b.
6 June 1886
at the rectory,
Llandudno, Caern.
, youngest of the five children of
John
Morgan
,
Archdeacon of Bangor
,
1902-24
. Educated at
St. George's National School
,
Llandudno
,
the Cathedral School
,
Llandaff
, where he was
soloist in the choir
,
Llandovery College
and
Hertford College
,
Oxford
, (as an
Exhibitioner
), and
Cuddesdon College
. He graduated
B.A.
,
1910
,
M.A.
,
1914
,
Honorary D.D.
University of Wales
1934
. He was ord.
deacon
in
1910
at
St. Asaph
, for the
Bishop of Bangor
, and was
curate
of
Llanaber
with
Barmouth
,
1910-12
. He was ord.
priest
in
1911
. From
1912-16
he was
resident chaplain
to the
Bishop of Truro
and
honorary priest-vicar
of
Truro Cathedral
. During
1916-19
he was
temporary chaplain to the Forces
, when he served in the
Mediterranean
,
Kinmel
and
Shoreham
. In
1917
he returned to
Wales
to be
vicar-choral
of
St. Asaph Cathedral
and
vicar
of
St. Asaph
. In
1919
he was appointed
priest-in-charge
of
Llanbeblig
and
Caernarfon
, and in
1920
on the implementation of the
Welsh Church Act
, he became
vicar of the parish
. Whilst he was there he served as
chaplain to the prison
and was
rural dean of Arfon
,
1928-31
. In
1931
he was appointed
canon
of
Bangor Cathedral
and in
1933
he became
rector
of
Llandudno
. The following year he was elected
Bishop
of
Swansea
and
Brecon
, succeeding
E.L.
Bevan
, and was consecrated in
St. Asaph Cathedral
on Whit Tuesday, by the
Archbishop of Wales
,
Alfred George
Edwards
(
DWB
, 184)
, who had ordained him
deacon
. In
1939
he was translated to
Llandaff
in succession to
Timothy
Rees
(
DWB
, 831)
and in
1949
he was elected
Archbishop of Wales
to succeed
David
Prosser
(see below)
. He d. at
St. Thomas's Hospital
,
London
, in
June 1957
aged 71, and was buried at
St. Asaph
.
John
Morgan
was short in stature; a man, thorough in all his doings and meticulous regarding details, he demanded that all things should be seemly and in order, whether it was an ordinary service or a special occasion. He was an excellent
administrator
and abhorred disorder and slipshod ways in others. He could be a strict disciplinarian, like his father, but he could be gracious and merciful when the occasion arose. He regarded the office of
bishop
as a charge, and was unwilling to give way on matters of principle. In
Brecon
he fulfilled the office of
dean
as well as
bishop
and he laid sound
foundations there for the cathedral ceremonies and music. At
Llandaff
, the administration of the diocese called for a strong arm and clear vision. War broke out soon after his appointment and the cathedral was ruined by enemy bombing. He was responsible for its re-building and subsequent re-consecration in the spring of
1957
.
He was an accomplished
musician
and could
play the organ
since his boyhood days in
Llandudno
. He was
chairman
of the
Bangor Diocesan Music Committee
and in
1934
he was elected
chairman of the committee
which brought out the
Welsh
hymnbook
Emynau'r Eglwys
. From
1939
he was also
chairman of the Music sub-committee
. The words edition was published in
1941
and the music edition in
1951
. During his term of office the
Liturgical Commission
was set up to revise the
Book of Common Prayer
.
His last public service was to consecrate
G.O.
Williams
Bishop of Bangor
at
Llandaff
on
1 May 1957
. He returned to hospital that evening.
A shy man, only his close friends knew that he was a good raconteur, an excellent mimic, with the ability to use the
Caernarfon
town dialect.
Mrs. Mary Gwendoline Ellis, M.A., Aberystwyth
