Tredegar House

The name is first attested in the fourteenth century in the form Tredegyr. This may be explained as a compound of Welsh tre(f) 'a farmstead' and the personal name Tegyr (the same name is found in the Denbighshire name Botegyr < bod 'dwelling place, residence' + Tegyr). The name Tegyr itself may be derived from the Brittonic *Teco-rīx ('fair king'). The form Tredeger is found in the sixteenth century as are variants with -a- in the final syllable. Over time, the form Tredegar established itself as the usual spelling, as in the name of the Tredegar Iron Company of 1800. It was this that gave its name to the village and later town of Tredegar. The current Welsh name of the house is 'Tŷ Tredegar', but this is somewhat unauthentic and is obviously a translation of 'Tredegar House'. == Architecture ==

The earliest surviving part of the building dates back to the late 15th century. The house was originally built of stone and had sufficient status to host Charles I. Between 1664 and 1672, however, William Morgan decided to rebuild the house on a larger scale from red brick, at that time a rare building material in Wales. The architect of the enlarged house is not known for certain, but John Newman follows Howard Colvin's suggestion that the design was by Roger and William Hurlbutt, who had worked in a similar style at Ragley Hall and Warwick Castle. The architectural historian Peter Smith, writing in his work Houses of the Welsh Countryside, called Tredegar, "the most splendid brick house of the seventeenth century in Wales". In his 1882 publication, local historian, and brother of the first Lord Tredegar, Octavius Morgan, provides a plan of an intricate garden maze which was in place prior to the 1660s improvements and which probably dated from the time of Queen Elizabeth I. == The Morgans of Tredegar (1402–1951) ==

