Commander George Truman Morrell, RN, (January 29, 1830 - May 9, 1912) was a British career officer in the Royal Navy, from a family with a long history of naval service. Commander is a Military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. For the game see 1830 (board game. Year 1830 ( MDCCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) He was born in Dinan, France, a British subject, and spent much of his career exploring West Africa during the Victorian period. Dinan (Dinan Gallo: Dinan) is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in northwestern This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. In British nationality law, the term British subject has at different times had different meanings Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities In 1856, he led an expedition up the Niger River to protect British colonial interests, and bring to heel an unruly tribal king who threatened colonists near Lagos. On his retirement from the navy, he joined the coast guard and was stationed in Sligo, Ireland. A coast guard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea Sligo (disambiguation Sligo ( (ˈslaɪɡoʊ "sly-go" Irish ˈɕlʲɪɟəx is the County town of County Sligo in Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world When he finally retired from maritime service altogether, he and his family settled in Kent, England. KENT (1400 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Standards/MOR format England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland
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Marriage and Family
Sometime before 1862, George married Ellen Mary Stretton (b. cir. 1835, d. Year 1835 ( MDCCCXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common December 21, 1903), of Islington, Middlesex, England. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Islington is the central district of the London Borough of Islington. Middlesex is one of the 39 historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland They appeared to have settled in Kent, as this is the county where their children were born.
Together, they had ten children. They were:
- Arthur Wellesley Morrell, b. June 18, 1862, Gillingham, Kent, England, d. unknown date Naval officer
- William George Henry Morrell, b. September 2, 1863, d. June 16, 1939
- Rosa Elizabeth Morrell, b. February 16, 1865, New Brompton, Kent, England, d. December 3, 1941
- Douglas Henry Morrell, b. 1867, d. May, 1903
- Alice Fanny Morrell, b. September 10, 1868, d. unknown date
- Maud Lucy Morrell, b. June 13, 1870, d. July 31, 1876
- Patrick Frank Arthur Morrell, b. December 16, 1871, Dublin, Ireland, d. unknown date Vicar of Burton
- Edith Georgina Morrell, b. In the broadest sense a vicar (from the Latin Vicarius) is a representative anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior September 19, 1873, d. February 15, 1875
- George Edwin Morrell, b. January 7, 1876, Belvedere, Kent, England, d. January 14, 1935
- Frank Alfred Morrell, b. August 26, 1877, d. March 17, 1879
History of Service
- 1830, Born in Dinan, France, to Arthur Fleming Morrell and Elizabeth Reid. Captain Arthur Fleming Morrell RN ( 10 November, 1788 - 13 September, 1880) was an English naval officer and
- 1842, Entered the Royal Navy as a Midshipman. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) For the fish called midshipman see Midshipman fish. The rank of midshipman is one of the oldest ranks still in existence
- 1849, Promoted to the rank of Mate and served aboard HMS Excellent. A boatswain or bosun /ˈbosn̩/ is an unlicensed member of the Deck department of a Merchant ship. HMS Excellent is a Royal Navy shore establishment sited on Whale Island near Portsmouth, Hampshire.
- 1851, Involved in the capture of slave-ships off the coast of Nigeria, while serving aboard HMS Philomel. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal
- 1852, Confirmed to the rank of lieutenant with seniority from 1851. Lieutenant (abbreviated Lt or Lieut) is a Military, Naval, Paramilitary, Fire service, Emergency medical services
- 1856-1861, Discharged from the Royal Navy, and serving aboard a mail steamer.
- 1858, Subject of a War Office complaint against him, from which he was later exonerated. The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963 when
- 1861, Reappointed to the Royal Navy, and serving aboard HMS Wellesley. Two ships of the Royal Navy and one Shore establishment have been named HMS Wellesley after Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington.
- 1865, Embarked on an expedition up the Niger River aboard HMS Investigator. The Niger River (ˈnaɪdʒɚ NYE-jer) is the principal River of western Africa, extending about 4180 km (2600 miles
- 1869-1873, Served with the coast guard in Sligo, Ireland. Sligo (disambiguation Sligo ( (ˈslaɪɡoʊ "sly-go" Irish ˈɕlʲɪɟəx is the County town of County Sligo in Ireland.
- 1873, Retired at the rank of Commander. Commander is a Military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service
- 1912, Died at Gillingham, England. Gillingham ( is a town in the Unitary authority of Medway in South East England. His obituary was printed in The Times[1].
Niger River Expedition
In late 1865, George, who was then a lieutenant, was given command of HMS Investigator, a steam-powered, flat-bottomed British navy gunship. Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Lieutenant (abbreviated Lt or Lieut) is a Military, Naval, Paramilitary, Fire service, Emergency medical services The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 He spent the next several months steaming the ship up the Niger River, bringing gifts from the British government, in Queen Victoria's name, to tribal kings and elders along the river. The Niger River (ˈnaɪdʒɚ NYE-jer) is the principal River of western Africa, extending about 4180 km (2600 miles Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
During the voyage, George mediated a dispute between British colonists and King Obi Akazua, who reigned amongst the people at Onitsha, Nigeria. Onitsha is a City, commercial centre and River port on the eastern bank of the Niger river in Anambra State, southeast Nigeria Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal He observed first-hand the slave trade, which flourished locally despite the cessation of the trade throughout most of the western world. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another
He recorded his interactions in a hand written diary, including coloured illustrations of fascinating aspects of contemporary West African life along the river, such as this drawing of a brass canoe fitted with an awning and armed with cannons, used for local trade along the river. [2]
External links
- George Truman Morrell biography - The Morrells website
- Footnotes Winter 2001 edition, Northwestern University newsletter, article on p. 6 highlighting the acquisition of the 1865 journal (PDF)
References
- ^ The Times. London. 9 May 1912. Obit.
- ^ George Truman Morrell. Journal of the Niger River Expedition: HMS Investigator ms. 1865-1866. Melville J Herskovits Library of African Studies, Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.
Other sources:
- Public Record Office, Kew, Surrey, ADM 196 et al. The Public Record Office (PRO of the United Kingdom is one of the three organisations that make up the National Archives (the others are the Historical Manuscripts
- 1881 British Census, Kent