Clifford Cory

Sir Clifford John Cory, 1st Baronet
Born	Wales
Died	3 February 1941(1941-02-03) (aged 81)
Occupation(s)	Coal mine proprietor, coal exporter, politician
Known for	Chairman of Cory Brothers Ltd.; Member of Parliament for St Ives

Sir Clifford John Cory, 1st Baronet (10 April 1859 – 3 February 1941) was a prominent Welsh coal mine proprietor, coal exporter, and politician affiliated with the Liberal Party.

Family and education

Clifford John Cory was born to John Cory (1828–1910), a notable South Wales coal broker and philanthropist. His education was conducted privately both within Wales and abroad on the continent. On 25 January 1893, he married Jane Anne Gordon Lethbridge, whose father was an army officer from Somerset. Their marriage lasted only three months before Lady Cory pursued a judicial separation.

Career

In 1886, Cory received a commission as lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion of the Welsh Regiment Militia; however, his principal occupation was in the coal industry, following the footsteps of his father and uncle Richard Cory. Frank Owen characterized him as among the emerging "young coal magnates of South Wales," operating within a global market and advocating for more liberal trade policies. At the time of his death in 1941, he served as chairman of Cory Brothers Ltd., a Cardiff-based company engaged in coal mining and exportation. He also held leadership roles as chairman of both the Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners Association and the Welsh Coal Trade Conciliation Board. Furthermore, he presided over the Cardiff Incorporated Chamber of Commerce from 1907 to 1908 and chaired the South Wales and Monmouthshire Schools of Mines.

Politics

Cory represented the Welsh-born, nonconformist, capital-owning Liberal elite, although this social group’s political influence was diminishing amid growing class divisions. During the 1890s, coal proprietors maintained social dominance in South Wales despite reduced political participation; Cory was a notable exception. He served as President of Cardiff Liberals and secured election to Glamorgan County Council in 1892 representing Ystrad by defeating a working-class incumbent. He retained this position until 1910 and remained the sole significant coal owner politically active in Rhondda during that era. Appointed High Sheriff of Monmouthshire in 1905, he also fulfilled duties as justice of the peace for both Glamorgan and Monmouthshire and acted as deputy lieutenant of Glamorgan. In 1907, he was granted a baronetcy—the Cory baronetcy of Llantarnam Abbey—and acquired Llantarnam Abbey from Reginald Blewitt.

Initially, Cory sought parliamentary office unsuccessfully as a Conservative candidate: he contested South Monmouthshire in 1895 and Tonbridge in 1900, focusing his campaigns on religious and temperance issues with some clerical backing. Although he declined to stand for St Ives in 1900, by 1902 he accepted candidacy there.

1906-1910

During the Liberal landslide victory of 1906, Cory captured St Ives from the Liberal Unionists and held the seat as a Liberal through both elections in 1910. Despite a Conservative revival in rural constituencies, Cornwall’s substantial nonconformist electorate—concerned about education policies favoring Church of England schools—helped sustain his support. The contentious 1902 Education Act, which transferred control from elected School Boards to Local Education Authorities and provided funding for denominational schools, mobilized nonconformist voters. This issue played a key role in Cory’s initial electoral success and maintained his popularity amid wider Conservative advances.

1918-1924

In the 1918 election, Cory backed David Lloyd George's Coalition government, probably receiving the Coalition Coupon, which resulted in no Conservative opposition; however, he was contested by Labour, who secured 38% of the vote. By 1922, running as a National Liberal supporting Lloyd George, Cory lost his seat to Unionist Anthony Hawke despite the absence of a Labour candidate. He managed to reclaim the seat in 1923 but was again unseated in the 1924 election.

Irish Home Rule

A committed Protestant and proponent of low church evangelism and temperance, Cory served as leader of the Welsh Protestant League and held the position of vice-president in the Christian Service Union, an organization dedicated to youth employment. His pronounced anti-Catholic views heavily influenced his opposition to Irish Home Rule. Between 1911 and 1913, he consistently opposed Home Rule legislation and presided over an anti-Home Rule gathering in 1914, highlighting his distinctive role as a Liberal MP resisting Home Rule.

Nonetheless, Cory never affiliated with the Liberal Unionists; his opposition to Home Rule likely contributed to maintaining his support base in St Ives against Unionist challengers. Economic apprehensions among local fishermen about Irish independence threatening their livelihoods, combined with Protestant anxieties over Catholic dominance in a liberated Ireland, resonated strongly within his constituency, reinforcing his electoral strength amid regional resistance to Irish Home Rule.

Other civic interests

Cory was instrumental in founding the British Federation of Health and Holiday Resorts, an association that brought together health spa and holiday towns to promote commercial interests, lobby for favorable legislation, and extend the summer vacation period. His constituency of St Ives, already known as a holiday spot, benefited from the Great Western Railway's 1877 branch line extension, which improved rail access and stimulated tourism. The Federation’s objectives closely matched those of his constituency. Subsequently, Cory advocated for animal welfare initiatives by supporting the Animal Defence and Anti-Vivisection Society and opposing contentious medical experiments in 1928.

Personal life

An accomplished sportsman especially skilled in polo, Cory represented England against France in 1909 at Cannes, played for the House of Commons team, and competed at the esteemed Hurlingham Club. A lover of music, he financially backed the Ton Pentre Temperance brass band in 1895; this ensemble later became known as ‘The Cory Band,’ reputedly the first brass band to be broadcast on radio. Known for his sociability and philanthropy, Cory regularly attended and hosted events spanning political, charitable, and social spheres while consistently contributing to various causes.

Family

In 1893, Cory wed Jane Ann Gordon, daughter of A. A. E. Lethbridge. Born on 25 July 1865 in Hamilton, Ontario and educated in England, she was an amateur pianist and embroiderer residing in London.

Death

Cory passed away at his residence, Llantarnam Abbey, at age 81 on 3 February 1941. With no direct heirs surviving him, the baronetcy linked to Llantarnam Abbey became extinct upon his death.