Garrod Thomas Explained

Sir Abraham Garrod Thomas
Honorific-Suffix:JP
Office:Member of Parliament for South Monmouthshire
Term Start:13 July 1917
Term End:25 November 1918
Predecessor:Ivor Herbert
Successor:Office Abolished
Birth Date:5 October 1853
Birth Place:Panteryrod, Cardiganshire, Wales
Death Date:30 January 1931 (aged 77)
Nationality:Welsh
Education:Milford Haven
Alma Mater:University of Edinburgh
Relatives:John Aeron Thomas (brother)

Sir Abraham Garrod Thomas (5 October 1853 – 30 January 1931) was a Welsh physician, philanthropist, magistrate, politician and Member of Parliament.

Life

He was born at Panteryrod, near Aberaeron, in Cardiganshire, the son of Lewis Thomas; his older brother John Aeron Thomas, a solicitor and businessman, was also a Member of Parliament.[1] [2] [3] He was a Welsh speaker to age 13, and was educated at Milford Haven. At the University of Edinburgh he graduated M.B. in 1876, and that year also became a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. After graduation he studied at Berlin and Vienna. He became M.D. at Edinburgh in 1878,[4] and started work in Newport, Monmouthshire.[1] [2] In 1892 he founded the South Wales Argus.[5] In 1915 he donated the house at 25 Clytha Park, Newport for the treatment of tuberculous children.[6] He owned the Mansion House, Newport.[7]

Politics

Thomas was appointed High Sheriff of Cardiganshire for 1900. He was elected Liberal Member of Parliament for South Monmouthshire in a 1917 by-election, but did not stand again.[2] At the time of the Newport by-election, in 1922, he was President of the local Liberal Association and was first approached to stand as Liberal candidate, but in the end William Lyndon Moore was chosen, a neutral in the conflict between Asquith Liberals and supporters of Lloyd George.[8]

Family

In 1879 Thomas married Eleanor, daughter of Richard Hughes Richards of Newport.[1] The chemist Richard Noel Garrod-Thomas was their son.[9]

Notes and References

  1. Debrett's House of Commons (1918), p. 160; archive.org.
  2. 20776010. 1931. Sir A. Garrod Thomas, Ll.d., M.d. British Medical Journal. 1. 3658. 288. 2313772 . 10.1136/bmj.1.3658.288.
  3. Debrett's House of Commons (1901), p. 148; archive.org.
  4. Thomas. Abraham Garrod. 1878. On the effects of fright. en.
  5. [William Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose|Viscount Camrose]
  6. http://welshjournals.llgc.org.uk/browse/viewpage/llgc-id:1311205/llgc-id:1311853/llgc-id:1311884/getText "Welsh Outlook" – Vol. 2, No. 2 Feb. 1915
  7. http://www.welshicons.org.uk/html/mansion_house__newport.php welshicons.org.uk, "Mansion House, Newport"
  8. Book: Chris Cook. John Ramsden. By-Elections In British Politics. 12 May 2012. 1 October 1997. Psychology Press. 978-1-85728-535-2. 24–5.
  9. Edward Hilliard (editor), The Balliol College Register 1832–1914 (1914), p. 119; archive.org.