Morys George Lyndhurst Bruce, 4th Baron Aberdare, (16 June 1919 – 23 January 2005), was a Conservative politician, and from 1999 until his death, one of ninety-two elected hereditary peers in the British House of Lords. He was the eldest son of

Clarence Bruce, 3rd Baron Aberdare Clarence Napier Bruce, 3rd Baron Aberdare, GBE (2 August 1885 – 4 October 1957), styled The Honourable from 1895 to 1929, was a British military officer, cricketer, tennis player, and also an excellent golfer. He was the second son of Henry B ...

, 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 and

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...

, where he read Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

Career

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

In 1939 he joined the British Army, commissioned with the rank of lieutenant 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 of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

, 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 (Ro ...

, the

21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established in ...

, and XXX Corps during and after World War II. He joined the

J. Arthur Rank Joseph Arthur Rank, 1st Baron Rank (22 December 1888 – 29 March 1972) was a British industrialist who was head and founder of the Rank Organisation. Family business Rank was born on 22 or 23 December 1888 at Kingston upon Hull in England into ...

Organisation in 1947, working there for two years before moving to the British Broadcasting Corporation, where he worked between 1949 and 1956. In 1970, he became Minister of State for the Department of Health and Social Security; in 1974, he was appointed to the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

and became a

Minister without Portfolio A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet w ...

. 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 The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

, 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 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 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 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