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

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

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. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

. He was the eldest son of Clarence Bruce, 3rd Baron Aberdare, 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 Sandroyd School is an independent co-educational preparatory school for day and boarding pupils aged 2 to 13 in the south of Wiltshire, England. The school's main building is Rushmore House, a 19th-century country house which is surrounded by the ...

before heading to

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...

and New College, Oxford, where he read Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

Career

Coats of Arms of Morys Bruce (4e baron Aberdare)

In 1939 he joined the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, commissioned with the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

in the

Welsh Guards The Welsh Guards (WG; cy, Gwarchodlu Cymreig), part of the Guards Division, is one of the Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. It was founded in 1915 as a single-battalion regiment, during the First World War, by Royal Warrant of George V. ...

; he would eventually reach the rank of captain, after having served in various staff positions with

XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to: * 12th Army Corps (France) * XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army * XII ...

, the 21st Army Group, and XXX Corps during and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

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

British Broadcasting Corporation #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

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

Minister of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In ...

for the

Department of Health and Social Security The Department of Health and Social Security (commonly known as the DHSS) was a ministry of the British government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Services. Hi ...

; in 1974, he was appointed to the Privy Council and became a Minister without Portfolio. Between 1976 and 1992, he served as Chairman of Committees of the House of Lords, (Deputy

Speaker of the House of Lords The Lord Speaker is the presiding officer, chairman and highest authority of the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The office is analogous to the Speaker of the House of Commons: the Lord Speaker is elected by the members ...

). In 1984, he was created a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and he would serve various positions within the

Order of St John of Jerusalem The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

. 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 Deva Stadium is an association football stadium which is the home of Chester F.C., the effective successor club to the liquidated Chester City F.C., Chester City. The stadium straddles the England-Wales border at Sealand, Flintshire, Sealand, o ...

. Lord Aberdare was a lifelong devotee of real tennis, 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 * Britannia ...

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

rackets Racket may refer to: * Racket (crime), a systematised element of organized crime ** Protection racket, a scheme whereby a group provides protection to businesses or other groups through violence outside the sanction of the law * Racket (sports equ ...

, 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 The London Welsh Centre ( cy, Canolfan Cymry Llundain) (founded as the Young Wales Association in 1920) is a community and arts centre on Gray's Inn Road, in the London Borough of Camden. The centre is owned and run by the London Welsh Trust. T ...

, from 1959 until 1962, and from 1969 to 1970.

Family

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

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 Hereditary peers elected under the House of Lords Act 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 Eldest sons of British hereditary barons Morys