Greatest Welsh Person of all Time

Greatest Welsh Person of all Time

An article by

Philip Thomas

Here is an interesting question for you.  Who would you choose as your Greatest Welsh Person of all Time?  But before you answer, just think about and consider the following:

Wales is considered by many nations across the globe as being one of the most significant and influential contributors to important fields such as natural science and mathematics, industrial and civil engineering, aeronautics, medicine and medical research, space exploration and planetary science, politics, art and culture, sport and so much more.  Listed below is just a random example of great Welsh pioneers:

1. Edward Bowen played a huge part in the development of radar.
2. Sir David Brunt was a meteorological pioneer.
3. William Frost patented his aeroplane nine years before the Wright brothers ever took off.
4. David Edward Hughes invented the microphone.  Where would conference centres, stadiums, theatres and communication systems be without the microphone?
5. Pryce Pryce-Jones gave us the first sleeping bag in 1876.
6. John Adams the 2^nd US President had family ties with Carmarthenshire.
7. Anthony Llewellyn was a scientist with NASA and an astronaut candidate.
8. William Price of Llantrisant, as well as being an eccentric physician was also the pioneer who made cremation acceptable across the United Kingdom.  In fact, his own cremation was the first ever open-air service.
9. Roald Dahl was one of the greatest writers in history.
10. Isaac Roberts was a pioneer of deep space photography.

While none of the above would be my contender for the title of Greatest Welsh Person of all Time, they each nevertheless were great pioneers and achievers in their own right and richly deserve such recognition.

Another factor to consider before you chose your Greatest Welsh Person of all Time is this.  Despite its geographical size, Wales has produced many other renowned achievers across the globe.

• Sir Gareth Edwards: Greatest rugby player of all time.
• Richard Burton: Film actor.
• Aneurin Bevan: Founder of the National Health Service.
• Sir Tom Jones:
• Owain Glyndwr: Last Welsh born Prince of Wales.
• Dylan Thomas:
• James Dean Bradfield: Welsh rock band, Manic Street Preachers.
• Tommy Cooper: Greatest comedy magician of all time.
• E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia): Military ledgend.
• Laura Ashley:  Fashion designer.
• John Charles: Legendary footballer.
• Henry VII: Founder of the House of Tudor.
• Shirley Bassey:
• Iolo Morganwg: Founder of the Gorsedd.
• Tanni Grey-Thompson: Greatest paralympian.
• Robert Recorde: 16^th century mathematician & pioneer of algebra who gave us the equal sign =.
• Geoffrey of Monmouth: Preserver of Arthurian legend.

I think you will agree that from the examples listed above, Wales has produced some of the greatest people in world history and yet, there are so many more I could mention.

So then, how do you even begin to choose your winner for the prestigious title of Greatest Welsh Person of all Time and, especially from such an impressive line-up and each, from differing disciplines and professions?  Personally, I believe the factors you need to take into account are threefold:

1. Impact on society and their benefit to mankind.
2. Period in which they lived and their struggle with opposition.
3. Availability of knowledge and resources.

If I follow these three criteria as shown above, then already I have narrowed down my list of contenders to three individuals.  So then, here are my top three in reverse order of being the Greatest Welsh Person of all Time:

3^rd Place:

Owain Glyndwr Prince of Wales.  Owain Glyndwr was the last Welshman ever to hold the title Prince of Wales.  Resolute in his revolt and uprising against Henry VI of England and, in his struggle to end English rule in Wales, Owain Glyndwr showed bravery and courage of the highest order.  Nevertheless, his eventual downfall was not really a failing on his part but rather, a genuine lack of military resources such as artillery and ships.  Owain Glyndwr was never captured however, history will show that sadly he fell off the radar around 1412 because, nothing was heard of him after that time.  As the greatest ever Prince of Wales, I have placed Owain Glyndwr in third place.

2^nd Place:

I have chosen Henry VII.  Here is man who richly deserves to be among the top three Greatest Welsh People of all Time despite the fact his name rarely crops up in other polls. What Henry Tudor endured as a child and, as a very young member of the House of Lancaster was both remarkable and terrifying.  Here was a boy who survived one of the most dangerous and turbulent periods ever in British history and, a time when England and Wales , the House of York was in turmoil and an enemy of the House of Lancaster.  Born at Pembroke Castle in 1457, Henry was fiercely protected by his mother Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and her brother-in-law named Jasper Tudor.  Following the death of King Edward IV in 1483, Henry returned from exile in France and landed at Mill Bay in Pembrokeshire with Jasper Tudor in 1485.  Marching across Wales, he rallied Welsh support and finally brought an end to the War of the Roses at Bosworth Field on 22^nd August, 1485.  In the battle, the last Plantagenet monarch Richard III was killed.  Henry was the last monarch to win the English crown in battle and went on to establish the House of Tudor which, eventually broke away from the Catholic Church under the rule of his son, King Henry VIII.  Henry VII restored stability to the economy and foreign policy and, as a result of his accepting the kingdom of Spain, married his son Arthur to Catherine of Aragon.  The rest as they say, is history.

1^st Place:

I have chosen Welsh Labour politician and former Minister for Health, The Right Honourable Aneurin Bevan MP and founder of the National Health Service as my Greatest Welsh Person of all Time.  As a supporter of social justice, Nye Bevan as he was also known, was heavily committed to workers’ rights and served his constituency of Ebbw Vale for over thirty years.  His greatest achievement against all odds at the time, was to establish a medical service free at the point of need.  This service was made available to all people of the United Kingdom irrespective of financial status and even today, is considered a national treasure and the envy of other countries.  What Nye Bevan achieved in his political career cannot be overstated.  Aneurin Bevan died in July 1960 and today he is regarded as being one of the greatest people in British history and so for me, he simply has to be the Greatest Welsh Person of all Time.

I wonder who your top three would be?

Produced by

Philip Thomas