:Jennie Eirian Davies
{{Short description|Welsh politician and magazine editor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
Jennie Eirian Davies (6 January 1925 – 6 May 1982) was a Welsh politician and magazine editor.
Early life
Jennie Howells was born in Llanpumsaint, Carmarthenshire and educated at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. She trained as a teacher.Elin Angharad, [https://biography.wales/article/s10-DAVI-EIR-1925 "Jennie Eirian Davies"] Dictionary of Welsh Biography (National Library of Wales 2009).
Political career
She stood as the Plaid Cymru candidate in the Carmarthen constituency at the 1955 general election winning 7.78% of the vote (3,835 votes) and in the historic 1957 by-election in the same Carmarthen constituency where she increased the Plaid Cymru share of the vote to 11.5% (5,741 votes). She was the first woman candidate for Plaid Cymru in Carmarthenshire. Politician Gwynfor Evans recalled her as an attractive and "most eloquent" candidate.Gwynfor Evans, [https://books.google.com/books?id=RFoKAQAAMAAJ&q=Jennie+Eirian For the Sake of Wales: The Memoirs of Gwynfor Evans] (Welsh Academic Press 1996): 76. {{ISBN|9781860570063}}
She was national president of Merched y Wawr during the period 1978–1980.[http://www.merchedywawr.co.uk/lywyddion.link List of presidents] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070815154512/http://www.merchedywawr.co.uk/lywyddion.link |date=15 August 2007 }}, on the [http://www.merchedywawr.co.uk/home.link Merched y Wawr] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814130119/http://www.merchedywawr.co.uk/home.link |date=14 August 2007 }} website.
Literature and journalism
Jennie Eirian Davies published three books for children in the early 1960s, and edited the children's magazine called Antur (Adventure). She wrote a newspaper column about radio and television for Y Cymro, a platform she used to call for more Welsh-language programming. In 1979 she became editor of the weekly magazine Y Faner and remained so until her death.
Personal life
She married Reformed minister and poet, James Eirian Davies, in 1949. They had two sons, Sion Eirian and Guto Davies, born 1954 (right before Jennie stood for office the first time) and 1958 (not long after her second time as a candidate for office). Her son Siôn Eirian wrote screenplays and translated plays into Welsh.[http://www.literaturewales.org/rhestr-o-awduron/i/129875/ "Siôn Eirian"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512181858/http://www.literaturewales.org/rhestr-o-awduron/i/129875/ |date=12 May 2016 }} Rhestr Awduron Cymru, Literature Wales.{{cite news |last1=Eames |first1=Manon |title=Siôn Eirian obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2020/jun/11/sion-eirian-obituary |access-date=27 March 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=11 June 2020}}
Jennie Eirian Davies died suddenly in 1982, age 57. There is a memorial plaque for her in front of a church at Llanpumsaint.[http://www.llanpumsaintwalk.org.uk/walking-tour4.html "The Jennie Eirian Memorial Plaque"] Llanpumsaint Heritage Walking Tour.
References
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Further reading
- 'Davies, Jennie (1925–82)'. In Meic Stephens (Ed.) (1998), The new companion to the literature of Wales. Cardiff : University of Wales Press. {{ISBN|0-7083-1383-3}}.
- 'Jennie Eirian Davies, 1926–82'. In Delyth G. Morgans (2006), Cydymaith Caneuon ffydd. [Aberystwyth?] : Pwyllgor y Llyfr Emynau Cydenwadol. {{ISBN|978-1-86225-052-9}}.
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Category:20th-century Welsh politicians
Category:20th-century Welsh women politicians
Category:20th-century Welsh writers
Category:20th-century Welsh women writers
Category:Alumni of Aberystwyth University
Category:People from Carmarthenshire
Category:Plaid Cymru parliamentary candidates
Category:Welsh children's writers
Category:British women children's writers
Category:Welsh-language writers
Category:Welsh magazine editors