Apostle of Peace - Henry Richard - Tregaron, Wales
N 52° 13.173 W 003° 55.970
30U E 436274 N 5785867
Henry Richard, born in Tregaron in 1812, Liberal MP for Merthyr. Often referred to as the 'Member for Wales' and 'the Apostle of Peace.' Secretary of the Peace Union and organiser of the Peace Congress in Paris in 1849.
Waymark Code: WMF9B9
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/14/2012
Views: 5
Henry Richard is chiefly known as an advocate of peace and international arbitration, having been secretary of the Peace Society for forty years (1848–84). He is less widely known for his other interests, for example his anti-slavery work.
Larger than life bronze sculpture of a Male standing figure in frock coat, and waiscoat, poised as if about to speak. Holding sheaf of papers headed PEACE in right hand, Left arm bent crooked, with hand holding 'pince-nez' glasses. Standing on approx 8 feet tall pedestal, made from pink speckled polished granite with moulded cornice and plinth.
"Henry Richard, ‘Apostle of Peace’ was born at Ty Gwyn, Tregaron in 1812. In 1848 he took up his life’s work as “Apostle of Peace” becoming secretary of the Society for Promoting Permanent and Universal Peace and with Cobden and Bright worked towards settling international disputes by arbitration and not by war. He organised a great international Peace Conference at Brussels where these principles were adopted. In the Peace Congress at Paris in 1856 further progress was made. CND. Text Source: (
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Text in Welsh from upper Plaque on the sculpture.
Upper plaque in Welsh: "GANWYD YMA YN NHREGARON ADDYSGWYD EF I’R WEINIDOGAETH / GRISTNOGOL AC YN 1835 ORDEINIWYD EF YN LLUNDAIN YN 1848 / APWYNTIWYD EF YN YSGRIFENNYDD I’R GYMDEITHAS HEDDWCH AC / ENILLODD FRI RHYNGWLADOL FEL "APOSTOL HEDDWCH." YN 1868 DAETH / YN A.S DROS ETHOLAETH MERTHYR. AC OHERWYDD EI SEL DROS / FATERION CYMREIG FE’I ADWAENWYD FEL "YR AELOD DROS GYMRU." / ROEDD HEFYD YN ARLOESWR BLAENLLAW YM MYD ADDYSG. / GWASANAETHODD AR AMRYW GOMISIWN YMHOLI AC YN 1883 DAETH / YN IS-LYWYDD CYNTAF COLEG PRIFYSGOL CAERDYFF. / "CEDWAIS DRI PHETH MEWN COF YN BARHAUS: PEIDIO ANGHOFIO / IAITH FY NGWLAD: A PHOBL AC ACHOS FY NGWLAD A PHEIDI0 / ESGEULUSO UNRHYW GYFLE I AMDDIFFYN CYMERIAD A HYRWYDDO / BUDDIANNAU FY NGWLAD." / "GORWEDD FY NGOBEITHION AM DDIFODIANT Y GYFUNDREFN / RYFEL YN ARGYHOEDDIAD BARHAUS Y BOBL YN HYTRACH NAG / YM MHOLISIAU CABINET A THRAFODAETHAU SENEDD."
Text from lower Plaque:
BORN HERE IN TREGARON, HE WAS EDUCATED FOR THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY, AND IN / 1835 HE WAS ORDAINED IN LONDON. IN 1848 HE WAS APPOINTED SECRETARY TO THE / PEACE SOCIETY GAINING AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION AS "THE APOSTLE OF PEACE." / IN 1868 HE BECAME M.P. FOR THE MERTHYR CONSTITUENCY: AND SUCH WAS HIS CONCERN / FOR WELSH AFFAIRS THAT HE BECAME KNOWN AS "THE MEMBER FOR WALES." HE WAS / ALSO A PROMINENT PIONEER IN EDUCATION: HE SERVED ON SEVERAL COMMISSIONS OF / ENQUIRY, AND IN 1883 HE BECAME THE FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT OF CARDIFF UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE." / "I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MINDFUL OF THREE THINGS: NOT TO FORGET THE LANGUAGE OF / MY COUNTRY: AND THE PEOPLE AND CAUSE OF MY COUNTRY: AND TO NEGLECT NO / OPPORTUNITY OF DEFENDING THE CHARACTER AND PROMOTING THE INTERESTS OF / MY COUNTRY." / "MY HOPE FOR THE ABATEMENT OF THE WAR SYSTEM LIES IN PERMANENT CONVICTION / OF THE PEOPLE, RATHER THAN THE POLICIES OF CABINETS OR THE DISCUSSIONS OF / PARLIAMENTS."
Wikipedia informs: "In 1868 Henry Richard was elected Liberal member of parliament for the Merthyr boroughs in Wales, becoming known as one of the foremost nonconformists in the House of Commons. Here he was a leading member of the party which advocated the removal of Nonconformist grievances and the disestablishment of the church in Wales". (
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URL of the statue: [Web Link]