Henry Vivian, 1st Baron Swansea
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The Right Honourable The Lord Swansea |
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| Member of Parliament for Swansea District |
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In office 1885–1893 |
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| Preceded by | Lewis Llewelyn Dillwyn |
| Succeeded by | William Williams |
| Member of Parliament for Glamorganshire |
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In office 1857–1885 |
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| Preceded by | Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot |
| Succeeded by | Abolished |
| Member of Parliament for Truro |
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In office 1852–1857 |
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| Preceded by | Humphrey Willyams |
| Succeeded by | Edward Brydges Willyams |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
6 July 1821 Swansea, Wales |
| Died | 28 November 1894 (aged 73) Swansea, Wales |
| Political party | Whig / Liberal |
Henry Hussey Vivian, 1st Baron Swansea (6 July 1821 – 28 November 1894) was a Welsh industrialist and politician from the Vivian family.
Born at Singleton Abbey, Swansea, Henry was the eldest son of industrialist and MP John Henry Vivian and his wife Sarah, daughter of Arthur Jones, of Reigate. His younger brothers were Arthur Vivian (who would become an industrialist and MP), Richard Glynn Vivian (afterwards an art collector and philanthropist) and Graham Vivian. His uncle was Richard Hussey Vivian, first baron Vivian. He was educated at Eton and studied metallurgy in Germany and France from 1838 before entering Trinity College, Cambridge in 1839.
After two years he became manager of the Liverpool branch of the copper-smelting business founded by his grandfather, Vivian & Sons. Three years later he became a partner of the firm before coming to Swansea to manage the Hafod Works during the last ten years of his father’s life (1845–1855). He developed a range of by-products from copper-smelting and diversified into other metallurgical activities. He is credited with originating the "sliding scale" of miners' wages after the strike of 1889, though other authorities attribute the idea to William Thomas Lewis, afterwards Lord Merthyr. He was one of the chief promoters of the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway, helped to further extend the harbour facilities of the town and championed the merits of Welsh coal in Parliamentary debates. It was largely due to his efforts that Swansea became a major industrial centre.
He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Truro 1852–7, Glamorganshire 1857–85 and Swansea District 1885–93. In 1889 he became the first chairman of the Glamorgan County Council. He was also a Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant for Glamorgan and for some years first Lieutenant-Colonel of the 4th Glamorgan Rifle Volunteers.
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