Goronwy Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts
Member of the House of Lords | |
|---|---|
| In office 25 March 1974 – 23 July 1981 Life peerage | |
| Member of Parliament for Caernarfon Caernarvonshire (1945–1950) | |
| In office 5 July 1945 – 8 February 1974 | |
| Preceded by | Goronwy Owen |
| Succeeded by | Dafydd Wigley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Goronwy Owen Roberts 20 September 1913 |
| Died | 23 July 1981 (aged 67) |
| Spouse | Marian Ann Evans |
Goronwy Owen Goronwy-Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts,
Early life
Goronwy Roberts was the younger son of Edward and Amelia Roberts from Bethesda, Gwynedd, where his father was an elder of the Presbyterian Church of Wales.[1] He was educated at Ogwen Grammar School, Bethesda and the University College of North Wales, Bangor (now Bangor University).[1] Later he attended the University of London and was appointed a Fellow of the University of Wales in 1938. While at Bangor, Goronwy Roberts, together with Harri Gwynn was one of the founders of Mudiad Gwerin, a nationalist left-wing pressure group.[1][2]
He served in the army in 1940-41 and in the army reserve until 1944. From 1941 until 1944 he worked as Youth Education Officer for Caernarfonshire and in 1944 was appointed lecturer in youth leadership at the University College of Swansea.
Member of Parliament
Goronwy Roberts was elected Labour MP for Caernarvonshire in 1945, when he defeated the sitting Liberal MP Goronwy Owen, who had held the seat since 1923.[1] Following boundary changes, he was elected to represent Caernarvon at the 1950 General Election, defeating the Liberal candidate by over 10,000 votes.[1] He continued to represent the constituency until February 1974, when he lost his seat to Dafydd Wigley of Plaid Cymru.
During the 1950s, Goronwy Roberts was, together with Cledwyn Hughes and others, a stalwart of the Parliament for Wales campaign. In 1951, Plaid Cymru announced that the party would not oppose him at the general election due to his support for the campaign.[3] Eventually, he presented the final petition to Parliament, bearing more than 250,000 signatures, in May 1956.[1]
Goronwy Roberts was a member of the House of Commons
He was appointed a
House of Lords and later life
On his defeat at the February General election in 1974 he was created a
He sat on the Labour benches in the House of Lords and returned to government as
Personal life
Goronwy Roberts was a Member of the Court of Governors of the
In 1942 Goronwy Roberts married Marian Ann Evans, daughter of David and Elizabeth Evans of Robertstown,
Assessment
Goronwy Roberts was a strong supporter of devolution and of Welsh culture but was also a fierce critic of what he regarded as the nationalistic excess of Plaid Cymru. His own roots were in the Labour tradition of the quarry working communities of his constituency. His Welsh was fluent and attractive ("swynol, dawel, gerddorol").[7] He was greatly troubled by his defeat at the general election of 1974.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Jones, John Graham. "Goronwy Owen Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
- ^ Chapman, T. Robin. "Harri Gwynn (1913 - 1985), writer and broadcaster". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- ^ Jones 1992, p. 214.
- ^ "No. 46249". The London Gazette. 28 March 1974. p. 4005.
- ISBN 1872424848.
- ^ Goronwy-Roberts, Marian (1981). W J Gruffydd - Darlith ganmlwyddiant. Cyhoeddiadau Barddas (National Eisteddfod of Wales 1981).
- ^ Jones, John Graham. "ROBERTS, GORONWY OWEN (1913-1981), gwleidydd Llafur". Y Bywgraffiadur Cymreig. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
Sources
Books and Journals
- Jones, J. Graham (December 1992). "The Parliament for Wales campaign, 1950-1956" (PDF). Welsh History Review. 16 (2): 207–36. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ISBN 0-19-821760-9.
Online
- Jones, John Graham. "Goronwy Owen Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
- "Lord Goronwy-Roberts, Laborite: Obituary, 24 July 1981". New York Times. 24 July 1981. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
- "The Parliament for Wales Campaign and the Welsh Office". National Library of Wales. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
Other
- Times Guide to the House of Commons February 1974
- Who Was Who
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages [better source needed]
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
External links
| International | |
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| National | |
