Rosina Davies

Davies was born in Treherbert, Glamorgan in 1863. She was the third of six children.[1] She was homeschooled.[1] Davies is the great aunt of Welsh author, actor and singer Siân Phillips.[2] During her life, Davies was painted by George Frederick Harris, grandfather of Rolf Harris.[2] Davies stood as an independent candidate for St Ishmaels in the 1919 Carmarthen Rural District Council election. She came last with 25 votes.[3]

Aged 14, Davies left home to join a Salvation Army mission in Maesteg.[1] She started doing preaching tours in 1881.[1] In 1893, she held a mission service for Welsh people living in Chicago, Illinois and in 1900, she held a mission service in Llangollen, Denbighshire.[4][5] Davies was a free church evangelist during the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, appointed by the Union of Welsh Independents in 1904.[4][6] Early in 1904, she held missions in Rhosllannerchrugog, and one mission that she held in autumn 1904 resulted in two hours of weeping and worship.[7] She worked for the Union of Welsh Independents until 1916.[1] From 1916 to 1930, she worked as a secretary of the South Wales Women's Temperance Union (Welsh: Undeb Dirwestol Merched y De.[1] In 1930–31, she went on a preaching tour of the U.S. and Canada.[1]

In 1942, Davies published her autobiography The Story of My Life. The book contained diary records as well as a detailed account of her life and insight into the social life and religious Wales from the late 19th century onward.[1][8]