William Moreton Condry
- May 30, 1998
- 80 years
- kidney failure
About William Moreton Condry
William Moreton Condry, 80, English naturalist, kidney failure.
Explore other notable deaths in 1998 or deaths in May 1998.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know William Moreton Condry?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Advertisement
Full Biography
|William Moreton Condry MA, MSc (1 March 1918 – 30 May 1998), was a naturalist who was born in Birmingham, England.
He earned degrees from the University of Birmingham, in French, from the University of London, in Latin, and from Aberystwyth University, in history.
Like his parents, he was a pacifist, and, being a conscientious objector worked as a forester in Herefordshire during World War II. He married a woman called Penny in 1946. The next year the West Wales Field Society (later the Dyfed Wildlife Trust) appointed him as their warden for Mid Wales, a post he held until 1956. He also edited their journal, Field Notes.
He was warden at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds's Ynys-hir reserve from its inception in 1969, until his in 1982, he and Penny having lived at Ynys Edwin cottage there since 1959 at the invitation of Hugh Mappin, the owner of the estate. Condry was one of the main forces in the preservation of the red kite in Wales. He wrote many guides and nature books, including two volumes in Collins' New Naturalist series, Snowdonia National Park (1966) and The Natural History of Wales (1984). Pathway to the Wild (1975) and Wildlife My Life (1995) are autobiographical.
He contributed, fortnightly, to The Guardian's Country Diary column for over forty years, and appeared on several BBC Radio programmes.
He received an honorary MSc from the University of Wales in 1980, and held the position of Vice-President of the West Wales Naturalists' Trust from 1982.
He died from kidney failure on 30 May 1998, at Morriston Hospital. Following cremation at Aberystwyth, his ashes were scattered on Cadair Idris. The William Condry Memorial Lecture is held annually in his honour, and a hide at Ynys-hir is named after him.
Works
- Thoreau. Witherby. 1954. ISBN 978-0854930425.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - Snowdonia National Park. Collins. 1966.
- Birds and Wild Africa. 1967. ISBN 978-0002110754.
- Exploring Wales. Faber & Faber. 1972. ISBN 978-0571099221.
- Countryside Birds. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. 1972. ISBN 978-0903138024.
- Pathway to the Wild. Faber & Faber. 1975. ISBN 978-0571099344.
- World of a Mountain. Faber & Faber. 1977. ISBN 978-0571107797.
- The Natural History of Wales. Collins. 1982. ISBN 978-0002195683.
- Snowdonia. David and Charles. 1987. ISBN 978-0715387344.
- Wales. Gomer Press. 1991. ISBN 978-0863837814.
- Welsh Country Diary. Gomer Press. 1993. ISBN 978-0863838729.
- Wildlife in our Welsh Parish. Egwlys Fach Women's Institute. 1993.
- Wildlife, My Life. Gomer Press. 1995. ISBN 9781859021828.
- Welsh Country Essays. Gomer Press. 1996. ISBN 978-1859023952.
- Wildflower Safari: The Life of Mary Richards. Gomer Press. 1998. ISBN 9781859025581.
- Heart of the Country: A Photographic Diary of Wales. Gomer Press. 1998. ISBN 978-1859025581.
- A William Condry Reader. Gomer Press. 2015. ISBN 978-1848518834.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about William Moreton Condry on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Moreton_Condry
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from William Moreton Condry's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was William Moreton Condry born?
- A.Birminghamcorrect
- B.London
- C.Herefordshire
- D.Aberystwyth
William Moreton Condry was a naturalist who was born in Birmingham, England.
Source: biographical details
2.Which of these subjects did William Moreton Condry earn a degree in from the University of London?
- A.History
- B.French
- C.Biology
- D.Latincorrect
William Moreton Condry earned degrees from the University of London in Latin.
Source: education section
3.What occupation did William Moreton Condry hold during World War II due to his status as a conscientious objector?
- A.Teacher
- B.Journalist
- C.Forestercorrect
- D.Naturalist
As a conscientious objector, William Moreton Condry worked as a forester in Herefordshire during World War II.
