David Watts Morgan
Encyclopedia
David Watts Morgan CBE DSO
JP
(18 December 1867 – 23 February 1933) (later in his life his name was hyphenated to Watts-Morgan) was a Welsh
trade union
ist, a Labour politician, and a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1918 to 1933.
Described as "[straddling] the transition in south Wales miners' politics from Lib-Labism to socialism
, but ... never fully representative of either", Morgan encouraged Rhondda
miners to enlist in the army in 1914 following the outbreak of the First World War, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his efforts. He initially served in the Welsh Regiment, before becoming a lieutenant-colonel in the Labour Corps
. Morgan was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
for bravery at the Battle of Cambrai in 1917, earning him the nickname "Dai
Alphabet" in South Wales.
, Wales, in 1867 to Thomas and Margaret Morgan. He was educated at Skewen Elementary School until the age of eleven, when he began work as a pit boy, helping miners with the less strenuous work such as manning ventilation doors. At the age of seventeen he was employed as a coal miner in Ynyshir
in the Rhondda. In 1880 Watts Morgan became a checkweightman at the newly opened National Colliery in Wattstown
, a responsible position that involved tallying the weight of coal extracted by each miner when it reached the surface. During his time at Wattstown he took evening classes to become a mining engineer. He never practised once qualified, but the knowledge he gained was useful to him in his role as the leader of several mine rescues, and gave him a practical knowledge that informed his later political life.
In 1902, James Baker died at the age of 41, leaving an opening in the GCC. On this occasion Watts Morgan was permitted to advance as a Labour candidate and was returned unopposed. By 1903 he was being talked of as a possible candidate for a south Wales parliamentary constituency. He joined the South Wales Miners' Federation
at its inception and by 1902 he was pushing for a greater political role for the organisation. By 1908 the Federation was making great headway in the Rhondda and was substantially improving conditions for the miners. At this time Watts Morgan was Agent and District Secretary at No.1 Rhondda District under William Abraham.
A moderate leader, he worked fruitlessly alongside William Abraham to resolve the 1910–11 Cambrian Combine dispute, after the two men were shunned by the more radical miners' leaders. Although espousing Gladstonian Liberalism
and opposing the affiliation of The Miners' Federation of Great Britain to the Labour Party, Watts Morgan joined the more radical and Marxist Plebs' League
and sat on the board of governors for the Central Labour College
.
. He was commissioned as a lieutenant
in the 17th Battalion (1st Glamorgan) on 7 October, and was promoted to captain
on 16 January 1916. Watts Morgan was not initially sent to France, being used instead as a strong voice in the recruitment of men from the Rhondda into the British Army. He also took part in recruitment campaigns in North Wales, where his fluency in the Welsh language
was invaluable. Watts Morgan regularly made known his opposition to "peace cranks" who were "insulting the boys of whom we are all so proud." In March 1915, a committee of Rhondda figures presented Morgan with a cheque for 100 guineas to mark his contribution to recruiting, and the Western Mail named him "The Organiser of Victory".
On 15 May 1916 Watts Morgan transferred to a Works Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment, he was promoted to major on 24 November 1916, and went to serve in France. The Works Battalions were absorbed by the Labour Corps (forerunner of the Royal Pioneer Corps
) in 1917. Watts Morgan was three times Mentioned in Despatches, and on 4 May 1918 was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for leading his pioneer unit in a counter-attack against German forces that were breaking through British lines. The citation for this award was published on 5 July 1918 and read:
After the armistice he commanded a demobilisation station; for his work there he received a letter of thanks from the king. Despite the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography reporting Watts Morgan being promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 8 March 1919, his retirement from the forces, the London Gazette
entry of May 1919 describes him as major. Until early June 1921 he is described in The Times
and London Gazette as Major D. Watts Morgan, later in the month this changed to Lieutenant-Colonel Watts Morgan. On 30 March 1920 was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for "services in connection with recruiting in South Wales".
Not a regular speaker in the House, Watts Morgan busied himself with work on various committees, dealing mainly with gas, electricity, river pollution, the Home Office and the Police Council. Despite his work on private bills and his friendly relationship with Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald
he was never considered for office. In the 1922 election
, Watts Morgan was forced to contest his seat for the first time when he was challenged by Frederick William Heale. Watts Morgan made it clear that he would defend the interests of ex-servicemen and those injured in industry; he opposed the temperance demand for the local veto. It was a close result for a Rhondda election; Heale lost by just over 3,000 votes. The 1923 election
was a different affair, with Watts Morgan defeating Conservative candidate Alfred John Orchard by nearly 13,000 votes.
