Baron Tredegar

Baron Tredegar
Baron Tredegar
	The crest of the Morgan's of Tredegar, on a leather notebook, dating from the early twentieth century.
Creation date	16 April 1859
Created by	Queen Victoria
Peerage	Peerage of the United Kingdom
First holder	Sir Charles Morgan, 3rd Baronet
Last holder	John Morgan, 6th Baron Tredegar
Status	Extinct
Extinction date	17 November 1962
Former seat(s)	Tredegar House, Ruperra Castle
Motto	Si Deus Nobiscum quis contra nos, (If God is with us, who is against us)

Baron Tredegar, of Tredegar in the County of Monmouth, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.^[1] It was created on 16 April 1859 for the Welsh politician Sir Charles Morgan, 3rd Baronet, who had earlier represented Brecon in Parliament. His eldest son, Charles Rodney Morgan, sat as Member of Parliament for Brecon, but predeceased his father. The first baron was therefore succeeded by his next eldest son, the second baron.

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Charles Morgan was a politician and soldier, and notably commanded a section of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War. Godfrey was 22 and Captain in the 17th Lancers. His horse, Sir Briggs, also survived, and lived at Tredegar House until his death at the age of 28. He was buried with full military honours in the Cedar Garden at the House. The monument still stands there today.

On 28 December 1905 he was created Viscount Tredegar, of Tredegar in the County of Monmouth, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.^[2] He never married and the viscountcy became extinct on his death in 1913. He was succeeded in the baronetcy and barony by his nephew, Courtenay, the third Baron. He was the eldest son of the Hon. Frederic Courtenay Morgan, third son of the first Baron. On 4 August 1926 the viscountcy was revived when he was created Viscount Tredegar, of Tredegar in the County of Monmouth, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.^[3] Lord Tredegar subsequently served as Lord-Lieutenant of Monmouthshire.

On his death in 1934, Courtenay was succeeded by his only son, Evan, who became the second viscount. The new Lord Tredegar, a poet and well-known eccentric, was homosexual despite two marriages. As a result, he died childless in 1949, and the viscountcy became extinct. He was succeeded in the barony and baronetcy by his elderly uncle, Frederic, who became the fifth Baron. He was a younger son of the aforementioned the Hon. Frederic Courtenay Morgan. Due to lack of estate planning on Evan's death, Frederic inherited a large inheritance tax bill. To avoid a reoccurrence in the event of his own demise, Frederic passed the estates immediately to his son, John, who on his father's death in 1954 became the sixth and final Baron Tredegar, dying childless in 1962.^[4]

The Morgan family descended from William Morgan, Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire. His eldest son Thomas Morgan was Member of Parliament for Brecon and Monmouthshire. All Thomas's children predeceased him and he left his estates to his younger brother John Morgan (1670-1720), who sat as Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire and served as Lord-Lieutenant of Breconshire and Monmouthshire. John also succeeded to the estate of his uncle and namesake, John Morgan (d. 1715), High Sheriff of Monmouthshire in 1697 and Member of Parliament for Monmouth, a merchant who had amassed a great fortune in London.

John's eldest son Sir William Morgan was Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire from 1722 to 1731. William's eldest son William Morgan sat as Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire from 1747 to 1763. His uncle Thomas Morgan (the son of John Morgan), known as "the General", was Member of Parliament for Brecon, Monmouthshire and Breconshire and served as Judge Advocate General from 1741 to 1768. His eldest son Thomas Morgan was Member of Parliament for Brecon and Monmouthshire. His younger brother Charles Morgan sat as Member of Parliament for Brecon and Breconshire. His younger brother John Morgan of Dderw was Member of Parliament for Brecon and Monmouthshire. On his death the male line of the Morgan family failed. His sister and heiress Jane Morgan married Charles Gould. He sat as Member of Parliament for Brecon and Breconshire and served as Judge Advocate General from 1768 to 1806. He was knighted in 1779 and created a baronet, of Tredegar in the County of Monmouth, in the Baronetage of Great Britain on 30 October 1792.^[5]

The day after his elevation to a baronetcy he assumed by Royal licence the surname of Morgan in lieu of his patronymic. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the second Baronet. He was a Lieutenant-General in the British Army and served as Commander-in-Chief of the West Indies. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the aforementioned third Baronet, who was elevated to the peerage in 1859. See above for further history of the baronetcy.

Octavius Morgan, fourth son of the second Baronet, was a politician, historian and antiquary.