BOOKS FROM WILLIAM CROSS, FSA SCOT

 

Author and Lecturer William Cross, FSA Scot

BOOKS FROM WILLIAM CROSS, FSA SCOT 

OF NEWPORT, SOUTH WALES,  UK

  

WILLIAM CROSS, FSA SCOT

 

BOOKS BY WILLIAM CROSS, FSA Scot

·                     The Life and Secrets of Almina Carnarvon. Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914081. 2011.

·                    The Dustbin Case : Dennistoun v Dennistoun. Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914043 .2012.

·                    Lordy! Tutankhamun's Patron As A Young Man. Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914050 2012.

·                    A Beautiful Nuisance : The Life and Death of the Hon. Gwyneth Ericka Morgan by Monty Dart and William Cross. Book Midden Publiishing ISBN 9781905914104 2012.

·                    Aspects of Evan : The Last Viscount Tredegar by Monty Dart and William Cross. [ Book Midden Publishing ]] ISBN 9781905914159 2012

·                     Not Behind Lace Curtains: The Hidden World Of Evan, Viscount Tredegar. Book Midden Publishing ISBN9781905914210: 2013.

·                    Catherine and Tilly: Porchey Carnarvon's Two Duped Wives . Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914258 : 2013.

·                     Tilly Losch Schlagobers Sweet Fragments From Her Life . Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914272 : 2014.

·                    Evan Frederic Morgan, Viscount Tredegar : The Final Affairs, Financial and Carnal . Book Midden Publishing [[ ISBN 9781905914241]: 2014.

·                     The Abergavenny Witch Hunt of 1942. Book Midden Publishing ISBN 978190514227 :2014.

·                     Lois Sturt, Wild Child. A Glance at Hon. Lois Ina Sturt, Viscountess Tredegar Book Midden Publishing ISBN 978190514319: 2014.

·                     Evan, Lord Tredegar, Selected Letters, Prose and Quotations. The Mystic Muse of Evan Frederic Morgan. . Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914333 : 2015.

·                     The Engagement Diaries of Hon. Lois Sturt, 1919-1924 Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914340 : 2015. ( 2016).

·                     Carnarvon, Carter and Tutunkhamun Revisted. The hidden truths and doomed relationships. Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914364 . 2016. ( Release date November, 2016).

·                     Sketches of Evan, Viscount Tredegar 'Lord of the Lies' As seen by friends, foes and lovers. Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914463 . 2017.

·                    Myths About The Morgans of Tredegar House, Newport, South Wales. Busting the History Fraudsters Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914425 . 2018.

·                    An album of sexually explicit verses and jokes. From the Collection of Lois Ina Sturt and Reggie Pembroke Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914401 . 2018.

·                     The Morgans of Tredegar House. Great War Roll of Honour: The Hoare, Lindsay and Mundy Great Grandsons of the First Lord and Lady Tredegar Who Died During the 1914-1918 War Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914487 2018.

·                     Prince Victor Duleep Singh & the Curse of the Carnarvons Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914357 2019.

·                     Tredegar House Weekend Parties, Frolics and Fun Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914531 2019.

·                     Footprints on the Sands of Time. A glance at Welsh born photographer Angus McBean Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914579 2020.

·                    More Sketches of Evan, Viscount Tredegar: 'Lord of the Lies' Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914470 2020.

·                     Beechwood A Story of Childhood Book Midden Publishing [ ISBN 9781905914173 ]] 2021.

·                    The Moles of Intriguer House, Bassaleg Fields, South Wales  Book Midden Publishing [ ISBN 9781905914708 ]] 2021.

·                     Tails of Phoebe and Mags Worthington of The Mews, Belgravia. Short Stories With Two Darn Cats Book Midden Publishing ISBN 978-1905914593 2021.

·                     More on Prince Victor Duleep Singh & the Curse of the Carnarvons : The Final Twists Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914739 2022.

·                    Lies, Damned Lies and the Carnarvons Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914777 2022.

·                    More Tails of Phoebe and Mags Worthington of The Mews, Belgravia. Short Stories With Two Darn Cats Book Midden Publishing ISBN 978-1905914784 2022.

·                    Lady Winifred Burghclere and Her Troublesome Daughters. Book Midden Publishing ISBN 978-1905914418    Released  2022.

