Morys George Lyndhurst Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare (16 June 1919 – 23 January 2005), was a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician, and from 1999 until his death, one of ninety-two elected hereditary peers in the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

. He was the eldest son of

Clarence Bruce, 3rd Baron Aberdare Clarence Napier Bruce, 3rd Baron Aberdare (2 August 1885 – 4 October 1957), styled The Honourable Clarence Bruce from 1895 to 1929, was a British military officer, cricketer, tennis player, and golfer who worked as a sports administrator. He w ...

, and Margaret Bethune Black, and succeeded to his father's title on the latter's death in 1957.

Education

Bruce was educated at Sandroyd School before heading to

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

and

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

, where he read Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

Career

In 1939 he joined the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

, commissioned with the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in the Welsh Guards; he would eventually reach the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, after having served in various staff positions with XII Corps, the 21st Army Group, and XXX Corps during and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He joined the J. Arthur Rank Organisation in 1947, working there for two years before moving to the

British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public broadcasting, public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved in ...

, where he worked between 1949 and 1956. In 1970, he became

Minister of State Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...

for the

Department of Health and Social Security The Department of Health and Social Security (commonly known as the DHSS) was a Ministry (government department), ministry of the Her Majesty's Government, British government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed b ...

; in 1974, he was appointed to the Privy Council and became a

Minister without Portfolio A minister without portfolio is a government minister without specific responsibility as head of a government department. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet with decision-making authorit ...

. Between 1976 and 1992, he served as Chairman of Committees of the House of Lords, (Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords). In 1984, he was created a

Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, and he would serve various positions within the Order of St John of Jerusalem. After the

House of Lords Act 1999 The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given royal assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...

prevented hereditary peers from sitting in the Lords solely by virtue of their peerages, Lord Aberdare became one of the ninety-two hereditary peers elected to stay in the House of Lords. On 24 August 1992, he officially opened Chester City's new football stadium, the Deva Stadium. Lord Aberdare was a lifelong devotee of

real tennis Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of tennis (also called "lawn tennis") is derived. It is also known as court tennis in the United Sta ...

, winning the British amateur singles championship four times between 1953 and 1957, and the amateur doubles championship four times between 1954 and 1961. He served as president of the

Tennis and Rackets Association The Tennis and Rackets Association is the governing body for the sports of real tennis and (hard) rackets in the United Kingdom. Its first meeting was held in 1907. Tennis courts See: real tennis organizations Rackets courts Clubs * Britann ...

from 1972 until 2004. During his tenure there was a significant expansion in both

and rackets, and a number of new courts were built while several others were re-opened. His book, ''The JT Faber Book of Tennis and Rackets'' (London: Quiller Press, 2001. ), is the most comprehensive modern reference for these sports. Lord Aberdare was President of the London Welsh Trust, which runs the London Welsh Centre, from 1959 until 1962, and from 1969 to 1970.

Family

In 1946 he married Maud Helen Sarah Dashwood, daughter of Sir John Dashwood, 10th Baronet, and Helen Moira Eaton. They had four children: * Hon. Alastair John Lyndhurst Bruce (later 5th Baron; b. 2 May 1947) * Hon. James Henry Morys Bruce (b. 28 December 1948), married and has issue * Hon. Henry Adam Francis Bruce (b. 5 February 1962), married and has issue * Hon. Charles Benjamin Bruce (b. 29 May 1965)

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aberdare, Morys Bruce, 4th Baron 1919 births 2005 deaths Alumni of New College, Oxford Welsh Guards officers British Army personnel of World War II Conservative Party (UK) hereditary peers Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom People educated at Sandroyd School People educated at Winchester College Deputy lieutenants of Dyfed Bailiffs Grand Cross of the Order of St John 4 Hereditary peers elected under the House of Lords Act 1999