Tredegar's name came from Tredegar Fawr, the name of the mansion or seat of the old Morgans, who were descended from Cadifor the Great the son of Collwyn, and holders of the land upon which Tredegar stands. The earliest record of someone with the name Morgan living at Tredegar is 1402: a Llewellyn Ap Morgan. Tredegar House, set in 90 acres which remains landscaped for ornamental purposes, with less agriculture than in previous centuries, is the finest Restoration house in Wales and for over five hundred years the estate (including Ruperra Castle) was home to the Morgan family, later Lords Tredegar. John Morgan was created a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre (possibly c.1448). Later, when Henry Tudor was crowned King Henry VII it was of great benefit to the Morgans of Tredegar who were supporters of Henry. Sir John received reward for his early support, and on 7 November 1485 he was appointed by the new king to the office of Sheriff of Wentloog and Newport and made Steward of the Machen Commote. His elevation to officer of the Tudor crown placed Sir John Morgan's influence and power at new heights. At around 1490, he commissioned the building of a new house at Tredegar. A wing of Sir John's stone manor house still exists. It is now the oldest part of the present day Tredegar House. A cadet branch of the ‘Tredegar Morgans’, probably nephews of Sir Thomas Morgan, included three brothers, Thomas, Robert and Edward. Thomas became Major-General Sir Thomas Morgan, 1st Baronet (1604–79), served in the Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War 1642–9, was made Governor of Gloucester in 1645, fought in Flanders, was wounded, and in 1661 retired to his estate at Kinnersley, Herefordshire. Recalled in 1665 to become Governor of Jersey, he died at St Helier in April 1679. Married on 10 September 1632, he had nine sons, of whom the eldest, Sir John Morgan followed in his father's profession. Robert Morgan, (born circa 1615) became a farmer in Llanrumney, and was father of Henry Morgan (born in Llanrumney Hall, and pursued a successful career in the Caribbean as a privateer). Edward Morgan became Colonel Edward Morgan (born circa 1616 – Colonel after 1665), a Royalist during the English Civil War 1642–49, and Captain General of the King's forces in South Wales. After the King's arrest and execution, he fled to the continent and married Anna Petronilla the daughter of Baron von Pöllnitz from Westphalia (Governor of Lippstadt, east of Dortmund in Germany). They had six children, two sons and four daughters (including Anna Petronilla and Johanna). He was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica 1664–65. During the civil war and after the Battle of Naseby, Charles I visited Tredegar House in 1645. In 1661 William Morgan (d.1680) rebuilt the house on a very grand scale, with the help of the huge dowry of his wife, Blanche Morgan. Their fortunes continued to flourish down the generations, tremendously enhanced by the foresight and business enterprises of Sir Charles Morgan, 1st Baronet throughout the 18th century. Following his father's financial successes, his son Sir Charles Morgan, 2nd Baronet further expanded several commercial and industrial projects, and virtually established Newport as an important trade centre. Whilst consolidating their influence on the political and economic issues of the country, they secured a baronetcy in 1792, and a barony in 1859. in the Cedar Garden at Tredegar House . Godfrey Morgan, the second son of the first Baron Tredegar, served in the Crimean War as a captain in the 17th Lancers. He led men at the Charge of the Light Brigade on his horse, Sir Briggs, and was one of the few soldiers to survive the charge. When Sir Briggs died in 1874 aged 28, Godfrey had him buried in the Cedar Garden at Tredegar House, with a stone memorial erected above his grave. While serving in the Crimea, Godfrey's elder brother and heir to their father's title and estates, Charles Rodney Morgan, died in France aged 25, leaving no legitimate children. Subsequently, Godfrey became the new heir, succeeding his father as the second Baron Tredegar in 1875. As Lord Tredegar, Godfrey quickly became a much-loved benefactor of Monmouthshire, devoting his time as the head of the Morgan family to serving the county, donating land for hospitals, libraries, schools and parks. He was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Monmouthshire in 1899, and was elevated to the rank of viscount in 1905. It was under Godfrey's tenure of Tredegar House that the Bath stone porch was added to the north-easterly wing, the Side Hall it opened onto was remodelled, and electricity was installed. Godfrey Morgan died in 1913, aged 81. As he died childless, his viscountcy became extinct. However, the barony and estates passed to his nephew, Courtenay Morgan, who became the third Baron Tredegar. Shortly after purchasing her, Liberty was requisitioned by the Royal Navy for use as a hospital ship during the First World War, and was voluntarily captained by Courtenay between 1914 and 1915 as lieutenant, and latterly as a temporary commander, in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. In 1925, Courtenay became Naval aide-de-camp to George V, and was elevated to the rank of viscount in 1926. As a young man, his eyesight had begun to deteriorate, and by the late 1920s, he was completely blind. It was around this time that he built the stone staircase which extended from a window of the Gilt Room into the Cedar Garden at Tredegar House, enabling him to move more easily between the house and gardens. In 1933, Courtenay was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Monmouthshire, however died the following year at The Ritz Hotel, aged 67. Despite his devout Catholicism, Evan also had a fascination with the occult, and had a "magik room" at Tredegar House, where he practised occult ritual. He also enjoyed friendship with Aleister Crowley, who was a frequent visitor to Tredegar House, hailed Evan as the "Adept of Adepts" with regard to his occult expertise, and described his magik room as "the best equipped [he had] ever seen." Guests at Evan's weekend house parties at Tredegar included a wide selection of society figures: among them, Aldous Huxley, H. G. Wells, G. K. Chesterton, and the Marchesa Casati. By the late 1940s, Evan's extravagant spending had significantly depleted the family's finances, and his ever-fragile health was failing. Between 1946 and 1947, several meetings took place between Evan and the trustees of the Tredegar Estates. Evan suggested that parts of the estate could be sold to recover some of the lost capital, but this was blocked by his uncle and heir, Frederic. Another proposal was that Evan transfer part of the estate to Frederic's son, John, to reduce the burden of inheritance tax on his death, but this was rejected by Evan; he and John shared a mutual loathing of each other. In an interview at the time of his renunciation, Frederic stated that John was in Lourdes, where – being a Catholic convert – he was seeking religious guidance as for what to do with Tredegar House and the estates. On his return in late May, John Morgan made his first visit to Tredegar House since succeeding to the estates, and told the press that he was prepared to live there "on a very modest scale in view of the prevailing conditions." In the months following, John periodically stayed at Tredegar House for days at a time, although never made it his permanent residence. In August 1950, he announced "with great regret that death duties, taxation and rising costs" had made it necessary for him to close Tredegar House. == Sale of the property ==

