Davies , William Henry , 1871-1940 , poet and writer

William Henry Davies was born into a working class family in Monmouthshire, in 1871. He was brought up by his grandparents. He travelled in North America for several years as a young man, where his right leg was partly amputated after a railway accident. Subsequently, Davies lived and worked in London, writing poetry and several novels. His work was acclaimed by several of his leading contemporaries, including Arthur Symons and George Bernard Shaw; Shaw wrote the preface to Davies's autobiography.