The Peace Petition of 1923 was initiated by the Welsh League of Nations Union (WLNU), it was founded in the aftermath of WW1 to support people Wales-wide in campaigning for peace and International cooperation, with 1,014 community groups and 61,262 members actively involved in the leagues campaigning actvities.
Founding of the WLNU was initally proposed by David Davies at the August 1918 National Eisteddfod in Neath, it began as a regional commitee of the British League who on the 25/5/1920 organised the first Welsh League conference in Llandrindod Wells.
Annie-Jane Hughes-Griffiths was vice chair of the WLNU and it was through her and the Welsh Centre for Interna onal Affairs, and in partnership with other national organisations, community groups and volunteers ‘Wales for Peace’ explored how Welsh people could contribute to the search for peace, hence in 1923 the women of Wales organised an unprecedented appeal to form the Welsh Women’s Peace Petition, and Memorial.
There was a particularly strong focus on leveraging Wales connections with America through the ‘American Welsh Diaspora’. The Memorial Petition appealing to the women of the USA “from home to home” and “hearth to hearth” to join them in a call for “Law not War”. For the USA to join and lead the new League of Nations the campaign mobilised organisers in every community across Wales, with women leafletting door to door and then returning for the completed signature sheets,
nearly three quarters of Welsh women signed the petition.
The following are the ladies of Llangunllo who signed the petiton:
Jane Lewis of Corner house – Florence Emily Lewis of Corner House
Annie Hill of Brook House – Elizabeth Evans of 2, Church Co age
Mary Ann Lloyd of The village – May Lloyd of Shell Co age
Sarah E Dyke of the Old Post Office – Lizzie Price of the Old School House
Mary Ann West of The Stores – Emily Finney (Viney?) of Mill House
Alice Lowe of Central Villa – Mary Jane Lloyd of the Whimble
Mary E Griffiths of Rock House – Norah Mary Wardman of Treburfah
Mary Vaughan of Rock Co age – Kathleen Mary Tong of the Post Office
Alice Evans of The Terrace – Sarah Ann Evans of the Terrace
Margaret Jane Lloyd of Chapel House – Emma Deakins of Rock Villa
Charlo e May Faulkner of Lugg Villa- Ethel May Faulkner of Lugg Villa
Lillian Wa s of Market St. Knighton – Minnie G Lloyd of Lea Hall
Ada Agnes Lloyd of Lea Hall.
The petition said to be seven miles long in length, and signed by 390,296 Welsh women, was placed in a great oak chest carved by EJ Hallam. The declaration was placed in a guilded Moroccan leather binding which was produced through Cardiff’s school of arts and crafts.
They made their transatlan c voyage accompanied by the Welsh delega on of Annie
Hughes- Griffiths, May Ellis, Elinor Prys and Gladys Thomas where it was presented to the women of America, with the quote “ May we hand down to the generations who come after us, the proud heritage of a warless world “. Both were bequeathed to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington.
Over 2023-24 WCIA, Academi Heddwch, the Women’s Archive Wales, the Smithsonian Institute, Heddwch Nain Mamgu, the National Library and Museum of Wales and the Sennedd joined “peace forces” for a campaign marking the centenary of Wales’ remarkable Women’s Peace Appeal of 1923-24.
It was agreed it could be on loan from the Na onal Museum of America, and the hundred year old peace pe on had an emo onal welcome back to Wales on the 5/4/2023 coinciding with the announcement of an award of nearly £250 thousand pounds from the National Lo ery Heritage Fund to bring the story to life.
The chest, petition and declaration arrived at the National Library of Wales and signalled the first step in making it accessible to the people of Wales. The petition has been catalogued, digitised and opened to the public.
The children of Wales were the first to send by wireless a greeting of goodwill to all other children in every land under the sun. The women of Wales were the first to send a message of peace from the homes of one people to the homes of another.
The teachers of Wales were the first to teach the principals of the League of Nations in the schools. The churches of Wales were the first to make an annual offering in furtherance of World Peace.
Leaders of religion in Wales were the first to present a Memorial to the leaders of religion in America on behalf of the League. 2024 Peace and Goodwill Message
A chest full of signatures, and a century of defining a landscape of peace.
But does peace stand a chance today ?
We catch a glimpse somewhere between the discourse and the dust,
In the bright eyes of the child,
Who traces the arc of a kite across a fresh acre of sky,
For hope is an action to live in unison,
To nourish the seeds of goodwill in each and every heart,
But does peace stand a chance today ?
Yes ,
In the love that inhabits the harmony of our song,
And in the challenge of our century’s next chapter.