230:, Thomas was chosen by the Aberdare Divisional Socialist Party to contest the vacant parliamentary seat. His maiden speech made in 1947 reflected his concern for the welfare of the miners; he spoke of the inadequate compensation for disabled miners and also the lack of other employment for those suspended from the industry due to injury. He pushed for the construction of factories in the mining areas. When elected MP in 1946, his majority was 17,125; this increased to 27,892 in 1950 and to 27,973 in 1951. He was a member of the
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where Thomas received his early education. He subsequently returned to
Maesteg and until 1906 attended school there. To his dismay, his father came home from work one day and announced that he had ‘had a start’ for him at the Oakwood
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When the SWMF office in
Maesteg closed in 1934 Thomas was transferred to the Federation Office in Aberdare as Area Secretary and, in addition, fulfilled the duties of the Miners’ Agent,
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David Thomas was employed as a clerk at three collieries from 1906 to 1915. For five of these years he worked at
Torycoed Colliery,
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of the House of
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where his father had worked as a gardener in various country mansions. The family returned for a while to
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from 1946 to 1954 and was the last former miner to represent the constituency.
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Thomas married Bessie, a teacher, in 1923. She died in
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An active nonconformist, Thomas was an active member and deacon at
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126:(16 September 1892 – 20 June 1954) was a
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226:In 1946, on the elevation to a peerage of
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244:Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
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60:"David Thomas" British politician
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49:adding citations to reliable sources
304:. Cynon Valley Historical Society.
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341:Parliament of the United Kingdom
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302:Chapels of the Cynon Valley
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277:"ECONOMIC SITUATION"
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350:George Hall
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209:Noah Ablett
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153:Early life
131:politician
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