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{{Short description|Welsh politician (1888–1956)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
[[File:Hopkin Morris.jpg|thumb|right|Hopkin Morris]]
[[File:Hopkin Morris.jpg|thumb|right|Hopkin Morris]]
'''Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris''' (5 September 1888 – 22 November 1956) was a [[Wales|Welsh]] [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] politician who was a [[Member of Parliament]] from 1923–1932 and from 1945–1956.
'''Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris''' (5 September 1888 – 22 November 1956) was a [[Wales|Welsh]] [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]] politician who was a [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] from 1923–1932 and from 1945–1956.


==Early life==
==Early life==
Morris was born at Blaencaerau, [[Maesteg]], [[Glamorgan]], son of John Morris, Congregational minister in [[Caerau, Bridgend|Caerau]], and Mary.<ref>National Library of Wales, Welsh Biography Online</ref> He was educated at [[University of Wales, Bangor]] and at [[University College London]] from 1913-1914, graduating with Honours in Philosophy. He was admitted to [[Middle Temple]] on 10 January 1914. Morris served continually in the armed forces during the First World War from December 1914 until January 1919, possessing the rank of Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion [[Royal Welsh Fusiliers]] by the end of the war and being twice wounded - the second time seriously. He was mentioned in dispatches and made an [[MBE]] (military division)<ref>Middle Temple Archive, MT/1/PPE - Petitions of Rhys Hopkin Morris, 3 March 1919 and 16 June 1919.</ref>. After the war, he qualified as a barrister with special dispensations granted due to his service in the military, and was Called to [[Bar association|the Bar]] on 2 July 1919<ref>Sturgess, H.A.C. (1949). ''Register of Admissions to the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple''. Butterworth & Co. (Publishers) Ltd. Vol. 3, p.816.</ref>.
Morris was born at Blaencaerau, [[Maesteg]], [[Glamorgan]], son of John Morris, Congregational minister in [[Caerau, Bridgend|Caerau]], and Mary.<ref>National Library of Wales, Welsh Biography Online</ref> He was educated at local schools in Glamorgan, at [[University of Wales, Bangor]], where he studied philosophy and graduated in 1912, and at [[King's College London]] following [[World War I]], where he read law.<ref name="Williams">Williams, D. A., (2001). MORRIS, Sir RHYS HOPKIN (1888-1956), politician, stipendiary magistrate, first director of the Welsh Region B.B.C.;. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Retrieved 24 March 2024, from https://biography.wales/article/s2-MORR-HOP-1888</ref> Morris served continually in the armed forces during the war, from December 1914 until January 1919, possessing the rank of Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion [[Royal Welsh Fusiliers]] by its end and being twice wounded - the second time seriously. He was mentioned in dispatches and made an [[Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire|MBE]] (military division).<ref>Middle Temple Archive, MT/1/PPE - Petitions of Rhys Hopkin Morris, 3 March 1919 and 16 June 1919.</ref> After the war, he qualified as a barrister with special dispensations granted due to his service in the military, and was called to [[Bar association|the Bar]] on 2 July 1919.<ref>Sturgess, H.A.C. (1949). ''Register of Admissions to the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple''. Butterworth & Co. (Publishers) Ltd. Vol. 3, p.816.</ref>

His wife, who he met at Bangor and married in September 1918, was [[Gwladys Perrie Williams]].<ref name="Williams"/>


==Political career==
==Political career==
A classic ''[[laissez-faire liberal]]'', Morris supported [[H. H. Asquith]] against [[David Lloyd George]] when the party split between 1916 and 1923, and would remain fiercely opposed to Lloyd George and interventionist Liberalism throughout his political career.
A classic ''[[laissez-faire liberal]]'', Morris supported [[H. H. Asquith]] against [[David Lloyd George]] when the party split between 1916 and 1923, and would remain fiercely opposed to Lloyd George and interventionist Liberalism throughout his political career.