Watts Morgan was a socialist and trade unionist, but he was also a strong anti-communist and opposed "the local men of Moscow", trade unionists who had embraced communism and whom he saw as extremists. In the 1929 election
his main rival was well-known local Liberal Dr. R. D. Chalke, but the biggest interest came from the first communist
challenger in the Rhondda, Arthur Horner. Although Watts Morgan had been unwell for the first few months of the year, he roused himself to attend the Ferndale May Day demonstration. When he discovered he was sharing the platform with Communist Party of Great Britain members, Horner, A. J. Cook
and Dai Lloyd Davies, he left the stage and joined the crowd so he could heckle Horner's speech from the floor. Watts Morgan described Horner as "the emissary of the blood-stained Comintern
of Russia ... working to break down the democratic Government and Trades Union organization of this country." He had little cause for concern, and was re-elected to Rhondda East by a majority of almost 9,000. A smaller turnout in the 1931 election
and the absence of a Liberal candidate may have led to Horner making a considerable advance against Watts Morgan in the number of votes polled, but Watts Morgans' majority remained substantial. Watts Morgan's death in 1933 forced a by-election
, which was won by William Mainwaring
.
Watts Morgan was a keen sportsman and enjoyed playing golf and bowls. He was a member of several organisations including the Freemasons
', Ivorites
' and Foresters' friendly societies
and was president of the Rhondda and Pontypridd district of the British Legion. A Calvinist Methodist his local place of worship was Bethlehem Church in Porth
.
Watts Morgan died at his home in Porth on 23 February 1933 while still in office. He was survived by his wife, two sons, and four daughters. Thousands of people lined the route along which his funeral cortege passed on its way to his burial at Llethr Du cemetery in Trealaw
. Local shops and businesses closed as a mark of respect.
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...
JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(18 December 1867 – 23 February 1933) (later in his life his name was hyphenated to Watts-Morgan) was a Welsh
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...
trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
ist, a Labour politician, and a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1918 to 1933.
Described as "[straddling] the transition in south Wales miners' politics from Lib-Labism to socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
, but ... never fully representative of either", Morgan encouraged Rhondda
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
miners to enlist in the army in 1914 following the outbreak of the First World War, and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his efforts. He initially served in the Welsh Regiment, before becoming a lieutenant-colonel in the Labour Corps
Royal Pioneer Corps
The Royal Pioneer Corps was a British Army combatant corps used for light engineering tasks.The Royal Pioneer Corps was raised on 17 October 1939 as the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps. It was renamed the Pioneer Corps on 22 November 1940...
. Morgan was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
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...
for bravery at the Battle of Cambrai in 1917, earning him the nickname "Dai
David (name)
David is a common male given name and surname. The name "David" is derived from the ancient times of Mesopotamia and used as the Biblical Hebrew name דָּוִד , meaning "Beloved". "Dudi" is a common nickname for David in Hebrew, in the same way Dave and Davy are in English.The Arabic and Assyrian...
Alphabet" in South Wales.
Early life
David Watts Morgan was born in SkewenSkewen
Skewen is a village within the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, in Wales.The village is served by Skewen railway station.-History:Skewen was once an industrial village. There were a number of collieries around the village . The Crown and Mines Royal Copper Works and the Cheadle and Neath...
, Wales, in 1867 to Thomas and Margaret Morgan. He was educated at Skewen Elementary School until the age of eleven, when he began work as a pit boy, helping miners with the less strenuous work such as manning ventilation doors. At the age of seventeen he was employed as a coal miner in Ynyshir
Ynyshir
Ynyshir , meaning "Long Island" in English, is a village and a community located in the Rhondda Valley, within Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. The village takes its name from a farm in the area, falling within the historic parishes of Ystradyfodwg and Llanwynno . The community of Ynyshir also...
in the Rhondda. In 1880 Watts Morgan became a checkweightman at the newly opened National Colliery in Wattstown
Wattstown
Wattstown is a village located in the Rhondda Valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Located in the Rhondda Fach valley it is a district of the community of Ynyshir. Prior to mid 19th century industrialisation the area was once little more than a wooded area, sparsely populated...
, a responsible position that involved tallying the weight of coal extracted by each miner when it reached the surface. During his time at Wattstown he took evening classes to become a mining engineer. He never practised once qualified, but the knowledge he gained was useful to him in his role as the leader of several mine rescues, and gave him a practical knowledge that informed his later political life.