·                     Highclere Insider-David Sox : The Man Who Knew Too Much Book Midden Publishing [ ISBN 9781905914746] ( Release date late 2023.)

·                    Rosemary and Alastair : Everything is More Beautiful Because We're Doomed. Book Midden Publishing ISBN 9781905914289. 2017. ( Release date 2024).

 

ENQUIRIES

PLEASE EMAIL WILLIAM CROSS

williecross@aol.com

 

 Writing Partners William Cross and Monty Dart at the grave of Hon. Gwyneth Morgan at St Basil's Churchyard, Bassaleg near Newport,. South Wales.

Co- Authors of   "A Beautiful Nuisance : The Life and Death of Honourable Gwyneth Ericka Morgan"  (2012) and "Aspects of Evan" ( 2013)  - with a transcript of the Court Martial of Evan, Viscount Tredegar for offences against the Official Secrets Acts in WW2.   

 ENQUIRIES

PLEASE EMAIL WILLIAM CROSS

williecross@aol.com

Monty Dart, William Cross and Mary Anstey

Performing in an Arts Festival 

NEWPORT :  SOUTH WALES

Fake News at Tredegar House, Newport, South Wales

Myths About The Morgans of  Tredegar  House

FAKE NEWS

Introduction to new book with Footnotes

"Myths About The Morgans of Tredegar House, Newport, South Wales: Busting the History Fraudsters"

By William Cross, FSA Scot

Fake news is the scourge of today’s Society.

As  a   researcher  into  the  Morgans  of   Tredegar  House, Newport, South Wales,  and  the  Author of  seven  books  on  members of  that family,  I am concerned over   fake  news,  myths,  and  bad  history  about  them  in  the  public  domain.

For instance,  in  2017 several  articles in a local  Welsh  newspaper were riddled with  inaccuracies about  Lady Katharine Carnegie, Viscountess Tredegar (1867-1949) and  John  Morgan,  last Lord Tredegar (1908-1962).  [1] The newspaper trail in time past also carries fake news.  [2]

During   2016,   a   film  was  shown  to  visitors  at  Tredegar House  about a  ‘black box’  of  secrets  belonging to Evan Morgan, the last Viscount Tredegar.  The  claim  in the  film was  that  private documents  about  or  written by Evan,  who  died in 1949, had come to light since his death. The assertion continued that since these items could not be traced elsewhere they must have come from the mysterious ‘black box’ it is said that Evan left behind.

The film featured a group of students engaged in a foolish treasure hunt, apparently using geophysical scanners in the grounds of Tredegar House to try to locate the ‘black box’ buried there. The film ends with nothing being found.  The equipment was as phoney as the film; the consequence was the creation of fake news. [3]

It  is  for  those   charged  as  custodians  in  preserving  the accuracy and  integrity of  the  Morgan  family’s legacy (currently, The National Trust)  on  behalf  of Newport      (as the City owns Tredegar House),  to  identify and expunge such trite as the above, treated as true  history, besides, which,  those who guard  Morgan history should  not  be seen facilitating  the  erosion and falsifying of  that history.  [4]

It is  equally  paramount to  prevent  other  erroneous  tales  being imparted to  the  general  public  visiting  Tredegar   House  and through  wild  stories appearing in  articles,  newspapers  or  books that  could  be prevented with monitoring and  influence  over those responsible. [5]

In  the  exploits  of   the  Morgans  no  single  person  or  body  holds  all  the  information  in  every   detail  about  their rich, chequered  lives,  their loves, hates, achievements, successes and failures  in their  history. [6]

There is always room for  more academic study  and other research, for liaison, frank discussion, argument, differing opinion etc, and lessons from revisiting the family’s vast array of records and re-appraising the historical interpretations about the Morgans, but a story that is contrived or distorted is fake news. Allowing the outpouring of fake news is reprehensible.

In  this  short  book  the   aim  is  to  point  out   some   of   the myths  and  stories  secreted over the years into books, web sites  and articles  or  from  those personally heard on  public tours  at Tredegar  House.  I  offer, in good faith,  information  (and sources) to   support the Morgan  family’s  history  in order  to   bust  the mockery  and  deceptions  created by  myths and  fake news.  