Source: early life and war work
4.In what year did William Moreton Condry marry a woman named Penny?
- A.1944
- B.1948
- C.1946correct
- D.1950
William Moreton Condry married a woman called Penny in 1946.
Source: early career
5.What role did the West Wales Field Society appoint William Moreton Condry to in 1947?
- A.Secretary
- B.Journal Editor
- C.Warden for Mid Walescorrect
- D.President
In 1947, the West Wales Field Society appointed William Moreton Condry as their warden for Mid Wales.
Source: early career
6.At which reserve did William Moreton Condry serve as warden from 1969 until 1982?
- A.Birmingham Botanical
- B.Herefordshire Woods
- C.Cadair Idris
- D.Ynys-hircorrect
William Moreton Condry was warden at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds's Ynys-hir reserve from 1969 until 1982.
Source: career at Ynys-hir
7.Who invited William Moreton Condry and his wife to live at Ynys Edwin cottage in 1959?
- A.The Guardian
- B.The West Wales Field Society
- C.The University of Wales
- D.Hugh Mappincorrect
William Moreton Condry and his wife lived at Ynys Edwin cottage starting in 1959 at the invitation of Hugh Mappin.
Source: life at Ynys-hir
8.William Moreton Condry was a main force in the preservation of which species in Wales?
- A.Welsh mountain pony
- B.Peregrine falcon
- C.Red kitecorrect
- D.Golden eagle
William Moreton Condry was one of the main forces in the preservation of the red kite in Wales.
Source: legacy and conservation
9.Which of the following titles by William Moreton Condry is identified as autobiographical?
- A.The Natural History of Wales
- B.Thoreau
- C.Wildlife My Lifecorrect
- D.Snowdonia National Park
Wildlife My Life (1995) is explicitly identified as an autobiographical work by William Moreton Condry.
Source: works section
10.For which publication did William Moreton Condry write a column fortnightly for over forty years?
- A.The Telegraph
- B.The Guardiancorrect
- C.The Daily Mail
- D.The Times
William Moreton Condry contributed, fortnightly, to The Guardian's Country Diary column for over forty years.
Source: media career
11.What honorary degree did the University of Wales bestow upon William Moreton Condry in 1980?
- A.Honorary PhD
- B.Honorary DSc
- C.Honorary MSccorrect
- D.Honorary BA
William Moreton Condry received an honorary MSc from the University of Wales in 1980.
Source: awards and recognition
12.What position did William Moreton Condry hold with the West Wales Naturalists' Trust starting in 1982?
- A.Director
- B.Chairman
- C.Vice-Presidentcorrect
- D.Trustee
William Moreton Condry held the position of Vice-President of the West Wales Naturalists' Trust from 1982.
Source: awards and recognition
13.At which location did William Moreton Condry pass away in 1998?
- A.A forest in Herefordshire
- B.Morriston Hospitalcorrect
- C.His home at Ynys-hir
- D.Aberystwyth University
William Moreton Condry died from kidney failure on 30 May 1998, at Morriston Hospital.
Source: death details
14.Where were the ashes of William Moreton Condry scattered following his cremation?
- A.Birmingham
- B.Herefordshire
- C.Ynys-hir
- D.Cadair Idriscorrect
Following cremation at Aberystwyth, the ashes of William Moreton Condry were scattered on Cadair Idris.
Source: death details
15.What commemorative honor is held annually to honor William Moreton Condry?
- A.The Condry Field Notes Award
- B.The Ynys-hir Bird Festival
- C.The William Condry Memorial Lecturecorrect
- D.The Condry Nature Prize
The William Condry Memorial Lecture is held annually in his honour.
Source: legacy
16.Which specific feature at the Ynys-hir reserve was named after William Moreton Condry?
- A.A nature trail
- B.A research building
- C.A bird hidecorrect
- D.A garden
A hide at Ynys-hir is named after William Moreton Condry.
Source: legacy
People who died on May 30
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for William Moreton Condry →Advertisement
