command, 22 March, 1800, of the Lady Charlotte, hired armed brig, Lieut. Morris, who continued in that vessel until Oct. 1801, succeeded, while cruizing between Start Point and Portland, in capturing L’Espoir and Le Petit Pirate, small privateers (the former carrying 6 carriage-guns and 23 men[1]), and in retaking several British merchantmen. Attaining the rank of Commander, 14 April, 1802, he was successively appointed, in that capacity – 6 Oct. 1803, 15 June, 1806, and 2 April, 1807, to the Penguin, Elk, and Renard sloops, on the African and Jamaica stations – 3 Dec. 1807, to the Magnet 18, in the Baltic – 11 April, 1809, for 12 months, to the Sea Fencibles at Lynn – and, 23 Sept. 1811, to the Vulture 16, employed off Jersey and Guernsey. In the Penguin, aided by his boats, he effected the destruction, on the bar of Senegal river, of the French privateer La Renommée, of 14 guns and 87 men, supported by two other vessels, 24 March, 1804;[2] he destroyed and took, in the Elk, the French and Spanish privateers Alliance, of 5 guns and 75 men, and Coecila, of 4 guns and 20 men; and, in the Magnet, after intercepting the Danish privateer Paulina, of 10 guns and 42 men, be was wrecked on the ice near Malmo, 11 Jan. 1809. After that catastrophe he marched with his ship’s company to Göttenborg, for the purpose of joining Sir Rich. Keats, then lying in Wingo Sound. On the breaking up of the ice he was sent home with despatches in the Centinel gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Elleston King. He left the Vulture, on attaining Post-rank, 1 Feb. 1812; and, on 1 Oct. , 1846, he accepted the rank he now holds.
For the loss of his leg Rear-Admiral Morris was awarded, 4 April, 1816, a pension of 300l. per annum. He married, 10 Nov. 1807, Sarah, daughter of B. Bentham, Esq., of Sheerness, by whom he has issue two sons and three daughters. Agent – Frederick Dufaur.
MORRIS. (Lieutenant, 1823.)
George Morris entered the Navy, 4 March, 1808, as Sec.-cl. Boy, on board the Puissant 74, Capts. John Irwin, Robt. Hall, and Wm. Paterson, in which ship he was for nearly four years employed at Spithead. In March, 1812, he joined, as Fst.-cl. Vol., the Sceptre 74, Capts. Thos. Harvey and Robt. Honyman, stationed at first in the North Sea, and next on the coast of North America, where, from July, 1813, until Feb. 1814, he served with the last-mentioned officer in the Marlborough 74. He then obtained a Midshipman’s berth on board the Perseus 22, Capt. Edw. Henry A’Court, at Newfoundland; and he afterwards became attached in succession – in Sept. 1815, to the Antelope 50, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral John Harvey in the Leeward Islands – and (after an interval of 10 months), in May, 1819, and Nov. 1821, to the Superb 74, and Créole 36, bearing each the broad pendant of Sir Thos. Harvey in South America, where, having held for 12 months the rating of Admiralty Midshipman on board the latter ship, he was nominated, 16 Nov. 1822, Acting-Lieutenant of the Conway 26, Capt. Basil Hall. On his return to England he was confirmed by commission dated 15 Feb. 1823. His appointments have since been – 26 Nov. 1823, as a Supernumerary, to the Ramillies 74, Coast Blockade ship, Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch – 8 Dec. 1827, to the Erebus bomb, Capt. Philip Broke, on the Mediterranean station, where he remained about two years – 29 May, 1833, to the Revenge 78, Capts. Donald Hugh Mackay and Wm. Elliott, of which ship, employed on the Lisbon and Home stations, he became First-Lieutenant – 16 April, 1834, to the Coast Guard – 25 May, 1843, to the command (on leaving the latter service) of the Skylark brig, of 4 guns, which vessel, on her return from the coast of Scotland, was lost in a fog off the Isle of Wight 25 April, 1845 – and, 23 Nov. 1846, to the command of the Torch steamer, of 150-horse power, now engaged on particular service. Lieut. Morris is Senior of 1823. He married, 12 Jan. 1841, Harriet, daughter of W. Smith, Esq., of the Customs, West Cowes, Isle of Wight. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.
