Family and Education

o.s. of Sir Edward Morgan, 2nd Bt. of Llantarnam by Frances, da. of Thomas Morgan of Machen, wid. of William Lewis of Llandewy Rhydderch. m. Mary, da. and coh. of Humphrey Baskerville of Pontrilas, Kentchurch, Herefs., 2da. suc. fa. 3 July 1679.1

Offices Held

Gent. of privy chamber 1672-d.2

Commr. for assessment, Herefs. 1677-9, Mon. 1677-80; j.p. Mon. 1679-d.; freeman, Monmouth by 1681.

Biography

Morgan was descended from a cadet branch of the Pencoed family. His ancestor William Morgan bought the former Cistercian abbey of Llantarnam and its extensive estates in 1554 and was three times elected knight of the shire. Despite the source of their wealth, the family had strong inclinations towards Rome, and none of them sat in Parliament between 1587 and 1680. Morgan’s grandfather, a passive Royalist, was taken prisoner at Hereford and his estate sequestrated. His father followed the example of his cousin Lord Herbert of Raglan (Henry Somerset) in conforming; he was made justice of the peace and deputy lieutenant, but relapsed after a visit to Flanders, and was removed from the commission as a Papist at the instance of the bishop of Llandaff in 1676. John Arnold told the Commons on 29 Apr. 1678 that he had seen a chapel, altar and ornaments for mass in Llantarnam Abbey.3

Morgan himself was brought up in Ormonde’s household ‘where he was bred up (as he still continues) a very good Protestant’. He succeeded his maternal uncle William Morgan as knight of the shire at a by-election in 1680. He enjoyed Arnold’s support and was probably an exclusionist. But he was not active, serving only on the committee for abolishing the court of the marches in the second Exclusion Parliament. Returned unopposed to the Oxford Parliament, he leaves no trace on its records. He died on 9 May 1682. His widow married John Grobham Howe II. His uncle, Sir James, ‘a violent zealot’ for the Church of Rome, was the last holder of the baronetcy. Morgan was careful to provide against his succeeding to the estate, which went to his own daughter Frances, whose brother-in-law, William Bray, occupied the borough seat as a Whig from 1715 to his death.4

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Author: John. P. Ferris

Notes

• 1. Bradney, Mon. iii. 228-37; G. B. Morgan, Mems. Morgan Fam. i. 111.
• 2. Carlisle, Privy Chamber, 189.
• 3. Cal. Comm. Comp. 2310-2; A. H. Dodd, Studies in Stuart Wales, 234; HMC Finch, ii. 44; CJ, ix. 468; HMC Lords, ii. 279, 280.
• 4. Add. 33589, f. 283; CSP Dom. 1679-80, p. 483; C8/259/74; PCC 87 Cottle.