The
Morgans of Tredegar House:
Great War
Roll of Honour : The Hoare, Lindsay and Mundy great- grandsons of the first
Lord and Lady Tredegar who died during the 1914-1918 War
Introduction by
William Cross, FSA Scot
As Britain
nears the end of four years of
commemorations for the Great War, the
many stories revealed have
enriched our history and shed
light on tales of heroism, sacrifice and premature deaths.
Five of the great grandsons of the first Lord
& Lady Tredegar of Tredegar House, Newport South Wales were killed in action in the fighting. But no mention is made
of these men at the
Morgan seat where thousands of visitors
flock every month including local Welsh school children. [i]
That is a disgraceful reflection on these
deceased members of the Morgan dynasty who gave their lives for their
country. [ii]
It is also unbefitting (by comparison) that visitors to Tredegar House will hear stories of a horse named ‘Sir
Briggs’ who went to war in the Crimean
with Godfrey Morgan, 2nd
Lord Tredegar but learn nothing whatsoever
about the five young Tredegar men
who perished in history and warfare that has more relevance and poignancy today
than anything from time past.
Those to remember
with honour are Lt. Charles Morgan Hoare, 15th
Kings Hussars, Capt. George Walter Thomas Lindsay, Royal Engineers, Lt.
Frederic Charles Mundy, RNVR, Lt.
Archibald Thurston Thomas Lindsay, Royal Engineers and Major Claud Frederick
Thomas Lindsay, Royal Field Artillery who
all died between 1914 and 1918.
Lady Katharine Carnegie, wife of
the 3rd Lord Tredegar, also
lost a nephew in the same conflict, Capt. Raymond Rodakowski, Irish Guards, who
was killed in action in 1917.
This short book is a tribute to
these men, who spent periods of childhood and early adulthood in the company
of their Morgan relations at estate events
and family gatherings at Tredegar House and the adjoining Tredegar Park
The book also touches on three other men killed in the Great War with overlaps to the Morgan family:
Hon. Simon Fraser, Hon. Charles Mills, MP, and Hon. Reginald Wyndham who were linked in her
debutante year of 1914 with Gwyneth Erika Morgan (only daughter of the 3rd
Lord and Lady Tredegar), and but for the lives of the men ending in the war it poses the inevitable question of
‘what might have been’.
The book is dedicated to Hon. Gerard
Sturt, [iii]
a Captain in the Coldstream Guards (brother of Lois Sturt who married Evan
Morgan). Gerard died of war wounds exactly one hundred years ago today.
Bless them all.
William Cross,
FSA Scot, Newport 11 November 2018
[i] The matter was referred to
by a Newport South
Wales
Argus in a letter in August 2017 : “As we are some way into the commemoration
of WW1, I am rather surprised that no mention has been made of the Morgan
Family. Everyone knows about their escapades in the Crimean War, but few know
that some of the family collaterals died in the Great War. The Morgan family
lost five members in various battles and
maybe a plaque or exhibit of this great sacrifice should be displayed at
Tredegar House. The men, related to the first Lord and Lady Tredegar, lost were
– Lt. Charles Morgan Hoare, 15th Kings Hussars; Capt. George Walter Thomas
Lindsay, Royal Engineers; Lt. Frederic Charles Mundy, RNVR; Lt. Archibald
Thurston Thomas Lindsay, Royal Engineers, and Major Claude Frederick, Thomas
Lindsay, Royal field Artillery. What sacrifice, all between 1914/18.
Additionally, the Second Lady Tredegar, Katharine Carnegie, lost a nephew
during the conflict, Capt. Raymond Rodakowski, Irish Guards, in 1917.
Tredegar House of course is
well known and popular internationally, and I am quite surprised the Curators
in charge there haven't made the most of this family connection.” Jim Dyer, Stockton Road , Newport South Wales Argus – 28 August 2017 .
[ii] On 11 November 2017 and
again on 11 November 2018 when the whole
country observed two minutes silence for the dead from the Great War, and
at the
Armistice commemorations 100
years on from the special day that
established an important date for peace and remembrance after
four years of slaughter between 1914 and 1918, Tredegar House, Newport, managed by the
National Trust remained dark and closed.
[iii] Captain Hon. Gerard Philip Montagu Napier Sturt
(1893-1918) was the eldest son of Humphrey Napier Sturt, 2nd Baron
Alington of Crichel and Lady Feodorowna Yorke of Crichel House, Wimborne,
Dorset. Died 11 November 1918 aged 25 ‘from wounds received in action’. Sadly, the circumstances of Gerard’s death
point to suicide. Contact the Author for further details.
CONTACT WILLIAM CROSS BY E-MAIL/POST FOR MORE DETAILS
williecross@aol.com
ISBN 13
9781905914487
Published by
William P.
Cross
Book Midden
Publishing
NP19 7JF, United
Kingdom
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