Your History: From Ludlow to Hawaii and Hollywood!
Theophilus Harris Davies was the son of the minister of the nonconformist chapel in Old Street. He married Mary Ellen, the daughter of George Cocking, a chemist in the Bull Ring, who was Mayor of Ludlow from 1860 to 1861.
At the age of 23, Theophilus accepted a position as clerk with a Honolulu trading company called Janion, Green & Co. He returned to Ludlow after five years but, when the company got into difficulty, they called him back. By 1868 he was in charge; its name was changed to Theo. H. Davies & Co. Ltd and it grew to be one of the five largest sugar traders in Hawaii.
At this time, Hawaii was still ruled by a monarchy, and next in line to the throne was the young, intelligent and beautiful Crown Princess Ka’iulani. She was half-English and had been educated in England. Theophilus became her close friend and mentor. In 1893, when she was just 18, the monarchy was overthrown, and Hawaii became a republic. Accompanied by Theophilus, Princess Ka’iulani toured America and Europe visiting Heads of State and making speeches. They even met President Grover Cleveland in the White House, who pleaded her case before Congress, but to no avail. Hawaii was annexed by the USA in 1898, and the tragic princess died the same year, at the age of just 23. A Hollywood film about her life was released in 2009 with Julian Glover playing the part ofTheophilus. Although Theophilus also died in 1898, his company, Theo. H. Davies & Co. Ltd, continued trading under that name into the 21st century. By that time, it held the Hawaii franchises for Pizza Hut, Mercedes and Jaguar. There is a memorial to Theophilus’s mother, Mary Ellen Cocking, in St Laurence’s church.
Image: Ka’iulani in 1897 wearing a pearl necklace