Royal Naval Biography/Morris, George
GEORGE MORRIS, Esq.
[Post-Captain of 1812.]
Towards the close of the French revolutionary war, this officer commanded the Lady Charlotte hired armed brig, in which vessel he captured l’Espoir and le Petit Pirate, small privateers, between the Start Point and Portland: he also retook several British merchantmen. His commission as a Commander bears date April 29, 1802.
In Sept. 1803, Captain Morris was appointed to the Penguin, of 18 guns. On the 17th Mar. 1804, being off the bar of Senegal, he chased and drove upon it the French privateer schooner la Renommée, a vessel of large dimensions, mounting 12 long 6-pounders and 2 nines, with a complement of 87 men. The surf running high at the time, and continuing to do so, he had no opportunity of destroying her till the 24th. At this time she had shifted her position, from the efforts apparently of two other armed schooners, which, since the preceding evening, had dropped down to the mouth of the river, and were now within 400 yards of her. Standing as close in as the shoalness of the water would admit, the Penguin opened a fire upon the three vessels; but, although shot were exchanged for an hour and a half, the brig: could not get near enough to force the other two schooners to retire up the river: Captain Morris, therefore, yielding to the entreaties of his first Lieutenant (Mr. Williams), despatched him in the jolly-boat, with permission to attempt the destruction of her aground; a service which was executed in the ablest manner, and without any loss on the part of the British.
In 1806, we find Captain Morris commanding the Elk brig, on the Jamaica station, where he captured and destroyed several French and Spanish privateers. In the following year, he was successively removed to the Elephant 74, and le Renard sloop of war. On the 5th Dec. 1808, being then in the Magnet brig, off Bornholm, he intercepted the Paulina Danish privateer, of 10 guns and 42 men.
The Magnet being destroyed by the ice, near Malmo, Jan. 11 , 1809, Captain Morris returned to England with despatches from Sir R. G. Keats; and was shortly afterwards appointed to a command in the Lynn district of Sea Fencibles; from which period we lose sight of him until his promotion to post rank, Feb. 1, 1812. he at present enjoys a pension of 300l. per annum for wounds, but when or where he received them, we are not able to state.
Agent.– J. Dufaur, Esq.