National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
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Angladd David Lloyd George yn Llanystumdwy Groglith 1945
A great statesman – David Lloyd George, once Liberal prime minister of Britain - is laid to rest on Good Friday 1945 in Llanystumdwy, beside the River Dwyfor.
From the collection of:
Overview
Llanystumdwy held a special place in the heart of David Lloyd George, once Liberal prime minister of Britain (1916-22). It was the scene of his childhood and early education and he resolved that it should be his final resting place. In 1942 he purchased a house locally – 'Ty Newydd' – and there he died. The funeral procession, on Good Friday 1945, is seen leaving the house, the coffin borne on a horse-drawn cart, in accordance with the humble origins and wishes of the deceased.
Lloyd George's life and death are reflected in home movie/amateur footage, such as this, and in commercial, newsreel films. He also appeared, briefly, in a professional production that has left a mystery in its wake. In 1918, director Maurice Elvey had almost finished his lavish film 'The Life Story of David Lloyd George', a panegyric to the WWI statesman. However, despite publicity and the shooting of scenes involving crowds of extras in north Wales and Birmingham, it was never released, government agents paying £20,000, for reasons unknown, to keep it from the public eye. It surfaced in 1994, in a collection of material held by the Lloyd George family and has been released on DVD by NSSAW.