VAUGHAN, WILLIAM HUBERT (1894 - 1959), railway guard and chairman of the Welsh Land Settlement Society

Name: William Hubert Vaughan
Date of birth: 1894
Date of death: 1959
Spouse: May Vaughan (née Bishop)
Parent: Catherine Vaughan
Parent: Henry Charles Vaughan
Gender: Male
Occupation: railway guard and chairman of the Welsh Land Settlement Society
Area of activity: Business and Industry; Nature and Agriculture
Author: Mary Auronwy James

Born 21 March 1894, son of Henry Charles and Catherine Vaughan, Rogerstone, Monmouthshire. He was educated at the Eastern School, Port Talbot, and, like his father and two brothers, was employed on the railway, where he served for 51 years, 34 of them as a guard. He became a well respected figure who undertook a remarkable variety of public voluntary work. He was a member of Port Talbot borough council, 1927-48, served as mayor of Port Talbot, 1941, became a J.P. in 1949 and was Deputy Lieutenant for Glamorganshire, 1957. He took an active interest in politics, serving as secretary to the Aberavon Constituency Labour Party from 1934 till his death. From 1939 he became a member of the Glamorgan Agricultural Executive, and was a member of the Welsh National Forestry Committee from 1945. In 1948 he was appointed a forestry commissioner, and as a member for Wales he did much towards the ambitious planting scheme in which he saw great hope for the country. As a member of the National Parks Commission from 1952 he became a prime mover in designating the Brecon Beacons an area of outstanding natural beauty. He was elected chairman of the Welsh Land Settlement Society Ltd. in 1953; he was appointed to the Welsh Advisory Council of the B.B.C. in 1957, and was a member of Milford Haven Conservancy Board, 1958, and of the Glamorgan River Board. He contributed many articles to national periodicals, and Trades Union and political journals. For service in both World Wars he was awarded several medals, and was appointed C.B.E. in 1958 for his public service. In 1921 he married May Bishop, they had one daughter and resided in Wood Street, Taibach, and later at Groeswen Ganol, Port Talbot. He died suddenly at Paddington Station, 17 April 1959, on his way to attend a meeting of the Forestry Commission.

Author

Published date: 2001

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

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