Trade unionism
From checkweighter Watts Morgan rose to the position of district miners' agent in 1898, becoming a member of the Rhondda Labour and Liberal Association (RLLA). Watts Morgan followed in the political Liberalism of William "Mabon" Abraham, and began speaking at RLLA meetings and banquets. In 1899 the Porth and Cymmer seat for the Glamorgan County Council (GCC) fell vacant, and Watts Morgan was seen as a viable candidate from both Liberal and Labour standpoints, but was surprisingly defeated at the by-election by local timber merchant David Jenkins. The next year Jenkins declined to stand for re-election, but the miners' district committee refused Watts Morgan time off from his agent's duties and the seat was won uncontested by colleague James Baker.In 1902, James Baker died at the age of 41, leaving an opening in the GCC. On this occasion Watts Morgan was permitted to advance as a Labour candidate and was returned unopposed. By 1903 he was being talked of as a possible candidate for a south Wales parliamentary constituency. He joined the South Wales Miners' Federation
South Wales Miners' Federation
The South Wales Miners' Federation , nicknamed "The Fed", was a trade union for miners in South Wales.The union was founded on 24 October 1898, following the defeat of the South Wales miners' strike of 1898...
at its inception and by 1902 he was pushing for a greater political role for the organisation. By 1908 the Federation was making great headway in the Rhondda and was substantially improving conditions for the miners. At this time Watts Morgan was Agent and District Secretary at No.1 Rhondda District under William Abraham.
A moderate leader, he worked fruitlessly alongside William Abraham to resolve the 1910–11 Cambrian Combine dispute, after the two men were shunned by the more radical miners' leaders. Although espousing Gladstonian Liberalism
Gladstonian Liberalism
Gladstonian Liberalism is a political doctrine named after the British Victorian Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party, William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstonian Liberalism consisted of limited government expenditure and low taxation whilst making sure government had balanced budgets...
and opposing the affiliation of The Miners' Federation of Great Britain to the Labour Party, Watts Morgan joined the more radical and Marxist Plebs' League
Plebs' League
The Plebs' League was a British educational and political organisation which originated around Marxist ideals.Central to the formation of the League was Noah Ablett, a miner from the Rhondda who was at the core of a group at Ruskin College, Oxford who opposed the lecturers' opposition to Marxism...
and sat on the board of governors for the Central Labour College
Central Labour College
The Central Labour College was a British higher education institution supported by trade unions. It functioned from 1909 to 1929.The college was formed as a result of the Ruskin College strike of 1909. The Plebs' League, which had been formed around a core of Marxist students and former students of...
.
Military service
On 4 August 1914, Watts Morgan enlisted as a private in the 10th Battalion (1st Rhondda) of the Welsh Regiment, one of the service battalions formed as part of Kitchener's ArmyKitchener's Army
The New Army, often referred to as Kitchener's Army or, disparagingly, Kitchener's Mob, was an all-volunteer army formed in the United Kingdom following the outbreak of hostilities in the First World War...
. He was commissioned as a lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
in the 17th Battalion (1st Glamorgan) on 7 October, and was promoted to captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
on 16 January 1916. Watts Morgan was not initially sent to France, being used instead as a strong voice in the recruitment of men from the Rhondda into the British Army. He also took part in recruitment campaigns in North Wales, where his fluency in the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
was invaluable. Watts Morgan regularly made known his opposition to "peace cranks" who were "insulting the boys of whom we are all so proud." In March 1915, a committee of Rhondda figures presented Morgan with a cheque for 100 guineas to mark his contribution to recruiting, and the Western Mail named him "The Organiser of Victory".
On 15 May 1916 Watts Morgan transferred to a Works Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment, he was promoted to major on 24 November 1916, and went to serve in France. The Works Battalions were absorbed by the Labour Corps (forerunner of the Royal Pioneer Corps
Royal Pioneer Corps
The Royal Pioneer Corps was a British Army combatant corps used for light engineering tasks.The Royal Pioneer Corps was raised on 17 October 1939 as the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps. It was renamed the Pioneer Corps on 22 November 1940...
) in 1917. Watts Morgan was three times Mentioned in Despatches, and on 4 May 1918 was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for leading his pioneer unit in a counter-attack against German forces that were breaking through British lines. The citation for this award was published on 5 July 1918 and read:
After the armistice he commanded a demobilisation station; for his work there he received a letter of thanks from the king. Despite the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography reporting Watts Morgan being promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 8 March 1919, his retirement from the forces, the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
entry of May 1919 describes him as major. Until early June 1921 he is described in 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...
and London Gazette as Major D. Watts Morgan, later in the month this changed to Lieutenant-Colonel Watts Morgan. On 30 March 1920 was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for "services in connection with recruiting in South Wales".
Member of Parliament
In February 1918, Watts Morgan was selected as the Labour candidate for the newly formed Rhondda East constituency. As one of the "patriotic" miners' leaders, the Lloyd George coalition did not run a candidate against him, therefore Watts Morgan was elected to the seat unopposed. There was evidence that some wished to run a Liberal candidate against Watts Morgan, but nothing came of it. Watts Morgan made his maiden speech in the House of Commons in April 1919, on one of his special interests, housing. He addressed the House on the state and shortage of housing in the Welsh coalfields as "the chief cause of the industrial unrest. People have been herded together, and that is the reason why there is much unrest in our district at present".Not a regular speaker in the House, Watts Morgan busied himself with work on various committees, dealing mainly with gas, electricity, river pollution, the Home Office and the Police Council. Despite his work on private bills and his friendly relationship with Prime Minister 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....
he was never considered for office. In the 1922 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...
