David Grenfell
Encyclopedia
David Rhys Grenfell PC, CBE
, LlD (16 June 1881 – 21 November 1968) was a British Member of Parliament
. He represented the Gower constituency
for the Labour Party
from 1922 to 1959.
, Gorseinon
, Swansea
, the son of William Grenfell and his wife Alice, the daughter of William Hopkins.
He was educated at Penyrheol Board Elementary School; but in 1893, at the age of 12, started work underground in the coal mines. While working he attended night school to study mining, geology and mathematics; and in 1903 he went to Nova Scotia, where he worked with people of many nationalities and laid the foundation of his wide knowledge of languages. While in Canada he passed his Under Managers Certificate; and in 1905 he returned to Britain, where he obtained First Class Managers qualifications.
In December 1905 Grenfell married Beatrice Morgan, daughter of John Morgan of Gorseinon
. They had one daughter, Eileen, who was unmarried.
. He was elected Member of Parliament
(MP) in a by-election in 1922, and held the seat until 1959.
"DR", as he was known, was a Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Betting, a Member of the Parliamentary Administration Committee, and served on the Forestry Commission and on the Royal Commission of Safety in Mines in 1936. He became Chairman of the Franco/British Parliamentary Party, for which he was later invested with the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. He acted as Chairman of the Welsh Parliamentary Labour Party, and in Winston Churchill
's coalition Government during World War II he served as Secretary for Mines at the Board of Trade, 1940-42. As Minister for Mines, he made the case for the nationalization of the coal industry, and reiterated the call in his 1947 book, Coal.
From 1948 to 1951 Grenfell was Chairman of the Welsh Tourist Holiday Board; and while holding that post he saw Gower
become the first area of Britain to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
.
In 1951 Grenfell was sworn of the Privy Council.
In 1953 Grenfell became the first Labour politician to hold the title "Father of the House
", as the longest continual serving Parliamentarian. This was despite Churchill being older and entering Parliament before him, as Churchill had broken his time as a MP.
Grenfell held office in many local bodies, and was made an Honorary Freeman of Swansea for his contribution to public service. A bust of him now stands in the Swansea Guildhall.
Grenfell was succeeded as Member of Parliament for Gower by his former Agent, County Councillor Ifor Davies
of Gowerton, who continued to hold the Gower seat until his death in 1982.
Grenfell's brother, William John Grenfell, was for a number of years a member of Llwchwr
Urban District Council, representing the Pontybrenin ward.
David Rhys Grenfell died on 20 November 1968 aged 87, and is buried at Brynteg Cemetery, Gorseinon
. His wife, Beatrice, who was a County Magistrate, died around 1970.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, LlD (16 June 1881 – 21 November 1968) was a British Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. He represented the Gower constituency
Gower (UK Parliament constituency)
Gower is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament , using the first-past-the-post voting system....
for the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
from 1922 to 1959.
Early life
Grenfell was born on 16 June 1881 at PenyrheolPenyrheol, Swansea
Penyrheol is the name of an electoral ward and a suburb in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK.The electoral ward consists of some or all of the following areas: Penyrheol, Grovesend and Waun Gron, in the parliamentary constituency of Gower...
, Gorseinon
Gorseinon
Gorseinon is a town in southwest Wales, near the Loughor estuary. It was a small village until the late 19th century when it grew around the coal mining and tinplate industries. It is situated in the north west of Swansea, around north west of the city centre...
, Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, the son of William Grenfell and his wife Alice, the daughter of William Hopkins.
He was educated at Penyrheol Board Elementary School; but in 1893, at the age of 12, started work underground in the coal mines. While working he attended night school to study mining, geology and mathematics; and in 1903 he went to Nova Scotia, where he worked with people of many nationalities and laid the foundation of his wide knowledge of languages. While in Canada he passed his Under Managers Certificate; and in 1905 he returned to Britain, where he obtained First Class Managers qualifications.
In December 1905 Grenfell married Beatrice Morgan, daughter of John Morgan of Gorseinon
Gorseinon
Gorseinon is a town in southwest Wales, near the Loughor estuary. It was a small village until the late 19th century when it grew around the coal mining and tinplate industries. It is situated in the north west of Swansea, around north west of the city centre...
. They had one daughter, Eileen, who was unmarried.
Political career
Grenfell continued to work underground until 1916, when he was appointed the Miners Agent for the Western Region of the South Wales Area. He became active in the local Labour Party in 1916; and in 1920 he was adopted prospective candidate for the Gower constituencyGower (UK Parliament constituency)
Gower is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament , using the first-past-the-post voting system....
. He was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) in a by-election in 1922, and held the seat until 1959.
"DR", as he was known, was a Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Betting, a Member of the Parliamentary Administration Committee, and served on the Forestry Commission and on the Royal Commission of Safety in Mines in 1936. He became Chairman of the Franco/British Parliamentary Party, for which he was later invested with the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. He acted as Chairman of the Welsh Parliamentary Labour Party, and in Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
's coalition Government during World War II he served as Secretary for Mines at the Board of Trade, 1940-42. As Minister for Mines, he made the case for the nationalization of the coal industry, and reiterated the call in his 1947 book, Coal.
From 1948 to 1951 Grenfell was Chairman of the Welsh Tourist Holiday Board; and while holding that post he saw Gower
Gower Peninsula
Gower or the Gower Peninsula is a peninsula in south Wales, jutting from the coast into the Bristol Channel, and administratively part of the City and County of Swansea. Locally it is known as "Gower"...
become the first area of Britain to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
.
In 1951 Grenfell was sworn of the Privy Council.
In 1953 Grenfell became the first Labour politician to hold the title "Father of the House
Father of the House
Father of the House is a term that has by tradition been unofficially bestowed on certain members of some national legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. In some legislatures the term refers to the oldest member, but in others it refers the longest-serving member.The...
", as the longest continual serving Parliamentarian. This was despite Churchill being older and entering Parliament before him, as Churchill had broken his time as a MP.
Grenfell held office in many local bodies, and was made an Honorary Freeman of Swansea for his contribution to public service. A bust of him now stands in the Swansea Guildhall.
Grenfell was succeeded as Member of Parliament for Gower by his former Agent, County Councillor Ifor Davies
Ifor Davies
Ifor Davies was a Welsh Labour Party politician.Davies was educated at Gowerton School, Swansea Technical College and Ruskin College, Oxford. He was an industrial personnel officer and served as a councillor on Glamorgan County Council, representing Gowerton 1958-61...
of Gowerton, who continued to hold the Gower seat until his death in 1982.
Grenfell's brother, William John Grenfell, was for a number of years a member of Llwchwr
Llwchwr
Llwchwr is a community at the far western edge of the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. Llwchwr comprises the town of Loughor and the village and district of Kingsbridge...
Urban District Council, representing the Pontybrenin ward.
David Rhys Grenfell died on 20 November 1968 aged 87, and is buried at Brynteg Cemetery, Gorseinon
Gorseinon
Gorseinon is a town in southwest Wales, near the Loughor estuary. It was a small village until the late 19th century when it grew around the coal mining and tinplate industries. It is situated in the north west of Swansea, around north west of the city centre...
. His wife, Beatrice, who was a County Magistrate, died around 1970.