Rhys Rhys-Williams
Encyclopedia
Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams, 1st Baronet DSO
QC
DL
(20 October 1865 – 29 January 1955), born Rhys Williams, was a British Liberal Party
politician from Wales
. He later left the Liberal Party for the Conservatives
.
(née Glyn) was a writer and prominent Liberal politician who, like her husband, later joined the Conservative Party
via the Liberal Nationals
. They met in 1919 when Juliet Glyn began working for Rhys-Williams as his private secretary during his period of office as parliamentary secretary
at the Ministry of Transport
. They married on 24 February 1921 They had two sons and two daughters. Their son, Sir Brandon Rhys-Williams
became a Conservative MP and Member of the European Parliament
.
, which he entered in 1880, and Oriel College, Oxford.
, reaching the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He saw active service, was wounded, was twice mentioned in despatches and won the DSO
. In 1915 he served for a year as Acting Military Attaché
at the British Legation
in Tehran
. He ran an intelligence service for the Russians in their campaigns against the Turks and was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir
with the Swords by the Czar in 1916. In 1917 Rhys-Williams was attached the War Office
to act as Assistant Director-General Movements and Railways.
in 1890 and joined the South Wales Circuit. He also practised in the Parliamentary Committee Rooms. He took silk in 1913. In 1906 Rhys-Williams became Chairman of Quarter Sessions
in Glamorgan
in succession to his father. From 1922, Rhys-Williams served as Recorder
of Cardiff
.
(MP) for Banbury
at a by-election
in September 1918 and was returned unopposed at the 1918 general election
as Coalition Liberal. On his appointment as Recorder
of Cardiff
he was obliged to resign from Parliament and fight a by-election on 22 June but he was again returned unopposed. He served on until the 1922 general election
when he stood down from Parliament to concentrate on his legal responsibilities. In 1919 Rhys-Williams was appointed parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of Transport under the direction of the Minister of Transport Sir Eric Geddes
. However he soon fell out with Geddes and resigned just two months after being appointed.
In 1923, Rhys-Williams was approached by the Aberavon
Liberal Association to stand as their candidate in the forthcoming general election
in opposition to Labour
leader Ramsay MacDonald
but he declined. By the 1930s, Rhys-Williams had become more anti-socialist in stance. Never a great party man, in March 1931 he tried to get the Liberal candidate at the by-election
at Pontypridd
, Captain G Crawshay, to make a public statement that as soon as the Labour government introduced what he described as any openly socialist measure he would vote to try and turn out the government. Rhys-Williams promised Crawshay that if he would make this pledge he would do his best to get the Conservatives to stand aside and support him in a straight fight against Labour. When Crawshay refused to agree Rhys-Williams came out in support of David Evans, the Conservative candidate in the by-election. In the event the seat was easily retained by Labour, with Crawshay in second place and Evans third.
in June 1918, shortly before entering Parliament
. After his death, the baronetcy was inherited by his son Brandon Rhys-Williams
, who later served for over twenty years as a Conservative MP.
in Glamorgan
, after which his baronetcy was named. The house is claimed to be haunted
. In 1923 the manor house was partly consumed by fire which destroyed the south wing. In 1940 the manor house was taken over by the Red Cross and used as a convalescent home. Lady Williams was commandant of the Red Cross Hospital there and continued to occupy part of the building, giving the manor as her home address when writing to The Times
in 1943. The manor was then passed from the Red Cross to the local health authority in 1948 for continued use as a hospital. This arrangement later caused Sir Rhys some distress in old age and he lodged a formal protest at the actions of the Pontypridd and Rhondda Hospital Committee, claiming they had deprived him of the use of the house for six years and had paid only the sum £1 4s in rent during this period. Sir Rhys alleged that the hospital committee were now refusing to buy the house, having previously agreed to do. However the hospital was expensive to run and the Hospital Management Committee gave notice they were going to close it and that it was not economic to buy the manor. Lady Williams continued to occupy the manor after her husband's death in 1955.
Sir Rhys served as the first President of Llantrisant and Pontyclun Golf Club, formed in 1927.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(20 October 1865 – 29 January 1955), born Rhys Williams, was a British 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...
politician from 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...
. He later left the Liberal Party for the Conservatives
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...
.
Family
Rhys-Williams was the son of Judge Gwilym Williams and Emma Eleanor Williams JP. His wife Juliet Rhys-WilliamsJuliet Rhys-Williams
Juliet Evangeline, Lady Rhys-Williams, DBE, DStJ née Glyn , was a British writer, and a Liberal Party politician who later joined the Conservative Party....
(née Glyn) was a writer and prominent Liberal politician who, like her husband, later joined 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...
via the Liberal Nationals
National Liberal Party (UK, 1931)
The National Liberal Party, known until 1948 as the Liberal National Party, was a liberal political party in the United Kingdom from 1931 to 1968...
. They met in 1919 when Juliet Glyn began working for Rhys-Williams as his private secretary during his period of office as parliamentary secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
at the Ministry of Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
. They married on 24 February 1921 They had two sons and two daughters. Their son, Sir Brandon Rhys-Williams
Brandon Rhys-Williams
Sir Brandon Meredith Rhys-Williams, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative politician.Rhys-Williams was elected a Member of Parliament in the Kensington South by-election, 1968, representing that seat until 1974, then for Kensington from 1974 until his death in 1988 aged 60...
became a Conservative MP and Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
.
Education
Rhys-Williams was educated at Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, which he entered in 1880, and Oriel College, Oxford.
Military service
In the First World War he served in the Welsh GuardsWelsh Guards
The Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division.-Creation :The Welsh Guards came into existence on 26 February 1915 by Royal Warrant of His Majesty King George V in order to include Wales in the national component to the Foot Guards, "..though the order...
