David Rees-Williams, 1st Baron Ogmore
Encyclopedia
David Rees Rees-Williams, 1st Baron Ogmore, PC
, TD
(22 November 1903 – 30 August 1976) was a Welsh
politician.
Rees-Williams was born in Bridgend, Wales. He qualified as a solicitor in 1929 and married and had three children. Commissioned into the 6th (Territorial Army) Battalion, Welch Regiment
, he was promoted Captain
in 1936 and Major
in 1938, by which time his battalion had become a searchlight
unit. He transferred to the Royal Artillery
in 1940, when all searchlight units did so, and ended the Second World War as a Lieutenant-Colonel.
Rees-Williams was elected Labour
Member of Parliament
for Croydon South
in 1945, defeating the incumbent MP, Sir Herbert Williams. In the government he was a minister in the Colonial Office
, travelling to East Asia
to consider the movements towards independence. His seat was redistributed at the end of the Parliament and he narrowly lost the successor seat at the 1950 general election
and was raised to the peerage as Baron Ogmore
, of Bridgend in the County of Glamorgan, on 5 July 1950. He served as Minister of Civil Aviation in 1951 and was made a Privy Councillor the same year. Lord Ogmore was President of the London Welsh Trust, which runs the London Welsh Centre
, Gray's Inn Road
, from 1955 until 1959.
Lord Ogmore joined the Liberal Party
in 1959 and served as Liberal Party President, 1963 - 1964.
Lord Ogmore's daughter, Elizabeth Rees-Williams
, married the actors Sir Richard Harris
and Sir Rex Harrison
, the businessman Peter Aitken, and more recently Jonathan Aitken
, the former Conservative MP
.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, TD
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
(22 November 1903 – 30 August 1976) was a Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
politician.
Rees-Williams was born in Bridgend, Wales. He qualified as a solicitor in 1929 and married and had three children. Commissioned into the 6th (Territorial Army) Battalion, Welch Regiment
Welch Regiment
The Welch Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1969.-History:It was formed as the Welsh Regiment during the Childers Reforms of 1881, by the amalgamation of the 41st Regiment of Foot and the 69th Regiment of Foot...
, he was promoted Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in 1936 and Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1938, by which time his battalion had become a searchlight
Searchlight
A searchlight is an apparatus that combines a bright light source with some form of curved reflector or other optics to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direction, usually constructed so that it can be swiveled about.-Military use:The Royal Navy used...
unit. He transferred to the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
in 1940, when all searchlight units did so, and ended the Second World War as a Lieutenant-Colonel.
Rees-Williams was elected Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Croydon South
Croydon South (historic UK Parliament constituency)
-Politics and history of the constituency:The seat was created in 1918 and the first MP was Ian Malcolm who had been the MP for all of Croydon. H.T. Muggeridge, father of Malcolm Muggeridge, fought the seat for Labour four times from 1918, later becoming MP for Romford...
in 1945, defeating the incumbent MP, Sir Herbert Williams. In the government he was a minister in the Colonial Office
Colonial Office
Colonial Office is the government agency which serves to oversee and supervise their colony* Colonial Office - The British Government department* Office of Insular Affairs - the American government agency* Reichskolonialamt - the German Colonial Office...
, travelling to East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
to consider the movements towards independence. His seat was redistributed at the end of the Parliament and he narrowly lost the successor seat at the 1950 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1950
The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever after a full term of a Labour government. Despite polling over one and a half million votes more than the Conservatives, the election, held on 23 February 1950 resulted in Labour receiving a slim majority of just five...
and was raised to the peerage as Baron Ogmore
Baron Ogmore
Baron Ogmore, of Bridgend in the County of Glamorgan, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1950 for David Rees-Williams, a Welsh Labour, and later, Liberal politician. the title is held by his younger son, the third Baron, who succeeded his elder brother in 2004.The...
, of Bridgend in the County of Glamorgan, on 5 July 1950. He served as Minister of Civil Aviation in 1951 and was made a Privy Councillor the same year. Lord Ogmore was President of the London Welsh Trust, which runs the London Welsh Centre
London Welsh Centre
The London Welsh Centre is a community and arts centre on Gray's Inn Road, in the London Borough of Camden. The Centre is owned and run by the London Welsh Trust....
, Gray's Inn Road
Gray's Inn Road
Gray's Inn Road, formerly Gray's Inn Lane, is a major road in central London, in the London Borough of Camden. It is named after Gray's Inn, one of the main Inns of Court. The road starts in Holborn, near Chancery Lane tube station and the boundaries of the City of London and the London Borough...
, from 1955 until 1959.
Lord Ogmore joined the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
in 1959 and served as Liberal Party President, 1963 - 1964.
Lord Ogmore's daughter, Elizabeth Rees-Williams
Elizabeth Rees-Williams
Joan Elizabeth Rees-Williams, The Hon. Mrs. Aitken , is a Welsh socialite. She had two film roles around her early 40s.She was born in Cardiff, daughter of the politician David Rees-Williams, 1st Baron Ogmore....
, married the actors Sir Richard Harris
Richard Harris
Richard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
and Sir Rex Harrison
Rex Harrison
Sir Reginald Carey “Rex” Harrison was an English actor of stage and screen. Harrison won an Academy Award and two Tony Awards.-Youth and stage career:...
, the businessman Peter Aitken, and more recently Jonathan Aitken
Jonathan Aitken
Jonathan William Patrick Aitken is a former Conservative Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, and British government minister. He was convicted of perjury in 1999 and received an 18-month prison sentence, of which he served seven months...
, the former Conservative MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.