, Watts Morgan was forced to contest his seat for the first time when he was challenged by Frederick William Heale. Watts Morgan made it clear that he would defend the interests of ex-servicemen and those injured in industry; he opposed the temperance demand for the local veto. It was a close result for a Rhondda election; Heale lost by just over 3,000 votes. The 1923 election
United Kingdom general election, 1923
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
was a different affair, with Watts Morgan defeating Conservative candidate Alfred John Orchard by nearly 13,000 votes.
Watts Morgan was a socialist and trade unionist, but he was also a strong anti-communist and opposed "the local men of Moscow", trade unionists who had embraced communism and whom he saw as extremists. In the 1929 election
United Kingdom general election, 1929
-Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***...
his main rival was well-known local Liberal Dr. R. D. Chalke, but the biggest interest came from the first communist
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
challenger in the Rhondda, Arthur Horner. Although Watts Morgan had been unwell for the first few months of the year, he roused himself to attend the Ferndale May Day demonstration. When he discovered he was sharing the platform with Communist Party of Great Britain members, Horner, A. J. Cook
A. J. Cook (trade unionist)
Arthur James Cook , known as A. J. Cook, was a British coal miner and trade union leader. He is remembered as one of the United Kingdom's best known miners’ leaders and a key component of the National Minority Movement around the General Strike of 1926.-Early years:A.J...
and Dai Lloyd Davies, he left the stage and joined the crowd so he could heckle Horner's speech from the floor. Watts Morgan described Horner as "the emissary of the blood-stained Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
of Russia ... working to break down the democratic Government and Trades Union organization of this country." He had little cause for concern, and was re-elected to Rhondda East by a majority of almost 9,000. A smaller turnout in the 1931 election
United Kingdom general election, 1931
The United Kingdom general election on Tuesday 27 October 1931 was the last in the United Kingdom not held on a Thursday. It was also the last election, and the only one under universal suffrage, where one party received an absolute majority of the votes cast.The 1931 general election was the...
and the absence of a Liberal candidate may have led to Horner making a considerable advance against Watts Morgan in the number of votes polled, but Watts Morgans' majority remained substantial. Watts Morgan's death in 1933 forced a by-election
Rhondda East by-election, 1933
The Rhondda East by-election, 1933 was a parliamentary by-election held on 28 March 1933 for the British House of Commons constituency of Rhondda East in Wales.- Vacancy :...
, which was won by William Mainwaring
William Mainwaring
William Henry Mainwaring was a British coal miner, lecturer and trade unionist, who became a long-serving Labour Party Member of Parliament. Both as a trade unionist and a politician he struggled, largely successfully to counter Communist influence...
.
Personal life
Watts Morgan was married twice, first to Elizabeth Williams then to Blanche Amy Morgan. Blanche was herself a strong campaigner for miners' rights, and was among a group of agents' wives who promoted the provision of pithead baths, bathing areas for the miners at the surface. She was outspoken in her views, and once supported a political rival of her husband's party, forcing Watts Morgan to make a public apology.Watts Morgan was a keen sportsman and enjoyed playing golf and bowls. He was a member of several organisations including the Freemasons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
', Ivorites
The Philanthropic Order of True Ivorites
The Philanthropic Order of True Ivorites commonly referred to as the Ivorites Society or The Ivorites was a friendly society founded in Wrexham, Wales in 1836.-History:...
' and Foresters' friendly societies
Friendly society
A friendly society is a mutual association for insurance, pensions or savings and loan-like purposes, or cooperative banking. It is a mutual organization or benefit society composed of a body of people who join together for a common financial or social purpose...
and was president of the Rhondda and Pontypridd district of the British Legion. A Calvinist Methodist his local place of worship was Bethlehem Church in Porth
Porth
Porth is a town and a community in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying in the Rhondda Valley and is regarded as the gateway to the Rhondda Fawr and Rhondda Fach valleys because both valleys meet at Porth...
.
Watts Morgan died at his home in Porth on 23 February 1933 while still in office. He was survived by his wife, two sons, and four daughters. Thousands of people lined the route along which his funeral cortege passed on its way to his burial at Llethr Du cemetery in Trealaw
Trealaw
Trealaw is the longest village in the Rhondda Valley, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.Trealaw stretches over two miles from the junction of Cemetery Road and Brithweunydd Road in the east, to the junction of Ynyscynon Road and Partridge Road to the northwest....
. Local shops and businesses closed as a mark of respect.