PREMIER’S GUARDIAN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1713, 17 May 1917, Page 1

PREMIER’S GUARDIAN.

MR. LLOYD GEORGE’S UNCLE. “Mr Lloyd George owes everything to him.” This tribute was made by Mrs Lloyd George in referring to the death of Mr Richard Lloyd, the unde and foster-father of the Premier. Although it was not altogether unexpected, the Prime Minister was deeply touched at the news of the death on February 28th of his uncle, to whom he was greatly attached. Mr Richard Lloyd was born at Llanysturnrwy, in 1843. His parents were David Lloyd (Dafydd Llwyd) and his wife Rebecca. His father was the first minister ordained at the Baptist Church at Penymaes, Ciccieth, in 1829. He died in 1839, at the age of thirty-nine, leaving a widow, two daughters and a son. Mr Richard Lloyd lived with his widowed mother at Llanysturndwy, where she carried on the business of her deceased husband until her son took th(> business over. He was only six years of age when his father died, and at the age of twelve was baptised at Criccieth, and at the ago of twenty-five, on April 18th, 1859, he was ordained a minister. Mr Lloyd continued to act as pastor of the church for two years longer, thus completing a ministry of fifty-seven years at the same chapel. He preached there on February 11th last, and afterwards presided at (he Communion service. He had been a church member for seventy-one years, and during that long period only missed four or five Communion services at the Church of the Disciples of Christ at Criccieth. Like his father, Mr Richard Lloyd had a shoo trade and employed several hands. He retinal about thirty years ago, and removed from Llanysturndwy to Criccieth, where he lived fill the day of his death. In the opinion of many competent persons Mr Richard Lloyd was one of the most ehxpienl pulpit orators in Wales. He was a cultured man, a bard, a hymnologisl, and a musician, a theologian of (he first rank, and above all, a genuine and sincere Christian, punctual and reliable in all his engagements. “He was one of the strongest minds 1 have ever met in my life,” writes an intimate friend, “and I have, entertained at my house scores of ministers and public men. His politics from early manhood were always ahead of his time. He gave his services during' the whole of his ministry as a labour of love. He was the strongest (diameter 1 have ever met.” This was the man who look Mr Lloyd George and his sister and their mother to live with him and share his home on the death of the Premier’s father, and who from (hat moment, with unceasing love and effort, watched over and guided and moulded the (dmraider and mind and soul of his fatherless nephew during the most plastic and critical years of his life till he had seen him fairly launched on and properly equipped for that career which has recently had so brilliant a culmina(ian in the attainment of the Premiership of Great Brit ian.