Amy Dillwyn

Elizabeth Amy Dillwyn (16 May 1845 – 13 December 1935) was a Welsh novelist, businesswoman, and social benefactor. She was one of the first female industrialists in Britain.

Biography

Born in Sketty, Swansea, Dillwyn was the daughter of Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn and Elizabeth (née De la Beche). She had an older sister and brother, Mary (born 1839) and Henry (born 1843) and a younger sister, Sarah (born 1852).

In 1864 her fiancé, Llewelyn Thomas of Llwynmadog, died shortly before their planned wedding. Although she never married, research into Dillwyn's life has also shown a close relationship with Olive Talbot through letters, who she called her "wife" in diaries. From this, some theorise that the unrequited love in her novels was inspired by this real relationship.

From the 1870s to the early 1890s, Dillwyn wrote six novels. Her themes included feminism, social reform, and a favourable view of the Rebecca Riots (1839–1843) in response to unfair taxation.

Following the deaths of her brother in 1890 and her father in 1892, Amy Dillwyn lost the family home at Hendrefoilan due to its being entailed to the male line. Dillwyn inherited her father's debts of over £100,000 (£8 million or more today) and his spelter works at Llansamlet. She wore a bright purple skirt, with a yellow rose in her belt and flowers in her hat, to her father's funeral, in a statement against the Victorian conventions of elaborate funerals, which could cause families to get into debt from buying mourning clothing in haste.

Dillwyn was able to rescue her father's spelter works, which she managed herself, and thus saved 300 jobs. She lived in lodgings until the business was saved, eventually moving into Tŷ Glyn, her home for the rest of her life. It took until 1899 for "Dillwyn & Co". to pay off the last of its creditors and begin returning a profit. In 1902, Dillwyn registered the business as a registered company.

She was a strong supporter of social justice and gave her support to striking seamstresses. Her unorthodox appearance, her habit of smoking cigars and her lifestyle made her a well-known figure in the local community. When the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies was formed at the turn of the century, Dillwyn joined as one of the earliest supporters in Wales. Although rejecting the militant actions of some members, she was still a staunch member of the movement. She was nicknamed "The Pioneer" by friends.

Family

Dillwyn's family was prominent. Her father was an industrialist and a Liberal MP from 1855 to 1892. Her older sister was the lepidopterist Mary De la Beche Nicholl; her paternal uncle was the botanist and photographer John Dillwyn Llewelyn; her paternal aunt was the photographer Mary Dillwyn; and her paternal first cousin was the astronomer and photographer Thereza Dillwyn Llewelyn. Dillwyn's paternal grandfather was the businessman, naturalist, and politician Lewis Weston Dillwyn, while her maternal grandfather was the geologist and palaeontologist Henry De la Beche. Dillwyn's paternal great-grandfather was the American abolitionist William Dillwyn, who had migrated to Great Britain.

Her uncle was John Dillwyn Llewelyn of Penllergare who, along with his wife Emma Thomasina Talbot, his sister (Amy's aunt) Mary Dillwyn and his daughter (Amy's cousin) Theresa Story Maskelyne (née Dillwyn-Llewellyn) were pioneers of early photography. Her paternal grandfather was the naturalist Lewis Weston Dillwyn and her maternal grandfather was the geologist Henry De la Beche. The Dillwyn family were originally Quakers and her great-grandfather was William Dillwyn, the anti-slavery campaigner from Pennsylvania who returned to campaign in Britain.

Death

Dillwyn died in Swansea on 13 December 1935, at the age of ninety. She was cremated and her ashes buried in the churchyard of St Paul's Church, Sketty. Probate was granted to Rice Mansel Dillwyn and her estate was valued at £114,513 7s 9d.