MORRIS. (Commander, 1846.)
William Morris (b) entered the Navy 26 July, 1823; and served as Midshipman of the Genoa 74, Capt. Walter Bathurst, at the battle of Navarin, 20 Oct. 1827. He passed his examination in 1829; obtained his first commission 28 June, 1838; and was afterwards appointed – 17 Jan. 1839, to the Trinculo 16, Capt. Henry Edward Coffin, on the Lisbon station – 6 Aug. 1841, to the Impregnable 104, Capt. Thos. Forrest, in the Mediterranean – 19 Oct. 1843, to the Hyacinth 18, Capt. Fras. Scott, employed on particular service – 9 March, 1844, as Senior, to the Tortoise store-ship at the Ascension, Capt. Arthur Morrell – and, 16 Dec. 1844, in a similar capacity, to the Ardent steam-sloop, Capt. John Russell, stationed on the coast of Africa, whence he returned to England and was paid off at the close of 1845. He acquired his present rank 28 May, 1846; and, since 28 Aug. 1847, has been in command of the Arab 16, at the Cape of Good Hope. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
MORRISH. (Lieutenant, 1841.)
Samuel Morrish entered the Navy 11 Dec. 1828; passed his examination 22 Jan. 1835; and at the period of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 23 Nov. 1841, was serving in South America as Mate of the President 50, Capt. Wm. Broughton. His appointments have since been – 15 Sept. 1842, as Additional, to the Illustrious 72, flag-ship of Sir Chas. Adam, in North America and the West Indies – 17 Feb. 1844, to the Electra 18, Capt. Arthur Barley, on the same station – 25 June, 1845, to the Coast Guard – and, 14 Sept. 1847, to the Asia 84, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Phipps Hornby, in the Pacific, where he is now serving.
He married, 1 July, 1845, Mary Elizabeth, daughter of the late Capt. John Mackeson, of the Hon.E.I.Co.’s service, and of the island of Jamaica. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.
MORRISON. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 22; h-p., 30.)
Isaac Hawkins Morrison entered the Navy, 8 June, 1795, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Malabar 54, Capt. John Parr, and in April and May, 1796, was present at the surrender of the Dutch settlements of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice. Following Capt. Parr, as Midshipman, in Dec. of the latter year into the Standard 64, and next into the Zealand, he continued with him in those ships until Feb. 1801, on the Home station; where he further, until May, 1804, served, part of the time as Master’s Mate and Admiralty-Midshipman, in the Fortunée 36, Capt. Lord Amelius Beauclerk, Raven and Gannet sloops, Capts, Jas. Sanders and Edw. Bass, and Tonnant 80, Capt. Sir Edw. Pellew. While in the Zealand, he had been lent to the Tisiphone sloop, Capt. Robt. Honyman, and Andromeda 32, Capt. Henry Inman. Being advanced to the rank of Lieutenant, 1 May, 1804, he was subsequently appointed in that capacity – 21 July, 1804, to the command, at Newfoundland, of the Queen Charlotte hired cutter – 25 Oct. following to the Camilla 20, Capt. Bridges Watkinson Taylor, on the same station – 25 Feb. 1805, to the Amaranthe 18, Capt. Edw. Pelham Brenton, employed in the North Sea and Channel – 26 June, 1806, to the Trusty 50, Capt. Brian Hodgson, attached to the force in the Downs – 16 April, 1807, to the Uranie 38, Capt. Christ. Laroche, off Cherbourg – and, 28 Nov. 1807, to the Adamant 50, Capt. Micajah Malbon, at Jamaica. After having acted for a short time as Commander of the Pelican sloop, he was confirmed to that rank in the Shark receiving-ship at Port Royal 10 June, 1808. He invalided home in Feb. 1809, and was next, 31 May, 1813, appointed to the Achates brig of 16 guns. In that vessel, with much injury to her sails and rigging, Capt. Morrison fought, off the coast of France, 21 Oct. following, a very gallant running action of several hours’ duration with La Trave, a, French frigate of 44 guns and 321 men, which had been previously dismasted in a gale of wind, and which was captured two days afterwards by the Andromache 38, Capt. Geo. Tobin. He also, 25 Feb. 1814, witnessed the surrender, to the Eurotas of 46 guns and 320 men, of another French frigate, La Clorinde, mounting 44 guns and 12 brass-swivels, with a complement of 360 picked men. He attained Post-rank 7 June in the latter year; and was lastly, from 25 Oct. 1824 until the close of 1831, employed as an Inspecting Commander in the Coast Guard at Tralee, co. Kerry. He accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.
