Robert Harman Morgan (28 October 1928 – 23 November 2011) was a vicar of the

Church in Wales The Church in Wales () is an Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses. The Archbishop of Wales does not have a fixed archiepiscopal see, but serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The position is currently held b ...

and Labour Party politician who became leader of

South Glamorgan County Council South Glamorgan County Council () was the local government authority that administered the county of South Glamorgan, Wales from its creation in 1974 until its abolition in 1996. History Local government in England and Wales was reorganised in 1 ...

. He was the father of Welsh first minister

Eluned Morgan Mair Eluned Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Ely, (born 16 February 1967), is a Welsh politician who has served as First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour since 2024. Morgan is the first woman, and first member of the House of Lords to ho ...

Early life and education

Morgan was born on 28 October 1928 and grew up in Tremorfa,

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

, until the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

forced his family to evacuate to

Aberdare Aberdare ( ; ) is a town in the Cynon Valley area of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, at the confluence of the Rivers Dare (Dâr) and River Cynon, Cynon. Aberdare has a population of 39,550 (mid-2017 estimate). Aberdare is south-west of Merthyr Tydf ...

where he went to the local

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...

. After the war he returned to Cardiff and, after spending National Service in the RAF, got a job as an insurance clerk. With ambitions to become a social worker he took two A-levels in six months, before graduating in Politics and Economics at University College, Cardiff. He went on to the theological college at

Mirfield Mirfield () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the A644 road (Great B ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

before being ordained in 1957 to a curacy at St Augustine's Church, Penarth where he served until 1961. He married his wife, Elaine, in 1963.

Career

In 1961 Morgan became curate on the large Cardiff housing estate of Ely. He became vicar of the Ely parish (which had been formed by the Mirfield Community of the Resurrection) in 1967. He raised £10,000 to repair the Church of the Resurrection and established himself as a central figure in the area. The Church of the Resurrection became a community centre and refuge for the locals. It held a weekly disco in the church hall. In 1974, after being encouraged by a church warden to enter into politics, Morgan was elected to Cardiff City Council and

for the Ely ward. In 1977 he became leader of Labour group on South Glamorgan Council and subsequently leader of the council when Labour regained control in 1982. He led the regeneration of Cardiff's impoverished ex-industrial areas. He was replaced by Jack Brooks as leader in 1989, and became chairman of the council in 1992, before retiring from politics the following year. Morgan was awarded the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE) in the 1994 New Years Honours, for "services to the community in South Glamorgan". He became an honorary

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

of Llandaff Cathedral in the same year.

Retirement and death

Morgan retired to live in

St Davids St Davids or St David's (, , "David's house”) is a cathedral city in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It lies on the River Alun and is part of the community of St Davids and the Cathedral Close. It is the resting place of Saint David, Wales's ...

Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and otherwise by the sea. Haverfordwest is the largest town and ...

. He died on 23 November 2011 at Morriston Hospital,

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

. In tribute, former

First Minister of Wales The first minister of Wales () is the leader of the Welsh Government and keeper of the Welsh Seal. The first minister chairs the Welsh Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Welsh Government po ...

Rhodri Morgan Hywel Rhodri Morgan (29 September 1939 – 17 May 2017) was a Welsh Labour politician who was the First Minister of Wales and the Leader of Welsh Labour from 2000 to 2009. He was also the Senedd, Assembly Member for Cardiff West (Senedd constitu ...

said "He was a massive figure in Ely and South Glamorgan politics, and he married religion and politics remarkably effectively in that he never saw any distinction between being a very committed Christian vicar of a very deprived parish... and being a leader and member of the Labour group on South Glamorgan county council." In 2016 a memorial glass screen was unveiled at the Church of Resurrection, with lines from the

Magnificat The Magnificat (Latin for "y soulmagnifies he Lord) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary or Canticle of Mary, and in the Byzantine Rite as the Ode of the Theotokos (). Its Western name derives from the incipit of its Latin text. This ...

in English and Welsh.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Bob 1928 births 2011 deaths Alumni of Cardiff University 20th-century Welsh Anglican priests Councillors in Cardiff Politicians from Cardiff Members of South Glamorgan County Council Officers of the Order of the British Empire Welsh Labour councillors Leaders of local authorities of Wales