In 1922 Morris contested the [[United Kingdom general election, 1922|general election]] as a pro-Asquith Liberal in [[Ceredigion (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiganshire]], narrowly losing to the sitting pro-[[David Lloyd George|Lloyd George]] Liberal MP [[Ernest Evans (politician)|Ernest Evans]]. The following year the Liberal Party reunited but Morris ran as an Independent Liberal against Evans. In one of the most surprising results of the [[United Kingdom general election, 1923|1923 general election]] Morris was elected. In [[United Kingdom general election, 1924|the follow year's general election]] he was returned unopposed as an official Liberal candidate.
In 1922 Morris contested the [[1922 United Kingdom general election|general election]] as a pro-Asquith Liberal in [[Ceredigion (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiganshire]], narrowly losing to the sitting pro-[[David Lloyd George|Lloyd George]] Liberal MP [[Ernest Evans (politician)|Ernest Evans]]. The following year the Liberal Party reunited but Morris ran as an Independent Liberal against Evans. In one of the most surprising results of the [[1923 United Kingdom general election|1923 general election]] Morris was elected. In [[1924 United Kingdom general election|the follow year's general election]] he was returned unopposed as an official Liberal candidate.


His opposition to both Lloyd George and the introduction of tariffs resulted in his remaining with the official ("[[Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel|Samuelite]]") Liberals when the party split three ways in advance of the [[United Kingdom general election, 1931|1931 general election]]. The following year Morris was appointed as a [[Magistrates' Court (England and Wales)|Metropolitan Police magistrate]], a salaried post which vacated his seat because the post was an 'office of profit under the Crown' and incompatible with membership of the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]]. In 1936, he became the first Regional Director of the [[BBC Wales|BBC in Wales]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/cgi-bin/anw/fulldesc_nofr?inst_id=1&coll_id=278&expand= |title=Archives Network Wales - Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris papers |publisher=Archivesnetworkwales.info |date= |accessdate=2012-01-07}}</ref> The same year Morris became President of the London Welsh Trust, which runs the [[London Welsh Centre]], holding office until 1937.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.londonwelsh.org/archives/1796 |title=Our Former Presidents: London Welsh Centre |publisher=[[London Welsh Centre]] |year=2010 |accessdate=4 February 2011 |work=[[London Welsh Centre]] website |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720025944/http://www.londonwelsh.org/archives/1796 |archivedate=20 July 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
His opposition to both Lloyd George and the introduction of tariffs resulted in his remaining with the official ("[[Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel|Samuelite]]") Liberals when the party split three ways in advance of the [[1931 United Kingdom general election|1931 general election]]. The following year Morris was appointed as a [[magistrates' court (England and Wales)|Metropolitan Police magistrate]], a salaried post which vacated his seat because the post was an 'office of profit under the Crown' and incompatible with membership of the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]]. In 1936, he became the first Regional Director of the [[BBC Wales|BBC in Wales]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/cgi-bin/anw/fulldesc_nofr?inst_id=1&coll_id=278&expand= |title=Archives Network Wales - Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris papers |publisher=Archivesnetworkwales.info |access-date=2012-01-07}}</ref> The same year Morris became President of the London Welsh Trust, which runs the [[London Welsh Centre]], holding office until 1937.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.londonwelsh.org/archives/1796 |title=Our Former Presidents: London Welsh Centre |publisher=[[London Welsh Centre]] |year=2010 |access-date=4 February 2011 |work=[[London Welsh Centre]] website |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720025944/http://www.londonwelsh.org/archives/1796 |archive-date=20 July 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>


Thirteen years later Morris returned to Parliament in a once more sensational result. In the [[United Kingdom general election, 1945|1945 general election]] he won [[Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)|Carmarthen]], taking the seat from the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]'s [[Moelwyn Hughes]] despite the rest of the country experiencing a Labour landslide. Morris was to hold the seat for the remainder of his life.
Thirteen years later Morris returned to Parliament in a once more sensational result. In the [[1945 United Kingdom general election|1945 general election]] he won [[Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)|Carmarthen]], taking the seat from the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]'s [[Moelwyn Hughes]] despite the rest of the country experiencing a Labour landslide. Morris was to hold the seat for the remainder of his life.


