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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.
The Honourable 6th Baron Tredegar Bt | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frederic Charles John Morgan 26 October 1908 |
| Died | 17 November 1962 |
| Title | 8th Baronet Morgan, 6th Baron Tredegar |
| Parents |
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Life[edit]
He was born on 26 October 1908 to Frederic Morgan, 5th Baron Tredegar of Tredegar Park, Monmouthshire, Wales, and Lady Dorothy Syssyllt Bassett. 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, 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, who had may jobs throughout his life, John Morgan didn't appear to have an occupation, but was simply regarded as a gentleman in the community.
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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, and a Rolls Royce and Bentley.
This left 75-year-old Frederic with enormous death duties, or inheritance tax, of £1,000,000 which amounts to £32,000,000 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.
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. 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. In his father's final years, John had already began 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. Sadly, it was to no avail, as in 1951 John Morgan sold the cherished Tredegar House and its' estate to nuns for £40,000. 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.
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.
He later also sold the family's second seat and "Weekend Hunting Lodge", Ruperra Castle to the Eagle Star Insurance Company. By this stage, the Castle had been damaged by its second fire during the militaries control of the property throughout the Second World War. Today, it continues to deteriorate.
After the sale, the famous Tredegar House was used as a Catholic Girls' School, while the 6th Baron became a tax exile, spending a quiet retirement in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. During retirement, 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.
Marriage and Death[edit]
John Morgan married Lady Joanna Law-Smith in 1954, and spent married life in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. In 1962, he succumbed to septicaemia and died suddenly without issue, aged 54.
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.
On his death, his wife donated more portraits of the Morgan's of Tredegar to the Catholic nuns, in John memory.