Edgar Rees Jones

Sir Edgar Rees Jones KBE MP (27 August 1878 – 16 June 1962)^[1] was a Welsh barrister^[2] and Liberal Party^[3] politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Merthyr Tydfil from 1910 to 1918, and then for Merthyr from 1918 to 1922.^[1] During World War I he served as head of the Priorities Division of the Ministry of Munitions.

Biography

Early life and background

Edgar Rees Jones was born on 27 August 1878, the son of Reverend Morgan Humphrey Jones, a Baptist Minister and Margaret Ann Jones of Gorwel, Rhondda.^[4] A Welsh speaker, he was educated in law at the University of Wales^[5] and Cardiff University College, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1900 and Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in 1903;^[4] his M.A. thesis was on "Political theories in England in the Seventeenth Century".^[6] In September 1919,^[2] he married Lillian Eleanor May, daughter of George Brackley.^[4] He was known to reside at 28 Westminster Mansions, Great Smith Street, Westminster.^[2]

Career

Jones came to prominence during David Lloyd George's education revolt campaign in 1903,^[6] and was elected at the January 1910 general election as one of the two MPs for Merthyr Tydfil.^[7][8] He held that seat until the constituency was abolished at the 1918 general election, when he was elected as a Coalition Liberal for the new Merthyr division.^[9] He did not stand for re-election in 1922, and although he stood in Salford South in 1923^[10] and Gower in 1931,^[11] he never returned to the House of Commons.

He was once a civil servant in the Ministry of Munitions and served as head of the Priorities Division of this ministry during World War I.^[12][13][14] He was chairman of the NFCC.^[12]

Along with fellow Coalition Liberal Lewis Haslam of the Newport constituency, Jones played a minor role in the discussions behind the Government of Ireland Bill.^[3] Haslam in particular was strongly opposed to giving the Irish Parliament control of its own taxes.^[3]

References

1. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "M" (part 2)
2. Macbean, Lachlan (1921). The Celtic who's who: names and addresses of workers who contribute to Celtic literature, music or other cultural activities, along with other information. Fifeshire Advertiser.
3. Tanner, Duncan (2006). Debating nationhood and governance in Britain, 1885–1945: perspectives from the 'four nations'. Manchester University Press. p. 75. ISBN 0-7190-7166-6.
4. Debrett's House of Commons, and the Judicial Bench. 1922. p. 89.
5. Grant, Raymond (1978). The parliamentary history of Glamorgan, 1542–1976. Davies, C. p. 71. ISBN 0-7154-0381-8.
6. The Times House of Commons 1910 (2nd ed.). London: Methuen. 2010 [1910]. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-84275-034-6.
7. Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1974]. British parliamentary election results 1885–1918 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 458. ISBN 0-900178-27-2.
8. "A Chronology of the History of the Cynon Valley to c.1960". Cynon Valley History Society. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
9. Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 538. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
10. Craig, British parliamentary election results 1918–1949, p. 232
11. Craig, British parliamentary election results 1918–1949, p. 558
12. Phillips, Jim; French, Michael (2000). Cheated not poisoned?: food regulation in the United Kingdom, 1875–1938. Manchester University Press. p. 29.
13. "The Independent, Volume 106". Independent Publications. 1921.
14. Saunders, W.L (1922). Compressed air magazine, Volume 27.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Edgar Rees Jones
• Works by Edgar Rees Jones at Project Gutenberg
• Works by or about Edgar Rees Jones at Internet Archive