John Bryn Roberts
Encyclopedia
John Bryn Roberts was a Welsh lawyer, later a judge and Liberal
politician.
, a Caernarfonshire
tenant farmer on the Vaynol
estate and Anne Jones of Plas Gwanas, Merionethshire
. The family were modestly well-off and could afford to employ a maidservant. Daniel Roberts was later able to buy his own farm at Trefarthen on Anglesey
, as well as fourteen cottages at Llanrug
, share-holdings in public utilities and part-ownership of a schooner plying the coastal freight-trade. In religion the family were Calvinistic Methodists
. John Bryn Roberts never married.
John received private tuition at home and was then sent to Cheltenham Grammar School
.
to study land surveying but in 1863 he took over the management of his father’s old tenant farm at Bryn Adda, south of Bangor. Soon afterwards his brother, Hugh, who had been working in a solicitor’s office in Caernarfon
told John he was unhappy there and John offered him the management of the farm in return for his job with the solicitor. John took to the staid business of the law, which his brother had so found so stultifying, and decided to make it his career. In 1868 he passed his law examinations with distinction and received the Clifford’s Inn prize from the Incorporated Law Society. He set up practice in Bangor and Llangefni
on the North Wales Circuit, choosing to live at the family farm at Bryn Adda. In 1889, he was called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn. In 1906 he was appointed a county court judge in Glamorgan
, although the possibility of a judgeship had apparently been mooted as early as 1886 and he rose to become a Deputy Chairman of Quarter Sessions
. Roberts was transferred to the North Wales and Chester circuit in 1918 until his retirement in 1921. As a judge he heard a number of hard cases involving industrial and workmen’s compensation law
and in the heady atmosphere of industrial relations of this time, against the background of the Taff Vale judgement he acquired a reputation, especially within the South Wales Miners Federation, for being anti-union and anti-labour. However, Roberts’ biographer, Jack Eaton, cites from a number of Roberts’ cases and rulings on appeal which he believes indicates these anti-labour accusations are incorrect. Eaton does however concede that Roberts was ‘nonplussed’ by the legislation on workmen’s compensation.
, his work in the law for the rights of tenant farmers against the Tory landowners and his own ideas about Free Trade
and self-help
predisposed him towards the Liberal Party and his education and position in North Wales society attracted the party to him. In 1882 he was approached about the possibility of standing for Parliament
as Liberal candidate in Caernarfon Boroughs
which was later to become the fiefdom of David Lloyd George
. In 1884 he was asked to stand for Anglesey
and he eventually agreed to be nominated for the new seat of Eifion or South Caernarvonshire
which was being created for the 1885 general election
. Roberts’ selection as Liberal candidate for Eifion was contested and not without controversy. Supporters of his Congregationalist opponent, R Pughe Jones, complained that no meeting of the whole local Liberal Association had been called and that only the delegates, who were predominantly Methodists like Roberts, had been asked for their opinion.
of the Anglican Church in Wales, the expansion of intermediate education, land reform, reform of the legal system, Free Trade
, improved Parliamentary procedures to restrict Tory and Irish Nationalist
obstructionism and his anti-war, anti-imperialist
beliefs.
Another issue in the election was an industrial dispute at the Dinorwic Quarry
but which was complicated by being interpreted as, as much an attack by the proprietor and local landowner on the religion and class of his workers, as a conflict over wages and conditions.
Despite suffering from a speech impediment which restricted his ability as a political orator, Roberts was an effective enough candidate and the result of the election was a victory over his Tory
opponent, a member of the local squirearchy, H J Ellis Nanney, by 4,535 votes to 2,573 on a turnout of 80%. Ellis Nanney later suffered another Parliamentary defeat when he failed to hold the Conservative seat of Caernarfon Boroughs in a by-election
held on 10 April 1890 when his opponent was David Lloyd George.
in June 1906 upon his appointment as a county court judge. During his time in Parliament, Roberts was a noted orthodox Gladstonian
and was hostile to the radical, nationalist group of Welsh MPs like Lloyd George and the supporters of Cymru Fydd
. In fact he was highly critical of Lloyd George and Cymru Fydd and publicly accused Lloyd George of conspiring with the Tories and Parnellites in his disestablishment rebellion of May 1895, commenting that this was a prime factor in the downfall of Lord Rosebery’s government at the general election of 1895
. The Welsh Unionists
performed well in this election gaining six Liberal seats and reducing Liberal majorities across many constituencies, explaining the ferocity of Roberts’ attack on Lloyd George. It is little wonder that in his later political life he was described as an Asquithian Liberal. However Roberts and Lloyd George were as one in their opposition to the Boer War
. with Roberts being described as a ‘sentimental politician’ on the issue and a member of the ‘extreme peace party’. Some historians have disparaged Roberts as complacent and plodding , noted his tendency to the putting on of airs and graces or pointed out an inherent cautiousness. In the view of John Grigg, Roberts was “too awkward” to succeed, never becoming a minister or rising higher than a county court judge despite having a good political mind and being an excellent lawyer. His decision to resign in 1906 and accept the offer of the county court judgeship has been seen by some as an escape from the coming radical Liberal politics with which he found little favour.
