AS JOE Biden becomes the 46th President of the United States of America today, we looked back on story of the Gwent boy who was to forge an historic link to the highest office of state in the USA.

It was with awe and anticipation that, just before his eighth birthday, James Davies listened to his mother at their Tredegar home, 47 Fifth Row, Georgetown, telling the family they would be starting a new life in America where destiny would set him on a path to make his mark on US history.

The year was 1881 and his father had already established a home in Maryland with a job in the local iron foundry applying skills acquired in Tredegar.

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Young James began his working life as a puddler in the local ironworks - an arduous job at the basic level turning pig iron into wrought iron.

A mis-spelling of his name by an immigration official had recorded the name as Davis and this was to be the family name thereafter.

While James and his mother with brothers and sisters waited on the quayside before catching a train to his father, an incident gave a definitive form to the way his life would develop.

Recording this in the Monmouthshire Local History Journal, Miss S Twiston-Davies, a freelance journalist and former BBC scriptwriter says: “Their arrival was marred by a thief who stole their mother’s possessions on the quayside.

“This episode had a profound affect on young James who became determined to support his mother and always gave her a percentage of his earnings for the rest of his life.”

This single incident set in motion a long term commitment for social justice.

Leaving school at 11, James began work in the iron foundry but abandoned the heat and grime for a job in a tin works in Pennsylvania where he took the first of a series of life changing decisions.

He joined a trades union. Far from being a militant he adopted a moderate approach, and soon became head of the mill committee at the age of 22.

Fending off the more aggressive union members, who were poised to exploit labour unrest, with his characteristic style of sensitive diplomacy, he was reluctant to take workers out on strike unless there was a valid reason.

He felt the owners had just as much right to make a profit from their brains as the workers did from their muscles.

While still in his twenties, he achieved a major honour by becoming president of the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers - one of the most influential organisations in the States.

His enthusiasm for advancement accelerated when he decided to study law and accountancy, which led him to another step on his long term quest for a society based on equality and opportunity.

Applying his newly acquired skills he stepped into a new career in local government, securing the post as city clerk in Elwood, Indiana - an expanding township with tinplate and canning industries.

By 1902 he sought further advancement and was appointed Recorder of Madison County, Iowa, where he became responsible for all aspects of local administration.

His desire to serve the community led him to join the Loyal Order of Moose in Crawfordsville where, due to his impressive command while undertaking a major re-organisation, he became its director general.

In 1926 he founded a Grand Lodge in Britain establishing a lodge in Tredegar.

Under his influence the order built a children’s home in Illinois and a home for the elderly in Florida.

The Mooseheart School was of special interest where thousands of young Americans benefitted from learning a trade in a disciplined environment recalling his early years “where he was schooled in life’s hard lessons.”

The wider world of State politics beckoned, and he was elected a Senator in Pennsylvania, where he was perfectly poised to exploit his skills and experience.

His abilities soon caught the attention of President Warren Harding, who appointed him to the prestigious office of Secretary for Labour, making history by being only one of three cabinet officers to hold this post under three consecutive Presidents.

In the aftermath of the First World War, characterised by wage cuts and unemployment leading to strikes, it was his ability in masterminding a settlement that resulted in coal miners resuming work on the promise of a Commission to investigate their grievances.

Employing his experience of management and labour conflicts, he fostered a co-operative deal with steelworkers to establish the eight-hour working day.

This aspect of his career, while applauded by many, was not without its critics. They viewed him as an opportunist who, despite his earlier loyalty to the unions, favoured management and would vote whichever way he felt most favourable.

Supporters would assert that he would never abandon his avowed principle of integrity to pursue personal political ambitions.

His exceptional ability was acknowledged as he retained this office in cabinet for a further two presidents.

Under President Coolidge Davis’s influence could be seen with government policy leading to business expansion and rapid economic growth.

By March 1929 Herbert Hoover had the misfortune to take over eight months before the Stock Market Crash, calling for a radical approach to stimulate a flagging economy. As the Great Depression exerted its firm grip on the nation, placing many Americans in poverty, the President turned to Davis, appointing him Head of Food Administration, an enormous task he completed with distinction.

Bonds between government and business were strengthened and Senator Davis completed the term having achieved a significant conclusion to an outstanding career in US politics.

In 1944, having lost an election he retired from politics and resumed his close links with the Loyal Order of Moose.

When he died from a heart attack in Maryland in November 1947 it was said at his funeral that he was one of the most distinguished statesman in US history and could have been President if he had been an American citizen.