DAVIES, WILFRED MITFORD (1895 - 1966), artist

Born February 23, 1895 at Menai Bridge, Anglesey, the second son of Robert and Elizabeth Davies. The family soon moved to Star, between Llanfairpwll and Gaerwen, and he was brought up there. His early education was at Llanfairpwll elementary school, and the County School, Llangefni. His plans to become an architect were scotched by World War I. After leaving the army, he spent four years at the Liverpool School of Art before starting work as a commercial artist in the city. He returned to live and work at Star on the death of his father. It was about this time - 1923-24 - that Ifan ab Owen Edwards asked him to provide illustrations for the monthly magazine Cymru'r Plant, and thus began more than forty years of work for Urdd Gobaith Cymru. His cartoon characters ' Toodles ' and ' Twm y gath ' became very popular; they appeared in Breton in 1936. He worked widely for Welsh publishers, illustrating volumes by Daniel Owen, E. Tegla Davies, Meuryn, John Ellis Williams and many others, and he was a cartoonist for Welsh newspapers and periodicals.

Apart from his commercial work, he was a noted artist in oils and watercolour, and his canvases, many of Anglesey and Snowdonia, are found in homes throughout Wales. He married in 1925, Ellen Rowlands, daughter of Elias and Margaret Rowlands, Liverpool, and they had one daughter, Margaret.

He died in March 1966, and was buried at the town cemetery, Llangefni.

Author

• Margaret Mitford Williams

Sources

• Personal knowledge
• [ W. Mitford Davies (Caernarfon 1980), Gwynedd Library Service exhibition brochure, 1980 ]

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Wilfred Mitford Davies

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q8001847

Published date: 2001

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/