George Hay Morgan (1866 – 24 January 1931) was a British

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

politician.

Background

He was born in the town of

Hay-on-Wye Hay-on-Wye ( cy, Y Gelli Gandryll), simply known locally as "Hay" ( cy, Y Gelli), is a market town and community in Powys, Wales; it was historically in the county of Brecknockshire. With over twenty bookshops, it is often described as "the t ...

Breconshire , image_flag= , HQ= Brecon , Government= Brecknockshire County Council (1889-1974) , Origin= Brycheiniog , Status= , Start= 1535 , End= ...

, in 1866. This is where his middle name came from. He was the son of Walter and Ann Morgan, of Wernwilk House, Hay-on-Wye. He studied at Pontypool College,

University College Cardiff , latin_name = , image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University , motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord , mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord , established = 1 ...

and the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

. He married Margaret Jane Lewis of

Pontnewynydd Pontnewynydd is a predominantly working class suburb of Pontypool, Torfaen, in Wales. It should not be confused with Pontnewydd in nearby Cwmbran. Location It lies in between Pontypool to the south and Snatchwood to the north. The area of Torf ...

, Monmouthshire.

Career

He was part of the Baptist Ministry in North London. From 1890 to 1900 he was in charge of the

Baptist Church Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

, Woodberry Down, London. He was a Barrister-at-law and was later admitted to the Bar.

Political career

In Wales, he was an active member of the Liberal Party and also a member of the Welsh Nationalist Cymru Fydd. From 1897 to 1900 he was a member of the Tottenham School Board. At the 1900 general election he stood unsuccessfully as Liberal candidate for

Tottenham Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Waltham ...

. He was elected Liberal MP for

Truro Truro (; kw, Truru) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its ...

in the Liberal landslide of 1906 replacing the Liberal Unionist MP

Edwin Durning-Lawrence Sir Edwin Durning-Lawrence, 1st Baronet (2 February 1837 – 21 April 1914) was a British lawyer and Member of Parliament. He is best known for his advocacy of the Baconian theory of Shakespeare authorship, which asserts that Francis Bacon was ...

. Although Truro had been a Unionist seat Morgan, as a Baptist preacher, was able to attract the Methodist vote by preaching in the constituency's principal chapels. Morgan also justified his right to represent the Truro seat in Cornwall 'because he was a Cornishman, a Celt, and he ...belonged to the same stock, of the same blood line'.Tregida, Garry, Representing the Duchy, Francis Acland and Cornish Politics 1910–1922, Cornish Studies, 15. Morgan was the first student from University College Cardiff to be elected to parliament. He was a party whip in the House of Commons. He served until the Truro constituency was abolished in 1918. For the 1918 General election he tackled a challenge in a new area when he stood as Liberal candidate for

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...

, however the Coalition Government endorsed his Unionist opponent and he lost badly. He was however a supporter of

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during t ...

and the Coalition Government and in December 1920 he contested the

1920 Abertillery by-election The 1920 Abertillery by-election was held on 21 December 1920. The by-election was held due to the resignation of the incumbent Labour MP, William Brace William Brace (23 September 1865 – 12 October 1947) was a Welsh trade unionist and ...

as a Coalition Liberal candidate against a Labour candidate who successfully defended the seat.British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, F. W. S. Craig. He contested the 1922 general election as

National Liberal National liberalism is a variant of liberalism, combining liberal policies and issues with elements of nationalism. Historically, national liberalism has also been used in the same meaning as conservative liberalism (right-liberalism). A seri ...

candidate for Penryn and Falmouth, but finished fourth. Following Liberal reunion, at the 1923 general election he fought Salford West but came third. This was his last parliamentary election campaign.

Election results

Notes and references

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, George Hay 1866 births 1931 deaths People from Hay-on-Wye Welsh Baptists Welsh politicians Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1906–1910 UK MPs 1910 UK MPs 1910–1918 Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Truro