BIOGRAPHY

Gwenllian Davies was born in Cilybebyll, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, on 5 October 1905. Gwenllian lived in Cwmnantllwyd with her parents, Owen and Hannah Jones, and her eight brothers and sisters. In 1941, at the age of 36, she witnessed the devastation of Swansea during a three-day blitz by the Luftwaffe.

She lost her husband, Arthur, in 1970. Though they had no children of their own, their farm, Lletty Philip, was often a welcoming haven for children from the Pontardawe community, as well as for her many nieces and nephews. It was there that she affectionately earned the nickname “Aunty Gwennie.”

Gwenllian never smoked and only occasionally indulged in a celebratory drink.

Gwenllian Davies passed away in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, Wales, on 17 January 2016, at the age of 110 years, 104 days.

RECOGNITION

Following the passing of 109-year-old Nellie Robinson (21 January 1905 – 14 October 2014) of Llanfair, she became the oldest living person in Wales. Upon her own passing, she was succeeded by Milly Jenkins.

Her age was validated by the European Supercentenarian Organisation (ESO) on 6 April 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* “‘110 Years Young’: Lifetime achievement award for Wales’s oldest person” – The Llanelli Herald, 11 November 2015

* “‘Oldest woman in Wales’ Gwenllian Davies dies aged 110” – BBC News, 25 January 2016

GALLERY