THOMAS
,
Sir
ROBERT JOHN
(
1873
-
1951
),
politician and shipowner
;
b.
23 Apr. 1873
, the son of
William
and
Catherine
Thomas
,
Bootle
. He was educated at
Bootle College
,
Liverpool Institute
and
Tettenhall College
. He began working as a
ship and insurance broker
in the family business at
Liverpool
, and later became an
underwriter
at
Lloyds
.
Thomas
served as
M.P. (Coalition Lib.)
for the
Wrexham division
,
1918-22
, stood unsuccessfully in
Anglesey
in
1922
before winning the seat at a by-election in
Apr.
1923
held following the death of
Sir
Owen
Thomas
(
DWB
, 1150)
. He continued to represent
Anglesey
in
Parliament
until
May 1929
when he resigned in order to be able to give more attention to his commercial interests. His successor in the constituency was
Lady
Megan
Lloyd George
(see
LLOYD GEORGE
FAMILY
above). He was declared bankrupt in
1930
and was not discharged until
1935
.
Thomas
was a member of the
Anglesey County Council
and served as
High Sheriff
for the county in
1912
. He was the founder of the
Welsh Heroes Memorial Fund
to which he donated £20,000, and for many years he served as its
honorary secretary
. He also founded and equipped at
Holyhead
the
Lady Thomas Convalescent Home for Discharged and Disabled Soldiers and Sailors
. He was a native
Welsh
-speaker, a member of the
Council of the University College of North Wales
,
Bangor
, and for 15 yrs was the
honorary treasurer
of the
Anglesey
Eisteddfod
Association
. He was
knighted
in
1918
.
Thomas
m. in
1905
Marie Rose
, dau. of
Arthur
Burrows
. She d. in
1948
. They had two sons and a daughter. His heir was
Sir
William Eustace Rhyddland
Thomas
(
1909
-
1957
). He d.
27 Sept. 1951
at his home
Garreg-lwyd
,
Holyhead
,
Anglesey
.
Bibliography:
-
Who was who?
;
-
Who's who in Wales
(
1921
);
-
The Times
,
28 Sept. 1951
;
-
Dod's Parliamentary Companion
;
-
The Biographical Index of W.W. Price,
Aberdâr
(at the National Library of Wales and Aberdare
Public Library)
.
Author:
Dr John Graham Jones, Aberystwyth