MORRIS. (Rear-Admiral, 1846. f-p., 31; h-p., 40.)
Henry Gage Morris, born 27 March, 1770, at New York, is only surviving son (by Mary, daughter of Fred. Philipse, Esq., of that place) of the late Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel Roger Morris, a member of the Governor’s Council at New York, who served with distinction in the first American war; was wounded in the celebrated battle of the Monongahela river, in which General Braddock was killed, with most of his officers; assisted at the taldng of Quebec; and was Aide-de-Camp at other periods to General Gage and Lord Amherst. Rear-Admiral Morris, whose family sustained immense loss by its adherence to the Crown, had an elder brother, Amherst, who was rewarded with the rank of Commander for his conduct as First-Lieutenant of the Nymphe frigate, Capt. Edw. Pellew (whose own gallantry procured him the honour of Knighthood), at the capture of the French ship La Cléopatre, of 40 guns and 320 men, 18 June, 1793, and died 29 April, 1802.
This officer (whose name had been borne from 1776 to 1778 on the books of the Maidstone frigate, Capt. Alan Gardner) embarked, 22 Jan. 1782, as A.B., on board the Centurion 50, Capts. Sam. W. Clayton and Jas. Cotes, and in Jan. of the following year was present, in company with the Hussar 28, at the capture, on the North American station, of the French 36-gun frigate La Sybille. During the peace he was successively employed, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, on the Home and Jamaica stations, in the Princess Royal 98, Capt. Jonathan Faulknor, Camilla 20, Capt. John Hutt, Powerful 74, Capt. Andrew Sutherland, Drake 14, Capt. Geo. Countess, Courageux 74, Capt. Alan Gardner, Lizard 28, Capt. J. Hutt, Niger 32, Capt. Rich. Goodwin Keats, Martin 16, Capt. Geo. Duff and Queen 98, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Gardner., Being made Lieutenant, 2 April, 1793, into the Duke 98, Commodore Geo. Murray, he shared, in the ensuing June, in the unsuccessful attack upon Martinique. He was, afterwards appointed, on the Home station – 23 Oct. 1793, to the Glory 98, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Murray – 24 July, 1794, to the Proserpine 28, Capts. Alex. Fraser and Willoughby Thos. Lake – and, 8 Dec. 1796, to the Royal Sovereign 100, bearing the flag of his friend and patron, then Sir Alan Gardner, under whom, with the exception of a brief interval during the peace of Amiens, he continued employed in various ships, a great part of the time as Flag-Lieutenant, until presented by him with a commission, dated 8 May, 1804. In the following June he obtained command of the Espiègle 16, and in that sloop, and the Jalouse 18, to which vessel he removed 30 June, 1809, he was almost incessantly engaged for eight years in escorting convoys to and from Ireland, the British Channel, Lisbon, and the West Indies. It is worthy of remark, that on no occasion did any of the numerous vessels placed during that period under his charge either endure capture or part company. He attained Post-rank 12 Aug. 1812, but was not able to procure further employment. The rank he at present holds was conferred on him 1 Oct. 1846.
The Rear-Admiral married, 31 Jan. 1804, Rebecca Newenham Millerd, third daughter of the late Rev. Fras. Orpen, B.A., of Trinity College, Dublin, Vicar of Kilgarvan, co. Kerry, and Rector of Dangorney and Douglas, co. Cork. By that lady he has issue six sons and four daughters. His eldest son, the Rev. Fras. Orpen Morris, B.A., of Worcester College, Oxford, is Vicar of Nafferton, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and Chaplain to His Grace the Duke of Cleveland; his second son, Henry Gage, is a Commander R.N.