In 1951 he became [[Committee of Ways and Means|Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means]] in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] and thus one of the Deputy Speakers. This post, together with his age, combined to exclude him for consideration for the Liberal Party leadership when [[Clement Davies]] stood down in October 1956. Morris died the following month, aged 68.
In 1951 he became [[Committee of Ways and Means|Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means]] in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] and thus one of the Deputy Speakers. This post, together with his age, combined to exclude him for consideration for the Liberal Party leadership when [[Clement Davies]] stood down in October 1956. Morris died the following month, aged 68.
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{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==References==
==Sources==
* {{cite book |last=Craig |first=F. W. S. |authorlink= F. W. S. Craig |title=British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 |origyear=1969 |edition= 3rd |year=1983 |publisher= Parliamentary Research Services |location=Chichester |isbn= 0-900178-06-X}}
* {{cite book |last=Craig |first=F. W. S. |author-link= F. W. S. Craig |title=British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 |orig-year=1969 |edition= 3rd |year=1983 |publisher= Parliamentary Research Services |location=Chichester |isbn= 0-900178-06-X}}
*''Rhys Hopkin Morris: The Man and his Character'' by T J Evans, (Gomerian Press, Llandyssul), 1957
*''Rhys Hopkin Morris: The Man and his Character'' by T J Evans, (Gomerian Press, Llandyssul), 1957
*Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris by J Graham Jones, in Brack et al. (eds.) ''Dictionary of Liberal Biography'' (Politico's), 1998
*Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris by J Graham Jones, in Brack et al. (eds.) ''Dictionary of Liberal Biography'' (Politico's), 1998
*{{Rayment-hc|date=March 2012}}
*{{Rayment-hc|date=March 2012}}
*{{cite journal|last1=Jones|first1=J. Graham|title=The Liberal Party and Wales, 1945-79|journal=[[Welsh History Review]]|date=June 1993|volume=16|issue=3|pages=326–55|url=https://datasyllwr.llgc.org.uk/journals/pdf/AWJAJ017068.pdf|access-date=24 January 2017}}


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
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{{s-par|uk}}
{{succession box
{{succession box
| title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Cardiganshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiganshire]]
| title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Cardiganshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiganshire]]
| years = [[United Kingdom general election, 1923|1923]] &ndash; [[Cardiganshire by-election, 1932|1932]]
| years = [[1923 United Kingdom general election|1923]] &ndash; [[1932 Cardiganshire by-election|1932]]
| before = [[Ernest Evans (politician)|Ernest Evans]]
| before = [[Ernest Evans (politician)|Ernest Evans]]
| after = [[Owen Evans (politician)|Owen Evans]]
| after = [[Owen Evans (politician)|Owen Evans]]
}}
}}
{{succession box
{{succession box
| title = [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)|Carmarthen]]
| title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Carmarthen (UK Parliament constituency)|Carmarthen]]
| years = [[United Kingdom general election, 1945|1945]] &ndash; [[Carmarthen by-election, 1957|1956]]
| years = [[1945 United Kingdom general election|1945]] &ndash; [[1957 Carmarthen by-election|1956]]
| before = [[Moelwyn Hughes]]
| before = [[Moelwyn Hughes]]
| after = [[Megan Lloyd George]]
| after = [[Megan Lloyd George]]
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[[Category:1956 deaths]]
[[Category:1956 deaths]]
[[Category:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies]]
[[Category:Liberal Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1923–24]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1923–1924]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1924–1929]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1924–1929]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1929–1931]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1929–1931]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1931–35]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1931–1935]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1945–50]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1945–1950]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1950–51]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1950–1951]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1951–55]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1951–1955]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1955–59]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1955–1959]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Wales]]
[[Category:Alumni of Bangor University]]
[[Category:Welsh barristers]]
[[Category:Welsh barristers]]
[[Category:People from Maesteg]]
[[Category:People from Maesteg]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Carmarthenshire constituencies]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Carmarthenshire constituencies]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Royal Welch Fusiliers officers]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:Members of the Middle Temple]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Ceredigion]]
[[Category:Stipendiary magistrates (England and Wales)]]

Revision as of 17:06, 24 March 2024

Hopkin Morris

Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris (5 September 1888 – 22 November 1956) was a Welsh Liberal politician who was a Member of Parliament from 1923–1932 and from 1945–1956.

