DAVID Davies met two prime ministers during a long life of crime.

The man who would become known as the Dartmoor Shepherd was born in Llanfihangel in 1849 and moved to within sight of Llanfyllin Workhouse.

Davies soon became a petty criminal and spent more than 50 years in prison for burglaries and robbery from church poor boxes.

He was sentenced to 13 years at Dartmoor Prison for stealing two shillings from a church poor box.

It was during his time of incarceration in Dartmoor he was visited by two esteemed guests.

In 1910 Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George paid him a visit and were so impressed by Davies that he was released to work on a farm near Ruthin.

However Davies soon absconded to continue his life of crime.

In 1923 he pleaded to be sent to Llanfyllin Workhouse rather than remain in jail.

Lord Harlech arranged for Davies’ request the following year but within a month of his release he was caught breaking into Llandrinio Church.

Davies continued to be given chances to mend his ways with the workhouse master arranging a pension and work on a nearby farm only for him to break into Llanfechain Church and escape to Chester.

By now Davies’ credibility was so low that workhouse staff had replaced his shoes with slippers to prevent him escaping.

He escaped in the slippers on April 2, 1929 and was found dead near Bodynfoel the next morning.

However the residents of Llanfyllin had taken pity on the dead man and following a collection the 80 year old’s body was taken by farm cart for burial in Llanfyllin churchyard and thus avoided a pauper’s grave.