Sydney Hurbert Morgan OBE MC

• Birth date            8 February 1883 at Bolton
• Baptism              11 April 1883 at Delph Hill Methodist Chapel, Bolton
• Death date          15 September 1970 at Tan-y-garth Pontifadog, near Chirk

Sydney Hubert Morgan, was born in Bolton, the eldest of three children of a famous Welsh Wesleyan Minister, the Rev.  Ebenezer Morgan and his wife Mary Hannah, (nee Hickling). He was educated at Brooklands School, Sale, The Leys School, Cambridge and Birmingham University. By 1901 the family were living at Derby. Sydney was articled to John Ward, M.Inst.C.E., Borough Surveyor and Waterworks Engineer, Derby and remained as his assistant 1902-3.  He next worked as assistant to the Borough Surveyor, Middlesbrough (1903-6), before returning to north-west England to take up the post of Engineer and Surveyor to Prestwich Urban District Council.

During 1914, and the early part of 1915, he was the leader of No. 27 Company of the Special Constabulary of the City of Manchester and Commandant, 37th East Lancs. Men's V.A.D. British Red Cross, before commencing war service in France. He was commissioned in June, 1915 in the 1st Field Company, East Lancashire Divisional Engineers Royal Engineers; Captain, R.E., March 1, 1916; Adjutant, R. E., March 2I, 1916; Acting Major, R.E., November 6, 1917; (also 22 October 1918 Supplement to London Gazette 11 December 1918 page 14628). Twice mentioned in dispatches he was awarded the Military Cross on 1 January 1918. In the 1939/45 War he served in the Home Guard as a Major as well as taking on additional responsibilities for Civil Defence.

Following war service, he returned briefly to Prestwich UDC before being appointed Borough Surveyor and Architect to the Rochdale Corporation where he remained until his retirement in 1947. His service was marked by a number of fine buildings and civil engineering works including Electric House (1930), the new Fire Station in Maclure Road and the covering of the River Roch to form the square opposite the Town Hall. In his profession was one of the outstanding authorities in Sanitary Engineering and Town Planning. For his services he was awarded MBE in 1948.

Aside from his professional career S H Morgan took a keen interest in the Boys Life Brigade formed in 1899 by the National Sunday School Union (pacifist) which was strongest amongst non-conformist churches. It substituted first aid drill for the military and weapons drill used in The Boys' Brigade He is said to have taken part in the formation of the Boys Life Brigade and in 1914 was Commandant of the Manchester Battalion of the Boys' Life Brigade. In October 1926 it merged with The Boys' Brigade. Morgan served on the main Executive Committee of The Boys Brigade from 1926 to 1943 and was President of its Manchester Battalion from 1935 to 1943.  For many years he took parties of The Boys Brigade from Manchester to camps in Switzerland.  After the 1939/45 War he took them to camps in the peaceful beauty of the Ceiriog Valley near Chirk where he lived after 1947.

S H Morgan appears never to have married. For much of his working life he occupied “Glen Lea,” Prestwich Park Road South, Prestwich, together with his father and brother. Following his retirement, he purchased Tan-y-Garth Hall, Pontfadog, a large Arts and Crafts house of 1914-1915, (listed Grade II), which had been used as a school during the war years. He died here on 15 September 1970.

Address
1906-1920    Council Offices Chester  Prestwich
1921-1947    SH Morgan Borough Surveyor and Architect. Town Hall Rochdale

Residence
1883        Wesley Villa, Chorley Old Road, Bolton
1911- 1939    Glen Lea, Prestwich, Manchester.
1947-1970    Tan-y-Garth  Hall, Pontfadog, near Chirk

Obituary    The Leys Fortnightly No.  1502, Volume XCV, 16 October 1970
Reference    Lancashire Biographies, Rolls of Honour 1917 page 285-286
Reference    Who’s Who in Engineering 1922