Elizabeth Margaret Davies, commonly known as Bessie, grew up among the rolling, green hills of the Teifi Valley in west Wales. She was the eldest daughter of the well-known Davies’ of Velindre House. But when the chaos of World War I arrived at the shores of Britain, the familiy mobilised in any way they could. Bessie’s three brothers joined the army and her sister, Minnie, became a nurse. Elizabeth helped with funding the war efforts, working with women’s organizations from Lampeter, to Cardiff, to London.¹ In 1915, for example, Bessie, her sister, and many other women in her community planned Flag Day. They sold flags to their neighbours and put the profits “towards providing comforts for Lampeter soldiers who are serving their country.”²

The family were very proud of their efforts and flaunted their achievements to their community. For example, on the news of Bessie’s marriage³ to Charles Frederick Marling West, a dental surgeon from Kensington, London, the papers patriotically reported that, “the bride’s family are deeply respected by all, and every member of this loyal and patriotic family… are doing something towards helping their country in time of need. Long have they set a noble example to weak-kneed shirkers, who conceived every tactic to avoid joining the army!” Unlike many others, all of Bessie’s brothers were lucky enough to return home from the war.

Bessie was born on November 19, 1882⁴, at Velindre farm in Pencarreg, Carmarthenshire, Wales. She was the daughter of Annie Walters and David Davies. She grew up quite wealthy and connected to the social and political life of her community—her father’s farm was 140 acres in size, he was also the Justice of the Peace for Carmarthenshire, and he was heavily involved in local politics.

Among the many advantages of her family’s wealth, she and her siblings gained better access to education. Unlike many other young people at this time whose education was cut short, she was still a student at 19.⁵ As an educated woman, she spent much of her time involved in local organizations like the Lampeter Women’s Institute.⁶

After her marriage in 1916, Bessie moved to her husband’s home in London, where they had two sons, Alun and Michael. Despite being so far from home, Bessie maintained her connection to Wales and her family there. In 1921, her sister, Minnie, came to live with her family in London⁷ and in the 1930s, she moved back to Lampeter⁸ with her son, Alun, while he attended the Agricultural Chemistry program at Aberystwyth College.⁹

By the time Bessie was in her 60s, she began to experience major troubles with her health. Around 1943, she was diagnosed with cancer. Her doctors performed surgery to remove the cancer, but left her with chronic back pain. The trauma of her cancer diagnosis also left her with a persistent worry that she hadn’t actually been cured, that she was still ill, a belief that weighed heavily on her for the rest of her life.

Bessie died by suicide on March 27, 1946, at the age of 64. She was buried in the parish graveyard in Lampeter, alongside her parents, her three siblings, her sister-in-law, and her son, Alun.¹⁰

Surviving Fascism

I tried to find suicide prevention resources relating to how we consume news media and the general state of the world, but I couldn’t really find anything. We know that there is a correlation between news media consumption, as well as doomscrolling, and declining mental health. So I just want to share my own suggestion: Sometimes with news media, we consume and consume and consume and what are we left with? Often times it’s overwhelm, stress, sadness, fear, and deepening depression. My belief is that when we consume media, we then need to create. We need somewhere for all that information and all those feelings to go. I find hope in creating things like this blog project which, I hope, will help someone somewhere. Putting effort into making a small, positive impact in the world helps me manage in times like these. Maybe, for you, that also looks like a writing project. Maybe it looks like supporting your loved ones in achieving their goals or working toward something yourself. Maybe it’s sharing your own story and being an advocate. Maybe it looks like contacting your representatives, volunteering, or attending a protest. Even better if it’s an activity that gives you the opportunity to do something as part of a community. No matter what it is, find something that draws on your own unique strengths and work with others to make a positive impact on the world. HERE is a really encouraging podcast episode about defeating fascism that centres on building community, building hope, and making the world a better place.

If you are in immediate need of support, check HERE for helplines in your country.

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1. 1916. Anonymous, “Untitled,” The Carmerthen Journal and South Wales Weekly Advertiser, August 18, 1916, p. 7, col. 4. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3690107/3690114/74 ↩︎
2. 1915. Anonymous, “Mayoress Fund,” The Carmerthen Journal and South Wales Weekly Advertiser, November 19, 1915, p. 8, col. 5. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3678924/3678932/98 ↩︎
3. 1916. London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns. Kensington and Chelsea, St. Jude, South Kensington. Digital Images. Ancestry. Entry for Charles Frederick Marling West and Elizabeth Margaret Davies, Aug. 23, 1916, entry 317. ↩︎
4. 1939. England and Wales Register, 1939. Cardiganshire, Aberayron Rd, ZHAL, 605-3. Digital Images. Ancestry. Entry for Elizabeth Margaret West, (p. 2/10), entry 3. ↩︎
5. 1901. England and Wales Census, 1901. Carmarthenshire, Pencarreg, District 1. Digital Images. Ancestry. Entry for Anne Davies, p. 1 (p. 2/16), entry 2. ↩︎
6. Anonymous, “Women’s Institute,” The Carmarthen Journal and South Wales Weekly Advertiser, July 7, 1916, p. 8, col. 1. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3690061/3690069/85/ ↩︎
7. 1921. England and Wales Census, 1921. London, Kensington, 01, 37, 38. Digital Images. Ancestry. Entry for Charles F. M. West, (p. 1261/1426), entry 197. ↩︎
8. 1939. England and Wales Register, 1939. Cardiganshire, Aberayron Rd, ZHAL, 605-3. Digital Images. Ancestry. Entry for Elizabeth Margaret West, (p. 2/10), entry 3. ↩︎
9. Anonymous, “Honours Students,” Welsh Gazette, June 22, 1939, p. 2, col. 1. Digital Images. FindMyPast. ↩︎
10. 2003. Cardiganshire Family History Society. Monumental Inscriptions at St. Peter’s, Lampeter & St. Mary’s, Maestir Churches as at 2003. Lampeter, R58#707, p. 68 ↩︎