I  would  be  pleased to receive any comments/  information/ documents/stories  etc  from readers  about any of the items in the book on the  Morgans  or  their  collaterals that may be suitable for inclusion  in  a  follow-up edition.  I would also be happy to correct my errors.

William Cross, Newport, South Wales:  30 April 2018

---

[1] South Wales Argus:   16th September 2017: “The bizarre world of one of Newport’s most infamous residents who practised black magic and kept a kangaroo” maligns the memory of Lady Katharine Carnegie, Viscountess Tredegar.  South Wales Argus: 4th November 2017: “The last Lord of Tredegar, who avoided paying millions, sold Tredegar House and lived as a tax exile in Monte Carlo” misrepresents John Morgan, the last Lord Tredegar.  The Author had letters published by the Editor of the South Wales Argus condemning these articles. Contact the Author for more details, if required including the text of letters/e-mails.

[2]  See Newspaper ‘Wales on Line’ of 5 April 2013. This carried an article on Evan Morgan, Viscount Tredegar (1893-1949) headed “The spying Welsh Lord, his occult secrets, and the dancing kangaroo.  A new book about the notorious Lord Tredegar Evan Morgan aims to tell his outrageous story for the first time”.  The book is itself a myth, it has not appeared, and the article is full of errors and is discredited by the research in the books “Aspects of Evan”and“Not Behind Lace Curtains The hidden world of Evan, Viscount Tredegar” by Monty Dart and William Cross.  Book Midden Publishing. ( 2013).

[3] This matter was the subject of a complaint by the Author to the National Trust at Tredegar House; please contact the Author for further details, if required. A short digest of events is as follows: Comments about the film were left in the feedback system at Tredegar House but there with no response. The Author wrote to the General Manager and copied the mail to the National Trust’s Area Manager saying the film lacked integrity. A meeting followed. The General Manager spoke of having a five year plan to obliterate myths and tall stories, with the appointment of a “myth buster”. She left the job soon afterwards. The National Trust subsequently removed the books written by the Author on the Morgans from the gift shop for sale to the public.  See also Chapter 12 of this book on Evan’s last papers and documents with the outcome of recent research on their whereabouts.

[4] See the Author’s introduction to his book “Sketches of Evan, Viscount Tredegar. ‘Lord of the Lies’ ” ISBN 9781905914463. A copy of this piece “The Erosion of the History of the Morgans of Tredegar House, Newport” is available by e-mail, on request.

[5] There seems to be no policy, clearing system or prohibition for employees of the National Trust giving interviews to the press or other third parties about the Morgans of Tredegar House.   See the Author’s book reviews on Amazon, Good Reads and Google. The Author would be pleased to send any reader a list of titles already in the public domain including several sourced by guides and volunteers at Tredegar House with fake news, bad history or bogus stories about the Morgans.

[6] Material on the Morgans is scattered across various British Archives, the National Library of Wales has the most important of the Estate records. Gwent and Glamorgan Archives have material as does the British Library, and the National Archives, Kew. Some records are still in the hands of other archives and in private hands.

New Book: Myths About The Morgans of Tredegar House, Newport

MYTHS ABOUT THE MORGANS OF TREDEGAR HOUSE

BUSTING THE HISTORY FRAUDSTERS

BY WILLIAM CROSS, FSA SCOT

Among the myths about the Morgans of Tredegar House is that they are descended from the Welsh Princes. Some also claim they have a family link to the notorious Captain Henry Morgan, the blood thirsty pirate of the Caribbean. Whilst at least one Lord Tredegar is dubbed ‘Cardinal Morgan’, the Pope’s right hand man in Wales’.

Such myths are often romantic notions substituted for fact.

Others are inventions. So what is the truth?

There are plenty of wonderful, established true stories about the Morgans and collaterals without adorning the tales told to the visitors with myths, inaccuracies and fake stories.

In this book William Cross (author of seven books on the Morgans) sets out to bust some of the myths.

ISBN 10 1-905914-42-3 ISBN 13 978-1-0905914-42-5

Published by William P. Cross, 58 Sutton Road Newport S Wales NP19 7JF 

For More details contact the Author William Cross by e-mail.

williecross@aol.com