Welsh Journals

SIR JOHN WILLIAMS AND J. H. DAVIES John Humphreys Davies is spoken of in the Report of the Council of the National Library for 1926 as one of the early promoters of the scheme for a National Library" and as one who laboured strenuously for many years in collaboration with the late Mr. Thomas Edward Ellis, M.P., the Rt. Hon. Sir J. Herbert Lewis, the late Sir John Williams, and others to promote the claims of Wales in regard to national institutions." His acquaintance with Sir John Williams, which later ripened into an intimate friendship, began in the 'nineties, when J. H. D. was a young Chancery barrister (who, it is said, was more often to be found in the British Museum than in his chambers) and Sir John was at the height of his branch of the medical profession in London. It is not evident from their correspondence how they came into contact, but Dr. Gwenogvryn Evans, in a series of articles in the Western Mail for August 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8, 1928, assumes the credit for bringing them together in the winter of 1896-7. A letter from Sir John, dated October 3, 1898, thanks J. H. D. "for the copy of Golwg o Ben Nebo and for your list of duplicates," so it may be inferred that J. H. D. was buying for Sir John at this time. Their relations seem then to have been somewhat formal, for Sir John's letters are addressed Dear Mr. Davies," and this was for some years his usual method of address. But on January 12, 1903, he writes from 63, Brook Street, London, as follows My dear J. H. Let us drop the titles will you ? Many thanks for letter. Come and take dinner with me on Wednesday next at 7.30. v t y J.W." Their intimacy increased as the years wore on. The letters from Sir John (which J. H. Davies had carefully preserved) continue till 1922 they are written in Sir John's not very legible hand, and deal with a number of subjects. Unfortunately, it has not been possible as yet to trace any of the replies, but one can form a good idea of the friendship of the two men. Sir John's broad humanity comes clearly to the surface his dislike of fuss, his simplicity and directness (the story of Queen Victoria and Sir John at Balmoral is well known), and his deep human sympathy. But there were other qualities and traits which endeared him to his friends which, quite naturally, do not appear in these letters for example, his love of animals. In his