Edward Ellis Morris
Encyclopedia
Edward Ellis Morris was an educationist and miscellaneous writer.
Morris was born at Madras, India
, fourteenth child of John Carnac Morris, accountant-general of the British East India Company
at Madras, and his wife Rosanna Curtis. Morris was educated at Rugby School
and Lincoln College, Oxford
, where he graduated B.A. in 1866, with final honours in classics, law and modern history and M.A. 1869. He was an assistant master at St Peter's College, Radley, and at Haileybury
, and in 1871 became headmaster of the Bedfordshire
middle class public school. From 1875 to 1883 he was headmaster of the Melbourne Church of England grammar school
which made progress under his direction. During his period he established the prefect system in 1876, and started the first school journal and the first school library in Melbourne
. Morris resigned from Melbourne Grammar in March 1882 after financial difficulties hit the school; pupil numbers were in decline, partly due to the economic environment and partly to Morris's disciplinary measures.
In November 1882 Morris was appointed Hughes
professor of English
at the University of Adelaide
. In 1883 Morris accepted an offer from the University of Melbourne
for the position of professor of modern languages and literatures. Morris introduced courses in English, French
and German
languages and literature. Morris took a prominent part in the management of the university, and for several years was president of the professorial board. He had also many outside interests and it was at his suggestion that a branch of the charity organization society, of which he was the first president, was founded in Melbourne. The Melbourne Shakespeare Society, for many years the most flourishing literary society in Victoria
, was also founded on his suggestion, and he took the greatest interest in the Melbourne public library of which he was appointed a trustee in 1879. He became vice-president of the trustees in 1896. His "Memoirs of George Higinbotham
" was published in 1895, and his most important work, his painstaking and valuable Austral English: A Dictionary Of Australasian Words, Phrases And Usages was published in 1898. For this, he was awarded a Litt. D.
degree by the University of Melbourne. Morris died while on a visit to Europe on 1 January 1902.
Morris married the eldest daughter (died 1896) of George Higinbotham in 1879. He was survived by a son and three daughters. Morris also wrote two small volumes for the "Epochs of Modern History" series, The Age of Anne (1877), and The Early Hanovarians (1886). Morris edited the four volumes of Cassell's Picturesque Australasia (1887–89) and some of his lectures were also published separately. He had completed a work Cook and his Companions before his death which has not been published.
Morris was born at Madras, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, fourteenth child of John Carnac Morris, accountant-general of the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
at Madras, and his wife Rosanna Curtis. Morris was educated at Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
and Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
, where he graduated B.A. in 1866, with final honours in classics, law and modern history and M.A. 1869. He was an assistant master at St Peter's College, Radley, and at Haileybury
Haileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury and Imperial Service College, , is a prestigious British independent school founded in 1862. The school is located at Hertford Heath, near Hertford, from central London, on of parkland occupied until 1858 by the East India College...
, and in 1871 became headmaster of the Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
middle class public school. From 1875 to 1883 he was headmaster of the Melbourne Church of England grammar school
Melbourne Grammar School
Melbourne Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, located in South Yarra and Caulfield, suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
which made progress under his direction. During his period he established the prefect system in 1876, and started the first school journal and the first school library in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Morris resigned from Melbourne Grammar in March 1882 after financial difficulties hit the school; pupil numbers were in decline, partly due to the economic environment and partly to Morris's disciplinary measures.
In November 1882 Morris was appointed Hughes
Walter Watson Hughes
Sir Walter Watson Hughes was a pastoralist, public benefactor and founder of the University of Adelaide, South Australia.-Early life:...
professor of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
at the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
. In 1883 Morris accepted an offer from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
for the position of professor of modern languages and literatures. Morris introduced courses in English, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
languages and literature. Morris took a prominent part in the management of the university, and for several years was president of the professorial board. He had also many outside interests and it was at his suggestion that a branch of the charity organization society, of which he was the first president, was founded in Melbourne. The Melbourne Shakespeare Society, for many years the most flourishing literary society in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, was also founded on his suggestion, and he took the greatest interest in the Melbourne public library of which he was appointed a trustee in 1879. He became vice-president of the trustees in 1896. His "Memoirs of George Higinbotham
George Higinbotham
George Higinbotham was a politician and was a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, which is the highest ranking court in the Australian State of Victoria.-Early life:...
" was published in 1895, and his most important work, his painstaking and valuable Austral English: A Dictionary Of Australasian Words, Phrases And Usages was published in 1898. For this, he was awarded a Litt. D.
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
degree by the University of Melbourne. Morris died while on a visit to Europe on 1 January 1902.
Morris married the eldest daughter (died 1896) of George Higinbotham in 1879. He was survived by a son and three daughters. Morris also wrote two small volumes for the "Epochs of Modern History" series, The Age of Anne (1877), and The Early Hanovarians (1886). Morris edited the four volumes of Cassell's Picturesque Australasia (1887–89) and some of his lectures were also published separately. He had completed a work Cook and his Companions before his death which has not been published.
External links
- http://books.google.com/books?id=n9DhrpFhIzsC&pg=PR10&lpg=PR10&dq=Austral+English:+A+Dictionary+of+Australasian+Words,+Phrases+and+Usages&source=bl&ots=XwtHaz1qL3&sig=ix0kOlgE4otaKyZNYngf9GGmBzs&hl=en&ei=2abZSpnYFYLk6gPz3pGmBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=falseAustral English – A Dictionary Of Australasian Words Phrases And Usages By Edward E. Morris] at Google Books