Trefor Richard Morgan (28 January 1914 – 3 January 1970) was a Welsh nationalist activist. He was a businessman who set up an insurance company and also supported efforts around Welsh language schooling.

Early life

Born in Tonyrefail,

Glamorgan , HQ = Cardiff , Government = Glamorgan County Council (1889–1974) , Origin= , Code = GLA , CodeName = Chapman code , Replace = * West Glamorgan * Mid Glamorgan * South Glamorgan , Motto ...

, Morgan lost his father in the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918. He won a place at grammar school, but left at age fourteen to work as a coal miner, because of his family's financial difficulties. By the mid-1940s, he was instead working in farming. Morgan was a

conscientious objector A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to object ...

during World War II, on the ground of his Welsh nationalist beliefs. In 1941 Morgan and another man, Ted Merriman, were imprisoned for a month on the charge of ''insulting behaviour'' after they turned their backs during the playing of God Save the King at an event held in

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...

. Morgan married Gwyneth Evans in 1943.

Political activity

Morgan became active in Plaid Cymru. He stood for the party in Ogmore at the

1945 general election The following elections occurred in the year 1945. Africa * 1945 South-West African legislative election Asia * 1945 Indian general election Australia * 1945 Fremantle by-election Europe * 1945 Albanian parliamentary election * 1945 Bulgaria ...

and in a 1946 by-election. He was one of the founders of the

Welsh Republican Movement The Welsh Republican Movement ( cy, Mudiad Gweriniaethol Cymru) was a Welsh nationalist political party. It was founded in 1949 as a split from Plaid Cymru. The group, some of whom had previously been members of the Labour Party aimed to build ...

, set up in September 1949, after a difference of opinion led to around fifty Plaid Cymru members walking out of a conference. In

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...

, he stood as an independent nationalist candidate in

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...

. In

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

, he again stood for Plaid, this time in Abertillery, and at the

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

and 1966 general elections, he stood in Brecon and Radnorshire.

Business and education

Morgan's election campaigns were unsuccessful, and he decided to focus on promoting independent Welsh businesses. To this end, he set up an insurance company, Cwmni Undeb, based in

Aberdare Aberdare ( ; cy, Aberdâr) is a town in the Cynon Valley area of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, at the confluence of the Rivers Dare (Dâr) and Cynon. Aberdare has a population of 39,550 (mid-2017 estimate). Aberdare is south-west of Merthyr Tyd ...

. He pledged that any profits would be invested in Welsh industry or establishing Welsh-language schools. Following on from this, he created a trading estate for like-minded businesses in

Hirwaun Hirwaun is a village and community at the north end of the Cynon Valley in the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. It is NW of the town of Aberdare, and comes under the Aberdare post town. At the 2001 census, Hirwaun had a populati ...

, and in 1963 founded Cronfa Glyndwr yr Ysgolion Cymreig (The Glyndŵr Trust for Welsh Schools), which distributed funds to parents wishing to send their children to Welsh-language schools. In 1968, he founded Ysgol Glyndwr near Bridgend as a residential Welsh-language secondary school, but this closed soon after his death, in 1970.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Trefor Richard 1914 births 1970 deaths People from Tonyrefail Plaid Cymru parliamentary candidates Welsh conscientious objectors Welsh language activists Welsh miners Welsh republicans