Henry Vivian, 1st Baron Swansea
Encyclopedia
Henry Hussey Vivian, 1st Baron Swansea (6 July 1821 – 28 November 1894) was a Welsh
industrialist and politician.
, Swansea
, Henry was the eldest son of industrialist and MP
John Henry Vivian
and his wife Sarah, daughter of Arthur Jones, of Reigate
. His uncle was Sir Richard Hussey Vivian, first baron Vivian. He was educated at Eton
and studied metallurgy in Germany and France from 1838 before entering Trinity College, Cambridge
in 1839.
After two years, he became manager of the Liverpool
branch of the copper
-smelting business founded by his grandfather, Vivian & Sons
. Three years later he became a partner of the firm before coming to Swansea to manage the Hafod
Works during the last ten years of his father’s life (1845-1855). He developed a range of by-products from copper-smelting and diversified into other metallurgical activities. He is credited with originating the "sliding scale" of miners' wages after the strike of 1889, though other authorities attribute the idea to William Thomas Lewis, afterwards Lord Merthyr. He was one of the chief promoters of the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway
, helped to further extend the harbour facilities of the town and championed the merits of Welsh coal in Parliamentary debates. It was largely due to his efforts that Swansea became a major industrial centre.
He served as a Member of Parliament
for Truro 1852–7, Glamorganshire
1857–85 and Swansea District
1885–93. In 1889 he became the first chairman of the Glamorgan County Council. He was also a Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant for Glamorgan and for some years first Lieutenant-Colonel of the 4th Glamorgan Rifle Volunteers.
He was created a baronet
on 13 May 1882 and Baron Swansea
on 9 June, 1893.
Lord Swansea's younger brother Sir Arthur Vivian
was also a Liberal politician.
On 14 July 1853 he married Lady Flora Caroline Elizabeth Cholmeley (d. 25 January 1868), daughter of Sir Montague Cholmeley, 2nd Baronet
. They had one son;
Lord Swansea took as his third wife, on 10 November 1870, Averil Beaumont (1841-14 January 1934), daughter of Capt. Richard Beaumont, R.N., and granddaughter of the 3rd Baron Macdonald of Slate
. He and his third wife had six children;
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
industrialist and politician.
Biography
Born at Singleton AbbeySingleton Abbey
Singleton Abbey is a large, mainly 19th century mansion in Swansea, Wales. Today, the buildings are used to house administration offices for Swansea University...
, Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Henry was the eldest son of industrialist and MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
John Henry Vivian
John Henry Vivian
John Henry Vivian was a Welsh industrialist and politician of Cornish extraction.Vivian was the son of John Vivian, of Truro, Cornwall, and his wife Betsey, daughter of the Reverend Richard Cranch, and the brother of Hussey Vivian, 1st Baron Vivian...
and his wife Sarah, daughter of Arthur Jones, of Reigate
Reigate
Reigate is a historic market town in Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs, and in the London commuter belt. It is one of the main constituents of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead...
. His uncle was Sir Richard Hussey Vivian, first baron Vivian. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and studied metallurgy in Germany and France from 1838 before entering Trinity College, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
in 1839.
After two years, he became manager of the Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
branch of the copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
-smelting business founded by his grandfather, Vivian & Sons
Vivian & Sons
Vivian & Sons was a British metallurgical and chemicals business based at Hafod, in the lower Swansea valley. The firm was founded in 1810, disappearing as a separate entity in 1924...
. Three years later he became a partner of the firm before coming to Swansea to manage the Hafod
Hafod
Hafod is a district of the city of Swansea, Wales and lies just outside the city centre in the north of the city. It falls within the Landore ward....
Works during the last ten years of his father’s life (1845-1855). He developed a range of by-products from copper-smelting and diversified into other metallurgical activities. He is credited with originating the "sliding scale" of miners' wages after the strike of 1889, though other authorities attribute the idea to William Thomas Lewis, afterwards Lord Merthyr. He was one of the chief promoters of the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway
Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway
The Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway connected the coal mines of the Rhondda Valley to the Swansea Bay ports.Connecting with the Taff Vale Railway at Treherbert, it had branches to Aberavon and Port Talbot docks. It was later extended to Swansea and a branch to Neath was added, bringing the total...
