T. E. Nicholas was brought up on a Pembrokeshire hill farm. His upbringing in this rural community -with hits communal togetherness based on "co-operating for the good of one another"- is said to have sewn the seeds of his later commitment to socialism.
After school he entered the Ministry and was Minister in particular at Glais in the Swansea valley from 1904 until 1914. He adopted the social gospel -the "New Theology"- of RJ Campbell. He believed the Church existed to look after men and women not creeds. Also that the Church should deal with the material as well as the spiritual side of life.
Nicholas was involved with the ILP. He spoke at Keir Hardie's funeral. But he joined the Communist Party in 1920 and remained a "staunch and colourful devotee" until his death in 1971. There was, he said, "no clash between the teachings of the Gospel and those of Marx."
He was above all though a prolific poet publishing some 12 volumes of material. Often he wrote about the struggle between workers and capital and about pacifism. He was the people's poet!