Constituency : Cardigan Boroughs 1874-86
David took over from Thomas Lloyd at Cardigan Boroughs. He was unopposed.
David was a modestly educated self-made man. He was a Calvinistic Methodist. He started working as a sawyer but took over his father's farm when the latter died. He was able to increase his holdings then moved into engineering, building a bridge over the Severn at Llandinam. He went on to greatly increase the railway network in Wales. He used part of the profits to move into mining. He played a huge part in the development of the Rhondda Valley as an industrial hub and created new docks at Barry and a railway to reach them to cope with the increased production and avoid the high charges levied by the existing rail companies.David was a strict teetotaller and sabbatarian, He built a number of chapels in Wales. He was one of the first governors of the university at Aberystwyth and later the treasurer. He hoped to succeed Henry Richard in the county seat in 1865 but was defeated by Lloyd, a moderate Whig landowner.
David had the reputation of being a poor public speaker. His first speech in Parliament was on the malt tax. He blamed drink for costing him £50,000 in a year through causing "the irregular working of the men".
David was re-elected unopposed in 1880. In 1885 his seat was merged with the county seat. David won the seat in 1885 helped by an efficient Liberal organisation led by the solicitor H Fryer but when he tried to hold it as a Liberal Unionist he was defeated by nine votes. He took some of his supporters with him and had the support of local landowners but too many of the voters wanted to stick with Gladstone.
David became a county councillor in 1889 and served on the Llandinam school board.
He died in 1890 aged 71.
No comments:
Post a Comment