Betty Lloyd Davies was born in 1892 in East Williamston, Pembrokeshire. As a child, Betty had an artistic talent and was encouraged by her family to sing and play the piano. In her early teens she won first prize for her performance at Llanelli Eisteddfod, which sparked a lifelong record of over 400 prizes for music, elocution and drama in local and national Eisteddfodau.

During the First World War, Betty worked at a munitions factory in Pembrey, but soon returned to her calling in the arts. As such, in 1936, the National Eisteddfod of Wales recognized her contribution to performing arts and initiated her, at Fishguard, into the Gorsedd as a Bard.

One of Betty’s bardic contemporaries wrote ‘Branwen Elli (Betty’s nom de plume) richly deserves the honour bestowed on her and I am glad to see her at the top among the honoured geniuses of dear old Wales. She is every way worthy to wear her Bardic robes, and to know her is to know she has the soul of a bard’.*

Betty Lloyd Davies led by example and set about campaigning for new generations to get involved in the traditions of the Gorsedd. She also made annual pilgrimages to festivals across Wales to inspire and show her support to others. Her resilience passed down the generations to her own children who, (after the death of their father in a tragic accident after WWII), went on to become actors and entertainers in their own right.

As the matriarch in a formidable dynasty, Betty refused to slow down in her later years and decided at the age of 64 to respond to a call for Welsh actors to star in a stage production of Under Milk Wood. Betty was cast as landlady Mary Ann Sailors, and the play opened at the 1956 Edinburgh Festival before transferring to London’s New Theatre in September. The critics described the production as ‘ingenious’, ‘masterly’ and ‘extremely funny’ and Betty was signed up for further theatrical roles as well as work in television’s ‘Charlesworth at Large’ and a radio production of Under Milk Wood.

Betty Lloyd Davies eventually spent her retirement with her daughter, before her death in 1977 aged 85 years.

Ganed Betty Lloyd Davies ym 1892 yn East Williamston, Sir Benfro. Fel plentyn, roedd gan Betty ddawn yn y celfyddydau ac fe’i hanogwyd gan ei theulu i ganu a chwarae’r piano. Yn ei harddegau cynnar enillodd y wobr gyntaf am ei pherfformiad yn Eisteddfod Llanelli, a hyn fu’n sbardun i lwyddiant gydol oes ac ennill dros 400 o wobrau am ganu, adrodd ac actio mewn Eisteddfodau lleol a chenedlaethol.

Yn ystod y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf, roedd Betty yn gweithio mewn ffatri arfau rhyfel ym Mhen-bre, ond cyn hir dychwelodd i ddilyn yr alwad yn y celfyddydau. O’r herwydd, yn 1936, roedd Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru wedi cydnabod ei chyfraniad i’r celfyddydau perfformio a chafodd ei hurddo, yn Abergwaun, yn aelod o Orsedd y Beirdd.

Ysgrifennodd un o gyfoeswyr barddol Betty ‘Mae Branwen Elli (enw barddol Betty) yn llawn haeddu’r anrhydedd a roddwyd iddi ac rwy’n falch o’i gweld hi ar y brig ymhlith ysgolheigion anrhydeddus yr hen Gymru annwyl. Mae hi ymhob rhyw fodd yn deilwng o wisgo ei gwisg Farddonol, ac o’i hadnabod hi gwn bod ganddi enaid bardd’.

Roedd Betty Lloyd Davies yn arwain drwy esiampl ac aeth ati i ymgyrchu i genedlaethau newydd gymryd rhan yn nhraddodiadau’r Orsedd. Hefyd aeth ar bererindodau blynyddol i wyliau ar hyd a lled Cymru i ysbrydoli a dangos ei chefnogaeth i eraill. Gwelwyd yr un cryfder ysbryd yn ei phlant ei hun a aeth ymlaen (ar ôl marwolaeth eu tad mewn damwain drasig ar ôl yr Ail Ryfel Byd), i fod yn actorion ac yn ddiddanwyr.  

Fel penteulu llinach o berfformwyr, gwrthododd Betty arafu wrth fynd yn hŷn a phenderfynodd yn 64 oed i ymateb i’r alwad am i actorion o Gymru gymryd rhan mewn cynhyrchiad llwyfan o Under Milk Wood. Betty oedd y  lletywraig Mary Ann Sailors, ac agorodd y ddrama yng Ngŵyl Caeredin yn 1956 cyn symud i’r New Theatre yn Llundain fis Medi. Disgrifiodd y beirniaid y cynhyrchiad fel un ‘dyfeisgar’, ‘meistrolgar’ a ‘hynod o ddoniol’ ac aeth Betty ymlaen i gymryd rhannau eraill yn y theatr yn ogystal â gwaith teledu yn ‘Charlesworth at Large’ a chynhyrchiad radio o Under Milk Wood.

Maes o law treuliodd Betty Lloyd Davies ei hymddeoliad gyda’i merch, cyn ei marwolaeth ym 1977 yn 85 mlwydd oed.