Aneurin Bevan

In 1934, Bevan married fellow Socialist Member of Parliament, Jennie Lee, who later in 1970 became Baroness Lee of Asheridge.

During the end of 1959, he suffered from severe pain. Resultantly, he was admitted in a hospital for ulcer surgery. However, examination confirmed presence of malignant stomach cancer.

Aneurin Bevan breathed his last on July 6, 1960 at his home Asheridge Farm, Chesham, Buckinghamshire.

Aneurin Bevan was one of the ten children born on November 15, 1897 in Tredegar, Monmouthshire to David Bevan and Phoebe nee Prothero. While his father was a coal miner, his mother worked as a seamstress.

Academically poor, young Bevan repeated a year of studies. Due to his dismal performance, he left studies at the age of thirteen and instead started working at the local Tytryst Colliery.

He joined Tredegar branch of the South Wales Miners' Federation and was appointed as a trade union activist. By the age of 19, he became the head of the local Miners' Lodge.

Bevan’s excellent oratory skills made him a highly influential figure in the Tredegar Iron Company. His rising popularity became a threat for his employers who sacked him. However, gaining support from the Miner’s Federation, he forced the company to re-employ him.

In 1919, seeking a sponsorship from the South Wales Miner’s Federation, he gained admission at the Central Labour College in London. He studied economics, politics and history. It was in London that the seed for his left-wing political approach was sowed.

In 1921, Bevan returned from London. With Tredegar Iron & Coal Company refusing to re-employ him, Bevan searched for work but in vain. He spent three years in idleness before being employed by Bedwellty Colliery. However, with the closure of the company, he was yet again unemployed.

It was in 1926 that Bevan finally found work again, as a paid union official. He became a head of the local miners against the colliery companies during the General Strike.

As one of the leaders of the South Wales miners during the General Strike, he was responsible for distribution of strike pay in Tredegar. Additionally, he helped in the formation of the Council of Action, which would be responsible for raising money and providing food for the miners.

In 1928, he served as the member of the Cottage Hospital management Committee. Following year, he was made the chairman of the committee, a post which he held for a year.

Bevan’s stint in politics started in 1928, when he won a seat on Monmouthshire County Council.

in his 31 years of political career, Bevan held various political offices such as the Minister of Health, Minister of labour and National Service, Shadow Foreign Secretary, Treasurer of the labour Party and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.

As the Minister of Health, Bevan achieved his most famous accomplishment of establishment of National Health Service that guaranteed free medical aid to all the citizens. Furthermore, he centralized nearly 2688 hospitals in England and Wales.