, helped to further extend the harbour facilities of the town and championed the merits of Welsh coal in Parliamentary debates. It was largely due to his efforts that Swansea became a major industrial centre.
He served as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Truro 1852–7, Glamorganshire
Glamorganshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Glamorganshire was a parliamentary constituency in Wales, returning two Members of Parliament to the British House of Commons. The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 divided it into five new constituencies: East Glamorganshire, South Glamorganshire, Mid Glamorganshire, Gower and Rhondda.- MPs...
1857–85 and Swansea District
Swansea District (UK Parliament constituency)
Swansea District or Swansea District of Boroughs was a borough constituency. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
1885–93. In 1889 he became the first chairman of the Glamorgan County Council. He was also a Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant for Glamorgan and for some years first Lieutenant-Colonel of the 4th Glamorgan Rifle Volunteers.
He was created a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
on 13 May 1882 and Baron Swansea
Baron Swansea
Baron Swansea, of Singleton in the County of Glamorgan, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.The barony was created on 9 June 1893 for the industrialist Sir Henry Vivian, 1st Baronet. He had already been created a Baronet, of Singleton in the County of Glamorgan, on 13 May 1882. He was...
on 9 June, 1893.
Lord Swansea's younger brother Sir Arthur Vivian
Arthur Vivian
Sir Arthur Pendarves Vivian KCB was a British industrialist, mine-owner and Liberal politician, who worked in south Wales and Cornwall, and sat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1885.-Early life and education:...
was also a Liberal politician.
Marriages and children
Lord Swansea married, on 15 April 1847, to Jessie Dalrymple Goddard (c. 1825-28 February 1848), the daughter of Ambrose Goddard, of the Lawn, Swindon. His wife died of childbed fever a few weeks after the birth of their only child.- Ernest Ambrose Vivian, 2nd Baron Swansea (11 February 1848-17 July 1922); died unmarried
On 14 July 1853 he married Lady Flora Caroline Elizabeth Cholmeley (d. 25 January 1868), daughter of Sir Montague Cholmeley, 2nd Baronet
Sir Montague Cholmeley, 2nd Baronet
Sir Montague John Cholmeley, 2nd Baronet was a British politician and baronet.He was the son of Sir Montague Cholmeley, 1st Baronet and his wife Elizabeth Harrison, daughter of John Harrison. In 1831, he succeeded his father as baronet. In 1826, Cholmeley replaced his father as Member of...
. They had one son;
- The Hon. John Aubrey Vivian (23 July 1854-1 March 1898); died unmarried
Lord Swansea took as his third wife, on 10 November 1870, Averil Beaumont (1841-14 January 1934), daughter of Capt. Richard Beaumont, R.N., and granddaughter of the 3rd Baron Macdonald of Slate
Godfrey Macdonald, 3rd Baron Macdonald of Slate
Lt.-General Sir Godfrey Bosville Macdonald, 3rd Baron Macdonald of Slate was the second son of Alexander Macdonald, 1st Baron Macdonald and Elizabeth Diana Bosville...
. He and his third wife had six children;
- Violet Averil Margaret Vivian (3 December 1871-30 March 1943)
- Henry Hussey Vivian (5 February 1873-11 December 1898); died unmarried
- Odo Richard Vivian, 3rd Baron Swansea (22 April 1875-16 November 1934)
- Averil Vivian (4 December 1876-1 February 1959); married George Tryon, 1st Baron TryonGeorge Tryon, 1st Baron TryonMajor George Clement Tryon, 1st Baron Tryon, PC was a British Conservative politician who served in a number of ministerial positions in the inter-war years....
- Alexandra Gladys Vivian (c. 1879-17 July 1966)
- Alberta Diana Vivian (10 February 1883-1968)