Early life

Morris was born at Blaencaerau, Maesteg, Glamorgan, son of John Morris, Congregational minister in Caerau, and Mary.[1] He was educated at local schools in Glamorgan, at University of Wales, Bangor, where he studied philosophy and graduated in 1912, and at King's College London following World War I, where he read law.[2] Morris served continually in the armed forces during the war, from December 1914 until January 1919, possessing the rank of Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers by its end and being twice wounded - the second time seriously. He was mentioned in dispatches and made an MBE (military division).[3] After the war, he qualified as a barrister with special dispensations granted due to his service in the military, and was called to the Bar on 2 July 1919.[4]

His wife, who he met at Bangor and married in September 1918, was Gwladys Perrie Williams.[2]

Political career

A classic laissez-faire liberal, Morris supported H. H. Asquith against David Lloyd George when the party split between 1916 and 1923, and would remain fiercely opposed to Lloyd George and interventionist Liberalism throughout his political career.

In 1922 Morris contested the general election as a pro-Asquith Liberal in Cardiganshire, narrowly losing to the sitting pro-Lloyd George Liberal MP Ernest Evans. The following year the Liberal Party reunited but Morris ran as an Independent Liberal against Evans. In one of the most surprising results of the 1923 general election Morris was elected. In the follow year's general election he was returned unopposed as an official Liberal candidate.

His opposition to both Lloyd George and the introduction of tariffs resulted in his remaining with the official ("Samuelite") Liberals when the party split three ways in advance of the 1931 general election. The following year Morris was appointed as a Metropolitan Police magistrate, a salaried post which vacated his seat because the post was an 'office of profit under the Crown' and incompatible with membership of the House of Commons. In 1936, he became the first Regional Director of the BBC in Wales.[5] The same year Morris became President of the London Welsh Trust, which runs the London Welsh Centre, holding office until 1937.[6]

Thirteen years later Morris returned to Parliament in a once more sensational result. In the 1945 general election he won Carmarthen, taking the seat from the Labour Party's Moelwyn Hughes despite the rest of the country experiencing a Labour landslide. Morris was to hold the seat for the remainder of his life.

In 1951 he became Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means in the House of Commons and thus one of the Deputy Speakers. This post, together with his age, combined to exclude him for consideration for the Liberal Party leadership when Clement Davies stood down in October 1956. Morris died the following month, aged 68.

Throughout his career Morris was a staunch individualist, once summing up his political philosophy as, "There is no man alive who is sufficiently good to rule the life of the man next door to him!" Many have regarded him as being the last representative of traditional Gladstonian Liberalism in the Commons.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ National Library of Wales, Welsh Biography Online
  2. ^ a b Williams, D. A., (2001). MORRIS, Sir RHYS HOPKIN (1888-1956), politician, stipendiary magistrate, first director of the Welsh Region B.B.C.;. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Retrieved 24 March 2024, from https://biography.wales/article/s2-MORR-HOP-1888
  3. ^ Middle Temple Archive, MT/1/PPE - Petitions of Rhys Hopkin Morris, 3 March 1919 and 16 June 1919.
  4. ^ Sturgess, H.A.C. (1949). Register of Admissions to the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. Butterworth & Co. (Publishers) Ltd. Vol. 3, p.816.
  5. ^ "Archives Network Wales - Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris papers". Archivesnetworkwales.info. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  6. ^ "Our Former Presidents: London Welsh Centre". London Welsh Centre website. London Welsh Centre. 2010. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2011.

Sources

Further reading

  • Rhys Hopkin Morris, The man and his character: T J Evans (introduction by Herbert Samuel), Gomerian Press, Llandyssul, 1958
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Cardiganshire
1923 – 1932 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Carmarthen
1945 – 1956 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rhys_Hopkin_Morris&oldid=1215355346"