George Truman Morrell

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. He was born in Dinan, France, a British subject, and spent much of his career exploring West Africa during the Victorian period. 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. When he finally retired from maritime service altogether, he and his family settled in Kent, England.

Marriage and Family

Sometime before 1862, George married Ellen Mary Stretton (b. cir. 1835, d. December 21, 1903), of Islington, in a ceremony on August 29, 1861, at St Michael, Highgate, Middlesex [The National Archives, ADM 13/70 Supplementary Records, Marriage Certificates [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=7&CATID=-5447774&FullDetails=True&Gsm=2008-02-12&j=1] ] . They appeared to have settled in Kent, as this is the county where most 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. September 19, 1873, Dublin, Ireland, 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.

*1842, Entered the Royal Navy as a Midshipman.

*1849, Promoted to the rank of Mate and served aboard HMS "Excellent".

*1851, Involved in the capture of slave-ships off the coast of Nigeria, while serving aboard HMS "Philomel".

*1852, Confirmed to the rank of lieutenant with seniority from 1851.

*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.

*1861, Reappointed to the Royal Navy, and serving aboard HMS "Wellesley".

*1865, Embarked on an expedition up the Niger River aboard HMS "Investigator".

*1869-1873, Served with the coast guard in Sligo, Ireland.

*1873, Retired at the rank of Commander.

*1912, Died at Gillingham, England. His obituary was printed in "The Times" ["The Times". London. 9 May 1912. Obit.] .

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. 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.

During the voyage, George mediated a dispute between British colonists and King Obi Akazua, who reigned amongst the people at Onitsha, Nigeria. He observed first-hand the slave trade, which flourished locally despite the cessation of the trade throughout most of the western world.

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. [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.]

External links

* [http://www3.sympatico.ca/rjwmorrell/victoria.htm George Truman Morrell biography - The Morrells website]
* [http://www.library.northwestern.edu/news/footnotes/footnotes-wi-2001.pdf "Footnotes" Winter 2001 edition, Northwestern University newsletter, article on p. 6 highlighting the acquisition of the 1865 journal (PDF)]

References

Other sources:
* Public Record Office, Kew, Surrey, ADM 196 et al.
* 1881 British Census, Kent