Lot 40: Henry William Pickersgill, R.A. (1782-1875)

Portrait of Sir Charles Morgan (1760-1846), seated three-quarter-length, in a black suit, holding a letter in his right hand
oil on canvas
51 x 40 1/4 in. (129.6 x 102.2 cm.)

London, Royal Academy, 1842, no.133.

Property of the Equitable Life Assurance Society

Sir Charles Morgan was born on 4th February 1760. He inherited the Tredegar Estates and succeeded his father, Sir Charles Gould Morgan, as 2nd Baronet in 1806.

Morgan was credited with establishing the Tredegar Wharf Company, which created wharves along the banks of the River Usk, and builing the Pillgwenlly area of Newport on some 200 acres of marshland belonging to the Tredegar Estate. It was from this raised ground that the town's first floating dock was cut in 1842. The company was also responsible for the construction of Commercial Street and Commercial Road.

In addition to serving in Parliament for over 44 years as MP for Brecon and the county of Monmouthshire, Morgan succeeded his father as the President of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, a post which he held until his death in 1846. He was also dominant in local affairs and was largely responsible for the development of Newport in the nineteenth century as an industrial and commercial town. This included paying for and opening the Newport Cattle Market in 1844, which became the home of the Tredegar Cattle Show, a highlight of the South Wales agricultural calendar. Morgan, who was called 'one of the kings of South Wales', was also credited with introducing short horn cattle to South Wales.

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.
This lot is subject to storage and collection charges.