Brian Morgan Edwards
Encyclopedia
Brian Morgan Edwards was an expert computer salesman, a prominent supporter of Plaid Cymru
and a Welsh
businessman who sponsored the first Welsh-language recording studio for popular music.
He was born in Swansea
and won a place at the London School of Economics
, where he was a joint founder of the Tankard Club, a dining club for LSE graduates. His first job was as a computer salesman with IBM
, and his friendly and honest character, combined with an extrovert nature, soon won him success in that field. In 1961 he was appointed lead salesman for the 3000 series, a new computer system which used a novel small-sized punched card and was designed for the smaller business. By spending his weekends driving around the industrial estates of west London
, and on Monday mornings presenting a list of company names to his secretary, he rapidly built up a strong following of prospective customers.
He met his wife Rona, who like himself was a native of Wales
, whilst they were both living in London, and soon after their marriage the pair moved back to their native land, eventually settling in Pwllheli
on the Lleyn Peninsula. Morgan Edwards had been a vociferous supporter of the Conservative Party
, at the time of the Harold MacMillan
government and the 1964 General Election
, which brought Harold Wilson
into government for the first time. But the combination of marriage to Rona and residence in Wales soon turned him into a fervent Welsh Nationalist, and he supported that cause for many years. He stood as a candidate in a later General Election, but he did not win a seat.
In pursuance of his Welsh patriotic interest, in 1969 he supported the formation of the first Welsh language record label, Sain
(Recordiau Sain, Sound Records) in partnership with the Welsh singers Dafydd Iwan
and Huw Jones
. Sain remains the foremost Welsh recording studio for popular music to the present day. Morgan Edwards was also involved in setting up Cymdeithas tai Gwynedd, the first rural Housing Association
in Wales, a charity providing affordable housing for people in need, especially the elderly and young low-income families.
Brian Morgan Edwards died in December 2002, and his wife Rona, President of the Welsh Bridge Union and Chairman of the North Wales Bridge Association, died only a month later in January 2003. Her obituary appeared in Newsletter 78 (February 2003) of the Welsh Bridge Union.
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
and a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
businessman who sponsored the first Welsh-language recording studio for popular music.
He was born in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
and won a place at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, where he was a joint founder of the Tankard Club, a dining club for LSE graduates. His first job was as a computer salesman with IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, and his friendly and honest character, combined with an extrovert nature, soon won him success in that field. In 1961 he was appointed lead salesman for the 3000 series, a new computer system which used a novel small-sized punched card and was designed for the smaller business. By spending his weekends driving around the industrial estates of west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and on Monday mornings presenting a list of company names to his secretary, he rapidly built up a strong following of prospective customers.
He met his wife Rona, who like himself was a native of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, whilst they were both living in London, and soon after their marriage the pair moved back to their native land, eventually settling in Pwllheli
Pwllheli
Pwllheli is a community and the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It has a population of 3,861, of which a large proportion, 81 per cent, are Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones -...
on the Lleyn Peninsula. Morgan Edwards had been a vociferous supporter of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, at the time of the Harold MacMillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
government and the 1964 General Election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, which brought Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
into government for the first time. But the combination of marriage to Rona and residence in Wales soon turned him into a fervent Welsh Nationalist, and he supported that cause for many years. He stood as a candidate in a later General Election, but he did not win a seat.
In pursuance of his Welsh patriotic interest, in 1969 he supported the formation of the first Welsh language record label, Sain
Sain
Sain , in full – Recordiau Sain Cyf is a Welsh record label, which was in the Welsh folk revival....
(Recordiau Sain, Sound Records) in partnership with the Welsh singers Dafydd Iwan
Dafydd Iwan
Dafydd Iwan , is a Welsh folk singer and politician. He was the president of Plaid Cymru .Dafydd Iwan Jones was born in Brynaman in Carmarthenshire, Wales, and is the elder brother of politician Alun Ffred Jones. He spent most of his youth in Bala in Gwynedd before attending the University of...
and Huw Jones
Huw Jones
Huw Jones is a retired Welsh Anglican bishop who served as the Bishop of St. David's from 1996 to 2001.-Ministry:His first pastoral appointment was as a curate at Aberdare from 1959 to 1961, followed by the Vicar of Neath from 1961 to 1965, then the Vicar of Crynant from 1965 to 1969. His next...
. Sain remains the foremost Welsh recording studio for popular music to the present day. Morgan Edwards was also involved in setting up Cymdeithas tai Gwynedd, the first rural Housing Association
Housing association
Housing associations in the United Kingdom are independent not-for-profit bodies that provide low-cost "social housing" for people in housing need. Any trading surplus is used to maintain existing homes and to help finance new ones...
in Wales, a charity providing affordable housing for people in need, especially the elderly and young low-income families.
Brian Morgan Edwards died in December 2002, and his wife Rona, President of the Welsh Bridge Union and Chairman of the North Wales Bridge Association, died only a month later in January 2003. Her obituary appeared in Newsletter 78 (February 2003) of the Welsh Bridge Union.