, reaching the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He saw active service, was wounded, was twice mentioned in despatches and won the DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
. In 1915 he served for a year as Acting Military Attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
at the British Legation
Legation
A legation was the term used in diplomacy to denote a diplomatic representative office lower than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an Ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary....
in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
. He ran an intelligence service for the Russians in their campaigns against the Turks and was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir
Order of St. Vladimir
The Cross of Saint Vladimir was an Imperial Russian Order established in 1782 by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of the Kievan Rus....
with the Swords by the Czar in 1916. In 1917 Rhys-Williams was attached the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
to act as Assistant Director-General Movements and Railways.
Legal career
Williams was called to the Bar at the Inner TempleInner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in 1890 and joined the South Wales Circuit. He also practised in the Parliamentary Committee Rooms. He took silk in 1913. In 1906 Rhys-Williams became Chairman of Quarter Sessions
Quarter Sessions
The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the United Kingdom and other countries in the former British Empire...
in Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
in succession to his father. From 1922, Rhys-Williams served as Recorder
Recorder (judge)
A Recorder is a judicial officer in England and Wales. It now refers to two quite different appointments. The ancient Recorderships of England and Wales now form part of a system of Honorary Recorderships which are filled by the most senior full-time circuit judges...
of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
.
Politics
Williams was first returned to Parliament as Member of ParliamentMember 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,...
(MP) for Banbury
Banbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Banbury is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is a strongly Conservative seat.The constituency was created January 26, 1554 through the efforts of Henry Stafford and Thomas Denton...
at a by-election
Banbury by-election, 1918
The Banbury by-election, 1918 was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Banbury, sometimes also referred to as North Oxfordshire' on 24 September 1918...
in September 1918 and was returned unopposed at the 1918 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1918
The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did...
as Coalition Liberal. On his appointment as Recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
he was obliged to resign from Parliament and fight a by-election on 22 June but he was again returned unopposed. He served on until the 1922 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1922
The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John...
when he stood down from Parliament to concentrate on his legal responsibilities. In 1919 Rhys-Williams was appointed parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of Transport under the direction of the Minister of Transport Sir Eric Geddes
Eric Campbell Geddes
Sir Eric Campbell-Geddes GCB, GBE, PC was a British businessman and Conservative politician. He served as First Lord of the Admiralty between 1917 and 1919 and as the first Minister of Transport between 1919 and 1921....
. However he soon fell out with Geddes and resigned just two months after being appointed.
In 1923, Rhys-Williams was approached by the Aberavon
Aberavon
Aberavon is a settlement in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. The town derived its name from being near the mouth of the river Afan, which also gave its name to a medieval lordship. Today it is essentially a district of Port Talbot, covering the central and south western part of the town...
Liberal Association to stand as their candidate in the forthcoming general election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
in opposition to 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...
leader Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
but he declined. By the 1930s, Rhys-Williams had become more anti-socialist in stance. Never a great party man, in March 1931 he tried to get the Liberal candidate at the by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
at Pontypridd
Pontypridd (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 2000s:-Elections in the 1990s:-Elections in the 1980s:-Elections in the 1970s:...
, Captain G Crawshay, to make a public statement that as soon as the Labour government introduced what he described as any openly socialist measure he would vote to try and turn out the government. Rhys-Williams promised Crawshay that if he would make this pledge he would do his best to get the Conservatives to stand aside and support him in a straight fight against Labour. When Crawshay refused to agree Rhys-Williams came out in support of David Evans, the Conservative candidate in the by-election. In the event the seat was easily retained by Labour, with Crawshay in second place and Evans third.
Baronetcy
Rhys-Williams was created a BaronetBaronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
in June 1918, shortly before entering Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. After his death, the baronetcy was inherited by his son Brandon Rhys-Williams
Brandon Rhys-Williams
Sir Brandon Meredith Rhys-Williams, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative politician.Rhys-Williams was elected a Member of Parliament in the Kensington South by-election, 1968, representing that seat until 1974, then for Kensington from 1974 until his death in 1988 aged 60...
, who later served for over twenty years as a Conservative MP.
Miskin Manor
Williams inherited his father's estate in Wales, Miskin ManorMiskin Manor
Miskin Manor is a Victorian manor house built in 1864 in a Tudor style, situated in the village of Miskin in Rhondda Cynon Taf, south Wales. The house is claimed to be haunted. The estate was owned by the Williams family including Rhys Rhys-Williams for many years who were descended from the Welsh...
in Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
, after which his baronetcy was named. The house is claimed to be haunted
Haunted house
A haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...
. In 1923 the manor house was partly consumed by fire which destroyed the south wing. In 1940 the manor house was taken over by the Red Cross and used as a convalescent home. Lady Williams was commandant of the Red Cross Hospital there and continued to occupy part of the building, giving the manor as her home address when writing to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
in 1943. The manor was then passed from the Red Cross to the local health authority in 1948 for continued use as a hospital. This arrangement later caused Sir Rhys some distress in old age and he lodged a formal protest at the actions of the Pontypridd and Rhondda Hospital Committee, claiming they had deprived him of the use of the house for six years and had paid only the sum £1 4s in rent during this period. Sir Rhys alleged that the hospital committee were now refusing to buy the house, having previously agreed to do. However the hospital was expensive to run and the Hospital Management Committee gave notice they were going to close it and that it was not economic to buy the manor. Lady Williams continued to occupy the manor after her husband's death in 1955.
Sir Rhys served as the first President of Llantrisant and Pontyclun Golf Club, formed in 1927.