William Morrice

London West India merchant, awardee of the compensation for several estates in Jamaica in various capacities, most notably trustee. Son of Rev. William Morrice of Kincardine O'Neil. Three of William Morrice's older brothers (Robert, James and David, the latter of whom q.v.) went to Jamaica to join their maternal uncles there in 'early life' (they were born between 1769 and 1775). William Morrice himself was initially a Lieutenant and then Captain in the Royal Marines.

1. William Morrice was born 20/07/1778, the son of Rev. William Morrice, minister of Kincardine O'Neil, Aberdeenshire, and his wife Helen, daughter of James Paterson, minister of Coull.

2. Will of William Morrice late of Cornwall Terrace Regents Park and St Mary Axe Esq., and Merchant who died 02/09/1842 at Cornwall Terrace proved 24/12/1877 by Rev William David Morrice of Salisbury effects under £35,000 previous grants Dec. 1842 and March 1843. Buried at St Andrew Undershaft of 14 Cornwall Terrace aged 65 08/09/1842. In 1841 William Morris [sic] aged 60 Merch[ant] born S[cotland] and Eliza [sic] Morris aged 50 born S[cotland] were shown at Cornwall Terrace.

3. Advertisement for creditors of late William Morrice of St Mary Axe and Cornwall Terrace West India Merchant who died in September 1842 referred to two causes in Chancery, both Morrice v Morrice, placed May 1843. The death of an Elspeth Morrice was registered Q3 1854 at Southampton Hampshire.

4. When the will of Rev. William David Morrice of Holy Trinity Vicarage Weymouth was proved in March 1898, his effects were £65560 14s 9d, resworn August 1898 at £73734 15s 1d.

5. The children of David Morrice of Jamaica (d. 1826) included two early settlers in Australia, John Morrice (NSW Legislative Assembly member for Camden 1860-1872), who named his half of an estate at Marulan Eling after the Hampshire estate of his uncle Walter, and William Morrice, who named his half of the same estate Comfort Hill after Comfort in Jamaica.

William Johnson, A genealogical account of the descendants of James Young, merchant Burgess of Aberdeen and Rachel Cruickshank his wife, 1697-1893, with notes on many of the families with which they are connected.

1. Hew Scott, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae (Edinburgh, 1926) vol. VI pp. 101-102.

2. National Probate Calendar 1877; Ancestry.com, London, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813-1980 [database online]; 1841 census online.

3. London Gazette, Issue 20228, 26/05/1843, p. 1762; Ancestry.com, England & Wales, Free BMD Death Index: 1837-1915 [database online].

4. National Probate Calendar 1898.

5. http://www.marulan.com/documents/24.html

We are grateful to Neil Barrow and Elizabeth Draper for their help with compiling this entry.