and a county Alderman
of Caernarfonshire and in 1897 he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant
for the county.
in Aberystwyth
. They have been used extensively by Jack Eaton in his biography of Roberts. Eaton says that there is some indication in the papers that Roberts began an attempt to write his memoirs but never completed the task.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Family and education
Roberts was born the eldest son of Daniel Roberts from Llanddeilionen, near BangorBangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, a Caernarfonshire
Caernarfonshire
Caernarfonshire , historically spelled as Caernarvonshire or Carnarvonshire in English during its existence, was one of the thirteen historic counties, a vice-county and a former administrative county of Wales....
tenant farmer on the Vaynol
Vaynol
Vaynol or Y Faenol , is a country estate dating from the Tudor period, near Y Felinheli in Gwynedd, North Wales . There are of park, farmland, and gardens on the estate, with over thirty listed buildings, surrounded by a wall which is long...
estate and Anne Jones of Plas Gwanas, Merionethshire
Merionethshire
Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974...
. The family were modestly well-off and could afford to employ a maidservant. Daniel Roberts was later able to buy his own farm at Trefarthen on Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, as well as fourteen cottages at Llanrug
Llanrug
Llanrug is a large village in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It lies about 4 miles to the east of Caernarfon, 7 miles south of Bangor and 3 miles to the west of Llanberis. It is the largest populated village in the Arfon area of Gwynedd, Wales. The old name term of the village was initially...
, share-holdings in public utilities and part-ownership of a schooner plying the coastal freight-trade. In religion the family were Calvinistic Methodists
Calvinistic Methodists
Calvinistic Methodists are a body of Christians forming the Presbyterian Church of Wales and claiming to be the only denomination of the Presbyterian order in Wales which is of purely Welsh origin.-Early history:...
. John Bryn Roberts never married.
John received private tuition at home and was then sent to Cheltenham Grammar School
Pate's Grammar School
Pate's Grammar School is a voluntary aided, selective grammar school in the Hesters Way area of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England catering for pupils aged 11 to 18. It was granted Language College status in 2001, is a Beacon school, and in February 2006 was one of the first in the country to be...
.
Career
In 1860 John Roberts went to ChesterChester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
to study land surveying but in 1863 he took over the management of his father’s old tenant farm at Bryn Adda, south of Bangor. Soon afterwards his brother, Hugh, who had been working in a solicitor’s office in Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
told John he was unhappy there and John offered him the management of the farm in return for his job with the solicitor. John took to the staid business of the law, which his brother had so found so stultifying, and decided to make it his career. In 1868 he passed his law examinations with distinction and received the Clifford’s Inn prize from the Incorporated Law Society. He set up practice in Bangor and Llangefni
Llangefni
Llangefni is the county town of Anglesey in Wales and contains the principal offices of the Isle of Anglesey County Council. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llangefni was 4,662 people and it is the second largest settlement on the island...
on the North Wales Circuit, choosing to live at the family farm at Bryn Adda. In 1889, he was called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn. In 1906 he was appointed a county court judge in Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
, although the possibility of a judgeship had apparently been mooted as early as 1886 and he rose to become a Deputy Chairman of Quarter Sessions
Quarter Sessions
The Courts of Quarter Sessions or Quarter Sessions were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the United Kingdom and other countries in the former British Empire...
. Roberts was transferred to the North Wales and Chester circuit in 1918 until his retirement in 1921. As a judge he heard a number of hard cases involving industrial and workmen’s compensation law
Workmen's Compensation Act 1897
The Workmen's Compensation Act 1897 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which dealt with the right of workers for compensation for personal injury. It replaced the 1880 Employer's Liability Act, which required the injured worker the right to sue the employer and put the burden of...
and in the heady atmosphere of industrial relations of this time, against the background of the Taff Vale judgement he acquired a reputation, especially within the South Wales Miners Federation, for being anti-union and anti-labour. However, Roberts’ biographer, Jack Eaton, cites from a number of Roberts’ cases and rulings on appeal which he believes indicates these anti-labour accusations are incorrect. Eaton does however concede that Roberts was ‘nonplussed’ by the legislation on workmen’s compensation.
