Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Morgan, Robert
MORGAN, ROBERT (1608–1673), bishop of Bangor, born at Bronfraith in the parish of Llandyssilio in Montgomeryshire, was third son of Richard Morgan, gent., M.P. for Montgomery in 1592-3, and of his wife, Margaret, daughter of Thomas Lloyd of Gwernbuarth, gent. He was educated near Bronfraith, under the father of Simon Lloyd, archdeacon of Merioneth, and proceeded to Jesus College, Cambridge, where he entered 6 July 1624, and graduated M.A. in 1630.
He was appointed chaplain to Dolben on the election of the latter to the bishopric of Bangor, and was by him nominated to the vicarage of Llanwnol in Montgomeryshire, 16 Sept. 1632, and afterwards to the rectory of Llangynhafal and Dyffryn Clwyd. On Dolben's death in 1633 he returned to Cambridge, presumably to Jesus College, but on 25 June 1634, 'at his own request and for his own benefit,' he was transferred to St. John's College. The certificate given to him by Richard Sterne, master of Jesus College, mentions his 'manye yeares' civill and studious life there' (see Mayor, Admissions to St. John's, p. 18).
Upon the advancement of Dr. William Roberts to the bishopric of Bangor in 1637, he returned to Wales as his chaplain, and received from him the vicarage of Llanfair in the deanery of Dyffryn Clwyd, 1637, and the rectory of Efenechtyd in 1638. On 1 July 1642 he was collated prebendary of Chester on the resignation of David Lloyd, but he does not appear to have retained it or to have recovered it at the Restoration (see, however, Walker, Sufferings, ii. 11).
Having resigned Llangynhafal, he was instituted to Trefdraeth in Anglesea on 16 July 1642, being then B.D. In the same year he resigned Llanfair, and was inducted to Llandyvnan (19 Nov. 1642), also in Anglesea. At his own expense (300l.) he bought from the Bulkeleys of Baron Hill the unexpired term of a ninety-nine years' lease of the tithes of Llandyvnan. In consequence his title to the living was not questioned during the wars, although he was ejected from his other preferments. By leaving this lease to the church he raised its annual value from 38l. to 200l.
During the Commonwealth he resided chiefly at Henblas in the parish of Llangristiolus in Anglesea. In the manuscripts of Lord Mostyn at Mostyn Hall there is a manuscript sermon of his preached in December 1656. In 1657, on the death of Robert White, he was nominated to the prebend of Penmynyd (Bangor diocese), but was not installed till after the Restoration, and relinquished it before April 1661.
At the Restoration he recovered his living of Trefdraeth, received the degree of D.D. 1660), became archdeacon of Merioneth, 24 July 1660, and in the same month 'comportioner' of Llandinam . On the death of Dr. Robert Price he was elected bishop of Bangor (8 June 1666), and consecrated 1 July at Lambeth. He held the archdeaconry of Merioneth in commendam from July 1660 to 1666, when (23 Oct.) he was succeeded by John Lloyd (see his petition of date 21 June 1666 to be allowed to hold it in commendam, State Papers, Dom. Car. II, clix. 58). The definite union of the archdeaconry with the bishopric was accomplished by Morgan's successor. He was long engaged in litigation with Thomas Jones (1622–1682) [q. v.], who held the living of Llandyrnog, which was usually held by the bishops of Bangor in commendam because of its convenience for residence. Jones brought a charge against the bishop and two others early in 1669 in the court of arches (Elymas the Sorcerer, p. 29).
Morgan died 1 Sept. 1673, and was buried on 6 Sept. in the grave of Bishop Robinson, on the south side of the altar (for two different inscriptions see Lansdowne MS. 986, fol. 168). He effected considerable restorations in Bangor Cathedral, and gave an excellent organ. A preacher in English and Welsh, he is said to have worn himself away by his pulpit exertions. He left 'several things' fit for the press, but forbad their publication.
Morgan married Anne, daughter and heiress of William Lloyd, rector of Llanelian, Anglesey, and left four sons: (1) Richard, died young; (2) Owen, of Jesus College and Gray's Inn (1676), and attendant on Sir Leoline Jenkins at the treaty of Nimeguen, died 11 April 1679; (3) William (b. 1664), LL.B. of Jesus College, Oxford (1685), later chancellor of the diocese of Bangor; (4) Robert D.D. (b. 1665), of Christ Church, Oxford, canon of Hereford 1702, and rector of Ross, Herefordshire. Of four daughters: (1) Margaret was wife of Edward Wyn; (2) Anna, wife of Thomas Lloyd of Kefn, registrar of St. Asaph; (3) Elizabetha, married Humphrey Humphreys, dean of Bangor; and (4) Katherine, who died unmarried, was buried with her father.
[The single authority for the main facts is Bishop Humphrey's letter to Wood, given in Athenæ Oxon. ii. 890, and repeated almost verbatim in Williams's Eminent Welshmen, and, with a few additions, in vol. lii. of Bishop Kennett's Collections, Lansdowne MS. 986. See also Official Return of Members of Parliament; Lords' Journals, xii. 401 seq.; Commons' Journals, ix. 201–13; Hist. MSS. Comm. 4th Rep. p. 359; State Papers, Dom.; Professor Mayor's Admissions to St. John's College, Cambridge; Welch's Alum. West.; Lloyd's Memoirs; Byegones relating to Wales and the Northern Counties; Wood's Fasti, i. 441; Le Neve; Stubbs's Registrum; Thomas Jones's Elymas the Sorcerer; Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy; Browne Willis's Survey of the Cathedrals; D. R. Thomas's Hist. of the Diocese of St. Asaph; Baker's Hist. of St. John's College; information kindly supplied by the master of Jesus College, Cambridge.]