Godfrey Charles Morgan, 1st Viscount Tredegar (28 April 1831 – 11 March 1913) was a Welsh officer, a General in 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 ...

, and a peer in the

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 ...

Early life

Tredegar was born on 28 April 1831 in

Ruperra Castle Ruperra Castle or Rhiwperra Castle () is a Grade II* Listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument, situated in Lower Machen in the county borough of Caerphilly, Wales. Built in 1626, the castle is in a ruinous condition as at 2023. Its gr ...

Glamorganshire Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the south of Wales. Originally an early medieval petty kingdom of varying bo ...

, the son of

Charles Morgan, 1st Baron Tredegar Charles Morgan Robinson Morgan, 1st Baron Tredegar (10 April 1792 – 16 April 1875), known as Sir Charles Morgan Robinson Morgan, 3rd Baronet from 1846 to 1859, was a Welsh Whig peer and a member of the House of Lords. Early life Morgan was ...

and his wife Rosamund Morgan (née Mundy), Baroness Tredegar. He was educated at Eton and joined the

in 1853.

Career

When the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

broke out in 1854, Tredegar, aged 22, held the rank of captain in the

17th Lancers The 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1759 and notable for its participation in the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. The regim ...

and accompanied his famous regiment to the scene of the great struggle. He was in action at the

Battle of Alma The Battle of the Alma (short for Battle of the Alma River) took place during the Crimean War between an allied expeditionary force (made up of French, British, and Ottoman forces) and Russian forces defending the Crimean Peninsula on 20Septe ...

and later on 25 October 1854 was in command of a section of the Light Brigade that rode into the 'Valley of Death' at the

Battle of Balaclava The Battle of Balaclava, fought on 25 October 1854 during the Crimean War, was part of the Siege of Sevastopol (1854–55), an Allied attempt to capture the port and fortress of Sevastopol, Russian Empire, Russia's principal naval base on the Bl ...

, which he survived. Godfrey's horse, 'Sir Briggs', also survived, and lived at Tredegar's home,

Tredegar House Tredegar House (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Tŷ Tredegar'') is a 17th-century Charles II of England, Charles II-era mansion in Coedkernew, on the southwestern edge of Newport, Wales. For over five hundred years it was home to the Morgan family, late ...

Newport, Wales Newport ( ) is a city and Principal areas of Wales, county borough in Wales, situated on the River Usk close to its confluence with the Severn Estuary, northeast of Cardiff. The population grew considerably between the 2011 and the 2021 Unit ...

, until his death at the age of 28. He was buried in the Cedar Garden at Tredegar House (though not with full military honours as is frequently believed). The Monument to Sir Briggs still stands there today. In later years, as other members of the Morgan family had been in the past, he became a benefactor to the people of Newport. Large tracts of land were donated to the Newport Corporation for the benefit of the public, including Belle Vue Park, the

Royal Gwent Hospital The Royal Gwent Hospital () is a local general hospital in the city of Newport. It is managed by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. Since 2020, the hospital no longer has a full Emergency Department, and redirects those with a serious il ...

and Newport Athletics Grounds. This earned him the nickname of "Godfrey the Good" among local people. He served as High Sheriff of Monmouthshire for 1858. Tredegar succeeded his father as 2nd Baron Tredegar in 1875.

Later life

In May 1902 he bought the lordships of the manor of Newport and

Caerleon Caerleon ( ; ) is a town and Community (Wales), community in Newport, Wales. Situated on the River Usk, it lies northeast of Newport city centre, and southeast of Cwmbran. Caerleon is of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable ...

from the

Duke of Beaufort Duke of Beaufort ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by Charles II in 1682 for Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester, a descendant of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, legitimised son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd D ...

, including the right to appoint a member of the Newport Harbour Commission. He was created Viscount Tredegar, of

Tredegar Tredegar (; ) is a town and community situated on the banks of the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in the southeast of Wales. Within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the Industrial R ...

in the County of Monmouth on 28 December 1905, and became the first Freeman of Newport in 1909. In addition to his Newport and Monmouthshire lands, Tredegar was a major landowner in the east of

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

and was the freeholder responsible for developing houses in Roath and Penylan, and the parks at Waterloo Gardens, Roath Mill Gardens and Roath Brook Gardens. He was awarded the Freedom of the City of

on 25 October 1909.

Personal life

Tredegar died on 11 March 1913 aged 81 and is buried at St Basil's Church,

Bassaleg Bassaleg () is a village on the west side of Newport, Wales, Newport, Wales. It is in the Graig, Newport, Graig electoral ward and Community (Wales), community. Bassaleg is located northwest of Newport city centre. It is bounded by the A467 road ...

. He never married and on his death the viscountcy became extinct and his barony and baronetcy and the Tredegar estate passed to his nephew Courtenay Morgan, who spent little time in Wales. A statue of Viscount Tredegar riding Sir Briggs was unveiled in 1909 in Gorsedd Gardens,

Cathays Park Cathays Park () or Cardiff Civic Centre is a civic centre area in the Cardiff City Centre, city centre of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, consisting of a number of early 20th century buildings and a central park area, Alexandra Gardens. It ...

, Cardiff. The sculptor was Sir William Goscombe John.Statue of Godfrey, First Viscount Tredegar

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tredegar, Godfrey Morgan, 1st Viscount 1831 births 1913 deaths People educated at Eton College People from Caerphilly Lord-lieutenants of Monmouthshire Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom 17th Lancers officers British Army personnel of the Crimean War Morgan, Godfrey Morgan, Godfrey Morgan, Godfrey Morgan, Godfrey Morgan, Godfrey Morgan, Godfrey UK MPs who inherited peerages UK MPs who were granted peerages History of Newport, Wales High sheriffs of Monmouthshire Welsh army officers Peers created by Edward VII