Draft:John Morgan, 6th Baron Tredegar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  • Comment: You cannot cite Wikipedia as a source on Wikipedia. Thepeerage.com is a deprecated source and must not be cited either. Source #24 does not appear to be published, and is therefore not acceptable. Source #1 does not work. This means that the content supported by these sources is actually not supported at all.
    Two sources are then left, one of which does not even mention John Morgan. The extensively cited Argus article does, but it alone is not enough to establish notability per WP:GNG, as we need three or more sources meeting the GNG standard. DoubleGrazing (talk) 15:03, 1 March 2024 (UTC)

The Right Honourable
6th Baron Tredegar
Bt, Bar
Born
Frederic Charles John Morgan

26 October 1908
Died17 November 1962
Title8th Baronet Morgan, 6th Baron Tredegar
PartnerJoanna Morgan [nee. Law-Smith]
Parents
  • Frederic George Morgan, 5th Baron Tredegar (father)
  • Lady Dorothy Syssyllt Morgan (mother)
RelativesSyssyllt Avis Gurney [nee. Morgan], (sister)

Frederic Charles John Morgan, 6th Baron Tredegar (26 October 1908 — 17 November 1962), was a Welsh Peer and Landowner. On 21 August 1954, he succeeded to the title of 8th Baronet and 6th Baron Tredegar following the death of his father, Frederic George Morgan, 5th Baron Tredegar.

Life[edit]

He was born on 26 October 1908[1] to Frederic Morgan, 5th Baron Tredegar of Tredegar Park, Monmouthshire, Wales, and Lady Dorothy Syssyllt Bassett[2]. Following family tradition, he was educated at Eton College, Windsor, but did not enrol in university. After fighting between 1939 and 1945 in the Second World War[3], he gained the rank of "Officer in the Kings Own Scottish Borderers". Although named after his father, the 6th Baron preferred to be know as John Morgan, from his middle name.

Unlike his extravagant cousin, Evan, the 2nd Viscount Tredegar, who had many jobs throughout his life[4], John Morgan didn't appear to have an occupation, but was simply regarded as a gentleman in the community[5].

John Sells Tredegar House[edit]

North-western façade of Tredegar House

In 1949, following the death of his 1st cousin, Evan Morgan, 2nd Viscount Tredegar, the estate and titles passed to John's father, Frederic, who then became the 5th Baron. During Evan's time as Lord Tredegar, he had spent lavish amounts of money on parties, maintaining his menagerie of animals[6], and a Rolls Royce and Bentley[7].

This left 75-year-old Frederic with enormous death duties, or inheritance tax, of £1,000,000 which amounts to £32,000,000[8] in today's money. Despite conversations during Evan's later years concerning selling off land, on his death minimal efforts had been made to "balance the books" to protect the longevity of the Tredegar estate and house.[9]

Frederic, who was concerned about his own mortality, decided upon his succession to transfer the entire estate to his son, John to avoid the inevitability of John having to pay double death-duties upon his fathers death[10]. This clever decision made Frederic Lord Tredegar only by name.

The plan worked, as in 1954 upon Frederic's death, aged 80, John did not pay any death duties[11]. John spent very little time on the Tredegar Estate during his ownership. In his father's final years, John had already begun selling off parts of the once 100,000 acre estate, reducing it to just 91 acres in an attempt to recover the family's lost fortune[12]. Sadly, it was to no avail, as in 1951 John Morgan sold the cherished Tredegar House and its' estate to the Nuns of St. Joseph for £40,000 or £1,200,000 in todays money[13]. As a late Catholic convert, the 6th Baron claimed that "the sale was good for his bank balance, and his soul". John had the contents of the house sold by Harrods, prior to the sale of the property[14].

When he sold Tredegar, John asked for the nuns to hang portraits of his family and ancestors in one room to ensure that Morgan presence remained in the house after his departure[15]

After the sale, the famous Tredegar House was used as a Catholic Girls' School[16]

John Sells Ruperra Castle[edit]

Ruperra Castle, 2001

In 1956, John Morgan also sold the family's second seat and "Weekend Hunting Lodge", Ruperra Castle to the Eagle Star Insurance Company for around £35,000 or £800,000 in todays money[17]. Now, the entire 53,000 acre, Tredegar, Ruperra and agricultural Morgan Estates had been sold. By this stage, the Castle had been damaged by its second fire during the military's control of the property throughout the Second World War. Today, it continues to deteriorate[18].

Retirement in Monte-Carlo[edit]

File:Cms pcf 1550919.jpg
Vase, John Morgan, 1962

John Morgan married Lady Joanna Law-Smith in 1954[19], and spent married life in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, as a tax exile. During retirement, John pursued his passion for art, producing several works which are now owned by the National Trust and displayed in Tredegar House. Moreover, he allegedly cut all links to South Wales after he failed to receive an invitation to meet Queen Elizabeth II during a trip to Newport[20].

In 1962, he succumbed to septicaemia and died suddenly without issue, aged 54[21].

On his death, his wife donated more portraits of the Morgan's of Tredegar, and some of John's artwork to the Nuns of St. Joseph, for in John's memory.

As he nor his sister, Hon. Syssyllt Avis Morgan, had children, his death marked the extinction of the Morgan Baronetcy and the Barony of Tredegar. The passing of the 6th Baron Tredegar singled the end of a 500-year dynasty, The Morgan's of Tredegar.[22]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Tredegar Estate Records, - National Library of Wales Archives and Manuscripts". archives.library.wales. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  2. ^ "GB0218.D6206". gwentarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  3. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  4. ^ Busby, Paul. Hush, Hush: The peculiar career of Lord Tredegar.
  5. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  6. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  7. ^ "The families who lived behind-the-scenes at Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2022-03-20. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  8. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  9. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  10. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  11. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  12. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  13. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  14. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  15. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  16. ^ "History of Tredegar House|Wales". National Trust. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  17. ^ "History of the Castle". Ruperra Castle - Castell Rhiw'r Perrai. Retrieved 2024-03-02.
  18. ^ "History of the Castle". Ruperra Castle - Castell Rhiw'r Perrai. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  19. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  20. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  21. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  22. ^ "The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions and sold Tredegar House". South Wales Argus. 2017-11-04. Retrieved 2024-03-01.