The Union and I - Elin Jones

Elin Jones, Llywydd of the Senedd, and Member of the Senedd for Ceredigion, reminisces about her Wncwl Jac - J.B. Evans - one of the founders of Farmers’ Union of Wales in 1955…

Some children are brought up on fairy tales, some on football and rugby stories, but I was brought up on stories of founding the FUW.

For those of you who don't know, my Wncwl Jac, Jac Sadler Llanybydder, J.B. Evans was the first General Secretary of the Farmers’ Union of Wales. 

J.B. was the NFU’s county officer in Carmarthenshire in the early 1950s. He and Ivor T Davies Llanfihangel ar Arth, County Chairman, were travelling back from an NFU meeting in London when they both started discussing forming an independent Union for Wales.

Since the late 1940s there had been growing discontent with the NFU Headquarters in London and the NFU’s Welsh Committee. The main basis of the discontent was the inability to represent the voice of the smaller farmers in Wales on a number of issues, but, especially in Carmarthenshire, NFU’s failure to oppose the compulsory purchase of 20,000 acres, namely 46 farms, in the Rhandirmwyn area for compulsory afforestation by the Forestry Commission.

All this led to a meeting which was held on 3rd of December, 70 years ago at Tŷ’r Eglwys, Carmarthen.  The NFU County Committee Chairman in Carmarthenshire, Ivor Davies, resigned, calling on those who wanted to join him in establishing an independent union for Wales to stay behind at the end of the meeting. Only 12 did - and my Wncwl Jac was one of those. Wncwl Jac, another politician, was also one of the 12 - J.H. Davies Plasisaf Llanybri, who was Nerys Evans, Carmarthenshire’s Wncwl Jac!

The Union was formed - establishing support, membership, and organisation in all parts of Wales. And doing so in the face of great hostility from many farmers.

These early FUW farmers were disparagingly compared to the bloody Mau Mau campaign in Kenya at the time. "We'll smash you in 3 months" was the message from opponents. There were fiery meetings, cross words between neighbours that lasted several decades.

But there was also support, and a feeling of raising national confidence led by farmers. Support was received from Gwynfor Evans, President of Plaid Cymru. John Morris became the Union’s General Secretary and eventually Secretary of State, and with the support of Geraint Howells, secured the FUW’s crucial recognition from the Westminster Government at the end of the 70s.

Wncwl Jac was a Tory - he was a Tory candidate in Carmarthenshire in the 1950s. But I remember him as being very pro-Europe, and pro-devolution - I got 'Yes for Wales' stickers to wear on my school uniform from him in 1979!

In the Welsh Farm Farm News in 1958 Wncwl Jac was described as:

“A genuine Tory and yet more Nationalist in his views than many orthodox Plaid Cymruites”

Therefore I grew up on stories of forming the Farmers’ Union of Wales. I can see him now driving off in his Morris Minor to FUW meetings. In my house in Aberaeron I have his corner cupboard which was given to him by Union members in Carmarthenshire for his lifetime of service.

He did not get to see me elected on behalf of Plaid Cymru to the Senedd in 1999. But like so many other politicians and campaigners, he would have been delighted with a Senedd for Wales, responsible for Welsh agricultural policy.

Think of the pride that those 12 farmers who stayed behind at that meeting on the 3rd of December 1955 in Carmarthen would feel knowing that the Welsh family farm remains alive and well, despite the challenges from all directions - and that the Farmers’ Union of Wales has played a key role in protecting Welsh family farms for over 7 decades.