A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Morris, Henry Gage (a)
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.