Capt. Morrison married, 16 July, 1823, Louisa Adams, daughter of John Powell Smith, Esq., of Upper Berkeley Street, Portman Square, London.
MORRISON. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 11; h-p., 30.)
Richard James Morrison, born 15 June, 1795, is son of the late Rich. Caleb Morrison, Esq., who for 27 years was a Gentleman Pensioner under King George III. His grandfather, Rich. Morrison, was a Captain in the Hon.E.I.Co.’s service.
This officer entered the Navy 30 Sept. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Spartan of 46 guns and 258 men, Capts. Geo. Astle, Jahleel Brenton, and Edw. Pelham Brenton. Under Capt. Jah. Brenton, he saw much boat service in the Adriatic, participated as Midshipman in various attacks upon Pesaro and Ceseratico, and assisted at the capture of Lissa, Zante, Cephalonia, and Cerigo. He also, 3 May, 1810, shared in a brilliant and single-handed victory gained by the Spartan, in the Bay of Naples (after a contest of more than two hours, in which the British sustained a loss of 10 men killed and 22 wounded), over a Franco-Neapolitan squadron, carrying altogether 95 guns and about 1400 men. He continued in the same ship until Dec. 1810; and was subsequently, between Aug. 1811 and July, 1815, employed, part of the time as Master’s Mate, in the Elizabeth 74 and Myrtle 20, Capts. Fras. Wm. Austen and Arthur Batt Bingham, on the North Sea, Baltic, and Cork stations. In the latter vessel he appears to have likewise performed the duties of Lieutenant and Master. He took up, on leaving her, a commission bearing date 3 March, 1815. His last appointment was to the Coast Guard, in which he served from April, 1827, until Oct. 1829, when he was under the necessity of resigning from the effects of ill health, induced by the exposure he had suffered in rescuing 4 men and a boy from wreck in the month of Feb. 1828. His exertions on the occasion were acknowledged by a medal from the “Society for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck.” We may add that his commission had been presented to him in less than six months after he had passed his examination, as a reward for the conduct he had exhibited during the action in the Bay of Naples.
On 22 April, 1824, Lieut. Morrison presented a plan to the Admiralty “for registering merchant seamen” – since adopted in principle. He also, 24 Jan. 1827, proposed another “for propelling ships of war in a calm;” and on 6 March, 1835, he further suggested to the Board “a plan for providing an ample supply of seamen for the fleet without impressment.” In reference to the latter scheme he received the thanks of their Lordships, and had the gratification of not only hearing his arguments immediately employed in the House of Commons by Sir Jas. Graham, then First Lord of the Admiralty, but of likewise seeing them partially enforced, by the addition of a thousand boys to the naval force of the country. He married, 23 Aug. 1827, Miss Sarah Mary Paul, of Waterford, and by that lady has issue nine children. Agents – Burnett and Holmes.
MORRISS. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 33; h-p., 7.)
Edward John Morriss entered the Navy, 1 Jan. 1807, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Orion 74, Capt. Sir Arch. Collingwood Dickson, with whom he continued to serve in the Baltic, where he assisted at the siege of Copenhagen, and in the North Sea, until March, 1813 – the last four years and a half in the capacity of Midshipman. He was then for 18