During his brief tenure of Tredegar House, John Morgan was sparingly in residence, and never for more than a few days at a time. As Assistant Almoner and later a Brother of the Priory for Wales, he occasionally lent the grounds for events hosted by the Priory, as well as by the local Conservative Association, of which he was president. John, often accompanied by his sister, Avis, used Tredegar House itself for a small number of gatherings as well as to host individual guests, including Compton Mackenzie, a friend of Avis, for whom a luncheon was held in August 1950. On John Morgan's succession to the estate, there was a possibility that Tredegar House may be given to the National Trust in lieu of death-duties which he was still due to pay. As such, James Lees-Milne, secretary of the Country Houses Committee of the National Trust, visited Tredegar House in November 1949 to assess the property on behalf of the trust. An account of his tour of the house, accompanied by John Morgan, is documented in his book of diaries, Midway on the Waves. He ultimately concluded that the house was "probably the best in Wales", and notes that he was particularly impressed by the French furnishings. However, he also writes, "I was a trifle disappointed by the coarse, unrefined quality of the craftsmanship", specifically citing, "the famous wainscot is very rough indeed." In late May 1950, the Chief District Valuer for Newport visited Tredegar House to assess it on behalf of the Inland Revenue. In a report following his visit, the valuer concluded "the main structure appears to be sound, but some repairs are required, principally to the ornamental stone work", continuing, "the roof timbers are affected by dry rot" and that "the ornamental gardens are somewhat neglected." The following month, he valued the property at £74,000. In late August 1950, the National Trust ended negotiations over Tredegar House, citing "the cost of carrying out the necessary work upon the property", by which time John Morgan had closed the house owing to the high cost of its upkeep. In December 1950, it was revealed that Tredegar House was to be bought by the Catholic Church, and run as a convent school by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Despite the recent valuation of £74,000, the house – along with around 200 acres of parkland – was sold for £40,000. As a Catholic convert, John Morgan asserted that the sale was "good for [his] bank balance and [his] soul." In July of the same year, Stephenson and Alexander, a local firm of auctioneers, disposed of the remaining of the contents of Tredegar House by auctions over two days. Following the removal of the contents from Tredegar House, the sisters gradually prepared the property for its new use, before it opened as St. Joseph's Convent School in September 1952. == Subsequent ownership ==

Tredegar House remained a school until 1974, when it was bought by Newport County Council, who set about returning the property to a stately home and ran it as a museum. The process of restoration was aided by Evan Morgan's second wife, Princess Olga Dolgorouky, who corresponded with the curators of the museum, providing accounts of the appearances of various rooms and information about the Morgan family. Under the council's tenure and beginning in 1980, a classic car show was held in the grounds of Tredegar House on an annual basis to raise funds for Leukaemia Research. The last show was held in 2014, at which point the event had raised £868,000 since 1980. The Prince and Princess of Wales visited Tredegar House in 1981. The council continued overseeing the running of the property until 2012, when it was acquired by the National Trust via a 50-year lease; the National Trust continue to open the house and gardens for visitors. A survey was carried out on the property at the time of the transfer, concluding that "the house and other buildings on site still needed around £4,500,000 of major work." In 2019, restoration work was carried out on the laundry building, which had sustained fire damage six years earlier. During the tenure of both Newport Council and the National Trust, Tredegar House has frequently been used for filming. In 2014 an episode of the Antiques Roadshow was filmed at the property and the house's red brick exterior now features in the programme's opening sequence. Numerous episodes of Doctor Who have been filmed at and in the house, as well as the television series Being Human, ''Da Vinci's Demons and The Hairy Bikers.'' == See also ==