Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn
Encyclopedia
Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn was a Welsh industrialist and Liberal
politician.
Dillwyn was born in Swansea
, Wales
, the second son of Lewis Weston Dillwyn
and Mary Dillwyn (formerly Adams, née Llewellyn). His father had been sent to Swansea by his father William, to take over the management of the Cambrian Pottery
, and lived at Sketty Hall. He was educated at Bath, Somerset and joined his father in the management of the Cambrian Pottery in 1831. His father was a friend of the geologist Henry De la Beche
and Dillwyn and De la Beche carried out experiments on china clays and granites with the aim of improving the production of earthenware. In 1838 Dillwyn married de la Beche's daughter Elizabeth and they lived at Hendrefoilan.
Dillwyn followed his father and his Quaker antecedents in pursuing industry and commerce and radical politics. He was head of the firm of Dillwyn and Richards at the Landore
spelter-works and was a director of the Great Western Railway
and Chairman of the Glamorganshire Banking Co. He played a major part in the industrial development of Swansea. Later, he was associated with Siemens in the Landore-Siemens Steel Company, and became its chairman. In 1859 he was appointed Captain in Glamorgansire Rifle Volunteers
Dillwyn was also active politically and in 1848 was Mayor of Swansea. In 1855 he was elected Member of Parliament
for Swansea District
and held the seat until 1885. He was then MP for the new constituency of Swansea Town
from 1885 to 1892. He was a conspicuous Radical and in parliament championed many causes including Cardiganshire farmers who were evicted for their votes in the 1868 election, and the Denbighshire tenantry who agitated against tithes in 1886-87. From 1870 he supported the disestablishment of the Welsh Church and in 1873 moved an anti-clerical amendment to the Endowed Schools Act. In 1887 Dillwyn and Stuart Rendel affirmed the Welsh Liberal Party's support of Irish Home Rule.
Dillwyn was a prominent member of the Aborigines' Protection Society
, a Fellow of the Linnean Society and a Fellow of the Geological Society and delivered talks on ornithology and natural history to the Royal Institution of South Wales. One of the lectures was about Labuan
, a tiny British colony. Dillwyn, together with James Motley
, a fellow member of the RISW, published an illustrated volume, intended as first of a series, on the natural history of Labuan. He was also a photographer, his brother John Dillwyn Llewelyn
being a pioneer photographer and botanist.
Dillwyn died in office at the age of 78. His only son and one daughter had predeceased him, but he left two daughters including the novelist Elizabeth Amy Dillwyn
. His nephew John Talbot Dillwyn Llewellyn
was later MP for Swansea.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Dillwyn was born in 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...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, the second son of Lewis Weston Dillwyn
Lewis Weston Dillwyn
Lewis Weston Dillwyn, FRS was a British porcelain manufacturer, naturalist and Member of Parliament.He was born in Walthamstow, Essex, the eldest son of William Dillwyn and Sarah Dillwyn...
and Mary Dillwyn (formerly Adams, née Llewellyn). His father had been sent to Swansea by his father William, to take over the management of the Cambrian Pottery
Cambrian Pottery
The Cambrian Pottery was founded in 1764 by William Coles in Swansea, Glamorganshire, Wales.In 1790, John Coles, son of the founder, went into partnership with George Haynes, who introduced new business strategies based on the ideas of Josiah Wedgwood....
, and lived at Sketty Hall. He was educated at Bath, Somerset and joined his father in the management of the Cambrian Pottery in 1831. His father was a friend of the geologist Henry De la Beche
Henry De la Beche
Sir Henry Thomas De la Beche FRS was an English geologist and palaeontologist who helped pioneer early geological survey methods.-Biography:...
and Dillwyn and De la Beche carried out experiments on china clays and granites with the aim of improving the production of earthenware. In 1838 Dillwyn married de la Beche's daughter Elizabeth and they lived at Hendrefoilan.
Dillwyn followed his father and his Quaker antecedents in pursuing industry and commerce and radical politics. He was head of the firm of Dillwyn and Richards at the Landore
Landore
Landore is the name of an electoral ward, a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. The community does not have a community council....
spelter-works and was a director of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and Chairman of the Glamorganshire Banking Co. He played a major part in the industrial development of Swansea. Later, he was associated with Siemens in the Landore-Siemens Steel Company, and became its chairman. In 1859 he was appointed Captain in Glamorgansire Rifle Volunteers
Dillwyn was also active politically and in 1848 was Mayor of Swansea. In 1855 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,...
for Swansea District
Swansea District (UK Parliament constituency)
Swansea District or Swansea District of Boroughs was a borough constituency. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
and held the seat until 1885. He was then MP for the new constituency of Swansea Town
Swansea (UK Parliament constituency)
Swansea was a borough constituency. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
from 1885 to 1892. He was a conspicuous Radical and in parliament championed many causes including Cardiganshire farmers who were evicted for their votes in the 1868 election, and the Denbighshire tenantry who agitated against tithes in 1886-87. From 1870 he supported the disestablishment of the Welsh Church and in 1873 moved an anti-clerical amendment to the Endowed Schools Act. In 1887 Dillwyn and Stuart Rendel affirmed the Welsh Liberal Party's support of Irish Home Rule.
Dillwyn was a prominent member of the Aborigines' Protection Society
Aborigines' Protection Society
The Aborigines' Protection Society was an international human rights organisation, founded in 1837, to protect the health and well-being and the sovereign, legal and religious rights of the indigenous peoples subjected by colonial powers. The Society published tracts, pamphlets, Annual Reports and...
, a Fellow of the Linnean Society and a Fellow of the Geological Society and delivered talks on ornithology and natural history to the Royal Institution of South Wales. One of the lectures was about Labuan
Labuan
Labuan is a federal territory in East Malaysia. It is an island off the coast of the state of Sabah. Labuan's capital is Victoria and is best known as an offshore financial centre offering international financial and business services via Labuan IBFC since 1990 as well as being an offshore support...
, a tiny British colony. Dillwyn, together with James Motley
James Motley
James Motley was a Yorkshireman closely associated with South Wales and Borneo.Born in Leeds and educated in York and St John's College, Cambridge he spent at least some of his youth in South Wales where his father, a woolstapler, had investments in iron, coal, and tin works, being an early...
, a fellow member of the RISW, published an illustrated volume, intended as first of a series, on the natural history of Labuan. He was also a photographer, his brother John Dillwyn Llewelyn
John Dillwyn Llewelyn
John Dillwyn Llewelyn was a botanist and pioneer photographer.-Early life:He was born in Swansea, Wales, the eldest son of Lewis Weston Dillwyn and Mary Dillwyn, née Adams, the natural daughter of Col. John Llewelyn of Penllergare and Ynysygerwn...
being a pioneer photographer and botanist.
Dillwyn died in office at the age of 78. His only son and one daughter had predeceased him, but he left two daughters including the novelist Elizabeth Amy Dillwyn
Amy Dillwyn
Elizabeth Amy Dillwyn was a Welsh novelist, businesswoman and social benefactor.She was the daughter of Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn, Liberal MP and owner of the Dillwyn Spelter Works at Swansea. Following her father's death, she managed the works herself. Her unorthodox appearance and lifestyle made...
. His nephew John Talbot Dillwyn Llewellyn
John Talbot Dillwyn Llewellyn
Sir John Talbot Dillwyn-Llewellyn, 1st Baronet was a Welsh Conservative Member of Parliament who was notable for his links to Welsh sports.-Background and education:...
was later MP for Swansea.