfod (the Welsh culture and arts competition).[8] In 1903, she helped in organising another annual tea for the Sunday School students at Capel Erw, complete with singing, instrumentation, recitations, and speeches.[9] In 1904, she helped organise a competitive concert and helped to prepare supper for the committee and officials.[10] And she was involved in philanthropy, being a frequent patron of the Lampeter workhouse.[11]
During the last years of her life, Margaret was known to be quite “unwell.” Her husband died in 1912 and four years later, on July 26th, 1916, she died by suicide at 59 years old. [12] She was buried in the graveyard of the Independent congregation at Capel Erw in Cellan next to her husband and her brother.
Supporting Queer People
This booklet discusses the risk factors, warning signs, and ways to help prevent suicide among lesbians, gays, and bisexuals. The ways that we prevent suicide for LGB people are things that benefit everyone—ending youth bullying and societal/institutional violence along lines of difference as well as building supportive families.
While this resource focusses on lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people, please do not confuse this as the language of the transphobic “LGB” hate-group in the UK. Trans people, some of whom are also gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc., face specific, additional challenges due to being the target of moral panic and violence that is covered HERE.
If you are in immediate need of support, check HERE for helplines in your country.
[1] 1895. Anonymous, “Cellan,” Ye Brython Cymreig, January 4, 1895, p. 3, col. 2. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3691789/3691792/22/
[2] Google-translated from the original Welsh: “Yna cododd Mrs Davies yn nghanol banllefau o gymeradwyaeth, a dywedodd fod yn bleser mawr ganddi hi a Mr Davies i fod yn bresenol, ac yn dymuno o’i chalon llwyddiant mawr iddynt fel ysgolheigion ac athraw. Yr oedd yn llwyr gredu y byddent yn ymdrechu i astudio y rhoddion (sef y Beiblau) yr oedd hi wedi anrhegu, a byw yn agos at ei reolau, gan obeithio na chlywsai am neb o honynt yn troi allan i fod yn anufudd i’w rhieni. Hefyd, dymunai arnynt ymuno a’r Band of Hope, er mwyn iddynt dyfu i fyny yn ddirwestwyr cryf a chadarn; a pha le bynag y byddo Rhagluniaeth yn eu harwain, i fod yn selog dros y pethau da y maent wedi ddysgu yn nhymoreu hieuenctyd.”
[3] 1857. Cardiganshire Baptisms. Cellan, p. 36 (p. 36/46). Digital Images. Ancestry. Entry for Margaret Davies, Feb. 23, 1857, entry 288.
[4] c1752. Evan Davies, Bailiau. “The Genealogy of the Baylieuans.” Solicitors Deposits: D. H. James, Carmarthen, GB 0212, 1a. Bargain and Sale. Archifdy Ceredigion Archives.
[5] 1873. Return of Owners of Land, 1873, (London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1873), Cardigan: 2, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951d015997457&seq=812&q1=Cardigan
[6] David was her grandfather’s 2nd cousin and 15 years her senior. I’m related to both of David’s parents and Margaret’s father.
[7] 1912. Anonymous. Cellan: Obituary. Cambrian News. March 29, 1912, p. 8, col. 4. Digital Images. FindMyPast. https://www.findmypast.com/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0002072%2F19120329&page=8&article=144
[8] 1895. Anonymous. Eisteddfod at Llangybi. The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard. August 16, 1895, p. 6. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. http://www.newspapers.library.wales/view/3314689/3314695/34/
[9] 1903. Anonymous. Cellan: Erw Chapel. The Carmarthen Journal and South Wales Weekly Advertiser. March 20, 1903, p. 8, col. 5. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. http://www.newspapers.library.wales/view/3762687/3762705/81/
[10] 1904. Anonymous. Cellan: Concert. The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard. March 4, 1904, p. 5. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. http://www.newspapers.library.wales/view/3408298/3408303/45/
[11] 1908. Anonymous. Lampeter: Good News. The Carmarthen Journal and South Wales Weekly Advertiser. January 10, 1908, p. 8, col. 2. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. http://www.newspapers.library.wales/view/3763396/3763404/98/
[12] 1916. Anonymous, “Lampeter,” The Cambria Daily Leader, July 27, 1916, p. 2, col. 6. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4101926/4101928/42/
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