Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 39.djvu/32

Morgan   MORGAN, PHILIP (d. 1577), controversialist. [See .]

MORGAN, RICHARD (d. 1556), judge, was admitted at Lincoln's Inn 31 July 1523, called to the bar in 1529, was twice reader, in 1542 and 1546, became a serjeant-at-law in the latter year, and was elected recorder of Gloucester; he was also member of parliament for Gloucester in 1545-7 and 1553. A Roman catholic in religion, he was committed to the Fleet prison on 24 March 1551 (, Hist. of the Reformation, Oxford edit. 1865, v. 33) for hearing mass in the Princess Mary's chapel, but was discharged by the privy council with a caution on 4 May (Acts of the Privy Council, new ser. iii. 270). Immediately after King Edward's death he joined the Princess Mary and her adherents at Kenningham Castle, Norfolk, 1553. Though he does not seem to have been a well-known lawyer, he was at once promoted in his profession. He was a commissioner to hear Bishop Tunstall's appeal against his conviction in June, was created chief justice of the common pleas in September, and was knighted on 2 Oct. He was in the commission for the trial of Lady Jane Grey on 13 Nov. and passed sentence upon her, but two years later, says Foxe (Martyrs, iii. 30), he 'fell mad, and in his raving cried out continually to have the Lady Jane taken away from him.' Accordingly, he quitted the bench in October 1555, and died in the early summer of the next year, being buried on 2 June at St. Magnus Church, near London Bridge.

 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, 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,, 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 