THOMAS, ALFRED, baron Pontypridd (1840 - 1927), of Bronwydd, Cardiff

Born 16 September 1840, at Llwyn-y-grant, Pen-y-lan, Cardiff, son of Daniel Thomas, contractor. He was educated at Weston school, near Bath, and spent his life in his father's business at Cardiff. He was a member of the Cardiff boro. council for eleven years, being first elected in 1875, was mayor in 1881-2, and received the freedom of the boro. in 1887. He represented the newly-formed constituency of east Glamorgan from 1885 until his retirement in 1910, and was elected chairman of the Welsh Parliamentary Liberal Party in 1898. He was also justice of the peace for Cardiff and Glamorgan, and deputy-lieutenant for Glamorgan. The movement to establish a University College at Cardiff in 1882 found in him a very ardent supporter, and he became a member of the council and subsequently its president. He was also the first president of the National Museum of Wales. A Baptist in religion, he was elected president of the Welsh Baptist Union in 1886. He was knighted in 1902, and raised to the peerage in 1912. He died, unmarried, 14 December 1927.

Author

• Benjamin George Owens

Sources

• Who's who in Wales, 1921
• South Wales Daily News, 15 December 1927
• The Daily Telegraph, 15 December 1927
• Western Mail, 25 June 1930
• Seren Cymru, 23 December 1927
• Seren Gomer, 1928, 40
• Adroddiad Undeb Bedyddwyr Cymru, 1886

Further Reading

• T. Marchant Williams, Welsh Members of Parliament, 1894 (Cardiff 1894)
• NLW Archives: General Election 1906 Wales and Monmouthshire. A Souvenir containing photographs, biographical sketches etc., of all the Welsh MP's: Sir Alfred Thomas
• Wikipedia Article: Alfred Thomas, 1st Baron Pontypridd

Images

• National Portrait Gallery: Alfred Thomas, 1st Baron Pontypridd

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q4723516

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/