Entering politics
Roberts’ nonconformityNonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
, his work in the law for the rights of tenant farmers against the Tory landowners and his own ideas about Free Trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
and self-help
Self-help
Self-help, or self-improvement, is a self-guided improvement—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. There are many different self-help movements and each has its own focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents and in some cases, leaders...
predisposed him towards the Liberal Party and his education and position in North Wales society attracted the party to him. In 1882 he was approached about the possibility of standing for Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
as Liberal candidate in Caernarfon Boroughs
Caernarfon (UK Parliament constituency)
Caernarfon was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Caernarfon in Wales. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system....
which was later to become the fiefdom of David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
. In 1884 he was asked to stand for Anglesey
Ynys Môn (UK Parliament constituency)
Ynys Môn is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
and he eventually agreed to be nominated for the new seat of Eifion or South Caernarvonshire
Eifion (UK Parliament constituency)
Eifion was a parliamentary constituency in Caernarfonshire, Wales. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.-History:...
which was being created for the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
. Roberts’ selection as Liberal candidate for Eifion was contested and not without controversy. Supporters of his Congregationalist opponent, R Pughe Jones, complained that no meeting of the whole local Liberal Association had been called and that only the delegates, who were predominantly Methodists like Roberts, had been asked for their opinion.
The 1885 general election
Despite these objections, Roberts was selected to be the Liberal candidate and his 1885 election address emphasised his support for the disestablishmentChurch in Wales
The Church in Wales is the Anglican church in Wales, composed of six dioceses.As with the primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Archbishop of Wales serves concurrently as one of the six diocesan bishops. The current archbishop is Barry Morgan, the Bishop of Llandaff.In contrast to the...
of the Anglican Church in Wales, the expansion of intermediate education, land reform, reform of the legal system, Free Trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
, improved Parliamentary procedures to restrict Tory and Irish Nationalist
Irish Parliamentary Party
The Irish Parliamentary Party was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament elected to the House of Commons at...
obstructionism and his anti-war, anti-imperialist
Anti-imperialism
Anti-imperialism, strictly speaking, is a term that may be applied to a movement opposed to any form of colonialism or imperialism. Anti-imperialism includes opposition to wars of conquest, particularly of non-contiguous territory or people with a different language or culture; it also includes...
beliefs.
Another issue in the election was an industrial dispute at the Dinorwic Quarry
Dinorwic Quarry
The Dinorwic Slate Quarry is a large former slate quarry, now home to the Welsh National Slate Museum, located between the villages of Llanberis and Dinorwig in north Wales. It was the second largest slate quarry in Wales, indeed in the world, after the neighbouring Penrhyn Quarry....
but which was complicated by being interpreted as, as much an attack by the proprietor and local landowner on the religion and class of his workers, as a conflict over wages and conditions.
Despite suffering from a speech impediment which restricted his ability as a political orator, Roberts was an effective enough candidate and the result of the election was a victory over his Tory
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
opponent, a member of the local squirearchy, H J Ellis Nanney, by 4,535 votes to 2,573 on a turnout of 80%. Ellis Nanney later suffered another Parliamentary defeat when he failed to hold the Conservative seat of Caernarfon Boroughs in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 10 April 1890 when his opponent was David Lloyd George.
Politics, 1885-1906
Roberts held his seat at Eifion at every general election until he resigned as an MPMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in June 1906 upon his appointment as a county court judge. During his time in Parliament, Roberts was a noted orthodox Gladstonian
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 was hostile to the radical, nationalist group of Welsh MPs like Lloyd George and the supporters of Cymru Fydd
Cymru Fydd
The Cymru Fydd movement was founded in 1886 by some of the London Welsh, including J. E. Lloyd, O. M. Edwards, T. E. Ellis , Beriah Gwynfe Evans and Alfred Thomas. Initially it was a purely London-based society, later expanding to cities in England with a large Welsh population...
. In fact he was highly critical of Lloyd George and Cymru Fydd and publicly accused Lloyd George of conspiring with the Tories and Parnellites in his disestablishment rebellion of May 1895, commenting that this was a prime factor in the downfall of Lord Rosebery’s government at the general election of 1895
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
. The Welsh Unionists
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
performed well in this election gaining six Liberal seats and reducing Liberal majorities across many constituencies, explaining the ferocity of Roberts’ attack on Lloyd George. It is little wonder that in his later political life he was described as an Asquithian Liberal. However Roberts and Lloyd George were as one in their opposition to the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
. with Roberts being described as a ‘sentimental politician’ on the issue and a member of the ‘extreme peace party’. Some historians have disparaged Roberts as complacent and plodding , noted his tendency to the putting on of airs and graces or pointed out an inherent cautiousness. In the view of John Grigg, Roberts was “too awkward” to succeed, never becoming a minister or rising higher than a county court judge despite having a good political mind and being an excellent lawyer. His decision to resign in 1906 and accept the offer of the county court judgeship has been seen by some as an escape from the coming radical Liberal politics with which he found little favour.
Other appointments
Roberts was a Justice of the PeaceJustice 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...
and a county Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of Caernarfonshire and in 1897 he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
for the county.
Papers
A large collection of Roberts’ private papers, letters and diaries have been deposited at the National Library of WalesNational Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
in Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
. They have been used extensively by Jack Eaton in his biography of Roberts. Eaton says that there is some indication in the papers that Roberts began an attempt to write his memoirs but never completed the task.