David Thomas, 1st Viscount Rhondda

David Alfred Thomas, around 1915

David Alfred Thomas, 1st Viscount Rhondda (sometimes called DA Thomas ; also Lord Rhondda ; born March 26, 1856 in Ysgyborwen , Glamorgan , Wales ; † July 3, 1918 in Llanwern , Monmouthshire , Wales) was a liberal Welsh politician , 1888 to 1910 Member of the House of Commons for Cardiff Constituency and Minister of Food from 1917 to 1918, knighted in 1916. He was the father of suffragette Margaret Mackworth, 2nd Viscountess Rhondda .

Life

DA Thomas (undated).

DA Thomas was born in 1856 as the only child of the wealthy coal magnate Samuel Thomas from Aberdare and his second wife Rachel (née Joseph). He studied at Gonville and Caius College of Cambridge University and, after graduating, senior partner in the firm Thomas and Davey , the Regional Rhondda owned several coal mines Valley. Although Thomas came from a wealthy family and had a high income, he was very humble and lived relatively simply. In his later years there was a saying among his party colleagues: "Thomas has the income of a duke and the taste of a peasant!"

On June 27, 1882, Thomas Sybil married Margaret Haig (1857-1941), a cousin of Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig . Their daughter Margaret was born in 1883. The relationship between Thomas and his daughter is shown by his saying “We are less like father and daughter, we are more like friends”.

Thomas, Member of the Liberals, was elected to the Parliament of the Merthyr Tydfil district in South Wales in 1888 . He later represented Cardiff in Parliament until 1910. Although agnostic himself , he spoke out in favor of free churches and co-founded the Soar Welsh Calvinistic Church of Cwmaman .

After the beginning of the First World War , the incumbent British Prime Minister David Lloyd commissioned George Thomas to supply the British troops with ammunition and to draw up appropriate arrangements and contracts with the American government. After the negotiations had ended, in April 1915 he booked a first class passage on the British luxury steamer RMS Lusitania for himself and his politically interested daughter, who had accompanied him on the business trip , to return to Great Britain. The Lusitania was sunk by a German submarine off the coast of southern Ireland on May 7th, killing more than a thousand people. DA Thomas and his daughter were separated from each other in the confusion on the ship and jumped overboard separately. Both survived the accident that Thomas later said he would "never forget".

In 1916, in recognition of his political efforts, DA Thomas was bestowed the hereditary British title of Baron Rhondda . A hereditary seat in the House of Lords was associated with the title . In the same year he was named President of the Local Government Board . He did not hold this post for long, because in June 1917 Thomas was appointed Minister of Nutrition and from then on advocated the introduction of food rations for the duration of the war. In June 1918 he was additionally awarded the title of Viscount Rhondda . But Thomas died shortly afterwards, on July 3, 1918 in Llanwern, Monmouthshire.

He was granted the Viscount title with the special addition that in the absence of male descendants, this title could also be passed on to his daughter and her male descendants. His daughter Lady Margaret Mackworth inherited him as 2nd Viscountess, while the title Baron Rhondda expired.

Literature and web links

• George Earle Buckle: Rhondda, David Alfred Thomas, Viscount . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . 1922.
• Hansard 1803-2005: Mr. David Thomas

predecessor	Office	successor
New title created	Baron Rhondda 1916-1918	Title expired
New title created	Viscount Rhondda 1918	Margaret Mackworth