RICHARDS, THOMAS (1859 - 1931), Member of Parliament and secretary of the South Wales Miners Federation

Born 8 June 1859 at Beaufort, Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, son of Thomas and Mary Richards. He was educated at Beaufort British School, and began work at a colliery when he was twelve years old. He played a prominent part in the work of the miners' unions in the Ebbw Vale area, and was a member of the Sliding Scale Association. In 1891 he was elected a member of Monmouth county council, and was made an alderman in 1904 and chairman of the council in 1924. When the South Wales Miners Federation was formed in 1898 he was appointed secretary, a post he held until he died. In 1904 he was elected Labour Member of Parliament for West Monmouthshire and he represented that constituency until 1918, and the constituency of Ebbw Vale from 1918 until he retired in 1920. He became a member of the Privy Council in 1918. For about two years, 1929-31, he was president of the Miners Federation of Great Britain. In 1880 he married Elizabeth Eleanor Thomas. He died 7 November 1931 and was buried in Cardiff cemetery.

Author

• Griffith Milwyn Griffiths

Sources

• Who was who?
• Western Mail and The Times, 9 November 1931
• L. Twiston Davies, Men of Monmouthshire (Cardiff 1933)
• Ness Edwards, History of the South Wales Miners Federation (London 1938)

Further Reading

• NLW Archives: General Election 1906 Wales and Monmouthshire. A Souvenir containing photographs, biographical sketches etc., of all the Welsh MP's: Thomas Richards
• Wikipedia Article: Thomas Richards

Additional Links

• VIAF: 53677817
• Wikidata: Q7793509

Published date: 2001

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/