Selected Biographies

Morris, Reverend Benjamin Daniel – Born: Morseley, Staffordshire in 1858.  Parents: Daniel Morris (Tailor) and Mary [née Griffiths].  Family Connections: Father of Harold Hazlitt Morris [b1894] and Samuel Victor Morris [b1894].  Home: Victoria Place, Brierly Hill, Staffordshire (1901), The Manse, Hall Street, Long Melford (1911) to [1916], 20 Stanlow Villas, Whitly Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire (1921), 38 Rake Lane, Eastham, Cheshire [1931].[1]  Occupation: Congregational Minister (1901) to [1932].  Married: Jane Alice Hazlitt in 1892.  Service Record: Reverend Morris was a member of the Long Melford Suffolk Prisoners of War Relief Committee in 1916.  Died: Eastham, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire in 1932.

Morris, Harold Hazlitt – Born: Brierly Hill, Staffordshire on 4.10.1894.[2]  Parents: Benjamin Daniel Morris (Congregational Minister in Long Melford) and Jane Alice [née Hazlitt].  Family Connections: Brother to Samuel Victor Morris [b1897].  Home: Victoria Place, Brierly Hill, Staffordshire (1901), The Manse, Hall Street, Long Melford (1911) and [1915], 20 Stanlow Villas, Whitly Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire [1919] to (1921), The Hazels, Lumsdale, Lancashire (1939), Cantsfield House, Cantsfield Tunstall, Carnforth, Lancs [1971].[3]  Occupation: Bank Clerk for the London County Westminster and Parr’s Bank (1921), Bank Manager (1939).  Married: Sheila Groves in 1928.  Service Record: Harold was conscripted on 5.10.1915 as Rfn.4541 with 1/16^th [County of London] Battalion [Queen’s Westminster Rifles], London Regiment and posted to France from 30.8.1916 to 7.2.1919 as part of 169^th Brigade, 56^th [1/1^st London] Division.  The Battalion saw action during the Somme Offensive of 1916, notably at the Battles of Flers-Courcelette and Morval in September, and at Arras and the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917.  Rifleman Morris qualified as a Signaller First Class, receiving his discharge in February 1919 as Pte.551753.[4]  Died: Carnforth, Lancashire on 5.7.1971.[5]

Morris, Harry Stanley – Born: Wickham Market, Suffolk on 24.3.1892.[6]  Parents: Harry Edward Morris of Long Melford (Cabinet Maker) and Alice [née Habberfield].  Family Connections: Brother to Herbert William Morris [b1895].  Home: Middle Street, Wickham Market, Suffolk (1901 to 1911), The Hill, Wickham Market (1921), 70 High Street, Wickham Market (1939) to [1961].  Occupation: Cabinet Maker (1911 to 1939), Air-Raid Warden (1939).  Married: Gertrude Annie Jackaman in 1920.  Service Record: Harry was conscripted on 18.1.1916 into the Royal Flying Corps, transferring on 1.4.1918 as Flight Sergeant No.18683 to the Royal Air Force, serving with 63 Squadron at that time stationed in Mesopotamia.[7]  Died: Wickham Market, Suffolk in 1961.

Morris, Herbert William – Born: Wickham Market, Suffolk on 9.4.1895.[8]  Parents: Harry Edward Morris of Long Melford (Cabinet Maker) and Alice [née Habberfield].  Family Connections: Brother to Harry Stanley Morris [b1892].  Home: Middle Street, Wickham Market, Suffolk (1901 to 1921), 30 Dallinghoo Road, Wickham Market (1939) to [1979].  Occupation: Cabinet Maker (1911 to 1939).  Married: Mildred Annie Andrews in 1921.  Service Record: Although no definitive military record has been found, Herbert may have enlisted as Pte.14941 with 8^th [Service] Battalion, Suffolk Regiment.  If this assumption is correct then he was posted to France on 25.7.1915 as part of 53^rd Brigade, 18^th (Eastern) Division, seeing action during the Somme Offensive of 1916 and the Third Battles of Ypres the following year.  It was probably while fighting on the Somme in 1916 that he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the face of the enemy.  In February 1918 he transferred to the Regiment’s 7^th [Service] Battalion, then under the command of 35^th Brigade, 12^th (Eastern) Division seeing further action at the Battle of Arras on 26.3.1918 where his unit was heavily mauled.  His final transfer came in May 1918 when his battalion was absorbed into 1/1^st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment, receiving his discharge in February 1919.[9]  Died: Deben, Suffolk 1979 Died:

Morris, Samuel Victor – Born: Brierly Hill, Staffordshire in 1897.  Parents: Benjamin Daniel Morris (Congregational Minister in Long Melford) and Jane Alice [née Hazlitt].  Family Connections: Brother to Harold Hazlitt Morris [b1894].  Home: Victoria Place, Brierly Hill, Staffs (1901), The Manse, Hall Street, Long Melford (1911), Kerrentae, 20 Stanlow Villas, Whitly Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire [1918 ER], 38 Rake Lane, Eastham, Cheshire [1931 ER], Kerrentae, Eden Mount Road, Grange-over-Sands, Lancs [1965].[10]  Service Record: Samuel was conscripted in November 1916 as Pte.58706 with 2^nd Battalion, Cheshire Regiment.  He was posted to Salonika as part of 84^th Brigade, 28^th Division, being later promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal.[11]  Died: Grange-over-Sands, Lancashire on 6.7.1965.[12]

Notes – [1] Some addresses from the Electoral Roll.  [2] Date of birth from Death Index. [3] Some addresses from the Electoral Roll.  [4] For details of 1/16^th London’s movements see War Diary [WO 95/2963/2].  For the Battalion’s part in Flers-Courcelette and Morval see Chris M^cCarthy, The Somme: The Day-by-Day Account [London: Brockhampton Press, 1998], pp.100, 111 and 118.  See also his Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363], Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  [5] National Probate Calendar.  [6] 1939 Register.  [7] RAF Record [AIR 79/205].  [8] 1939 Register.  [9] For an outline of the deployments of the various battalions quoted see https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/.  See also his Medal Roll [WO 329] and Medal Index Card [WO 372] and Supplement to the London Gazette 21.12.1916 for notification of his Military Medal.  [10] Some addresses from the Electoral Roll.  [11] The joining date shown, together with the subsequent overseas posting, is based on the Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363] of John Frederick Wallis who was issued with the close Regimental number of 58710.  See also Samuel’s Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329] and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372]. [12] Date of death from the National Probate Calendar.