The morris family
(1897-1943)
Samuel and Mary Morris and their 8 children were a well-known working class family that lived on the corner of George and Silas Streets, East Fremantle from 1914 until 1925. Three of their sons and one son-in-law served with the AIF during WWl and all returned.
Samuel Morris (1859-1925) & Mary Morris (nee Ryan, 1869-1943) and their family traveled to Western Australia from New South Wales c.1897. Family history says Samuel worked as the chief Pile Driver on the construction of the Fremantle Harbour, which opened in 1897.
The family, with their eight children (and subsequent families) mostly lived in the Fremantle area. In 1910 Samuel, Mary and their eldest son Reginald lived at 22 Hubble Street (now 8), East Fremantle and from 1912-1913 they lived at 151 Attfield Street, Fremantle.
From 1914 to 1925 the Morris family lived on the corner of George & Silas Streets Plympton and the family home ‘Milton’ was next to, and some said, underneath, the Royal George Hotel.
Of Samuel and Mary’s four sons, the second eldest Samuel Stanley Morris Snr. (b.1889) was married with one child and did not enlist in WWI but the other three sons (Reginald Walter, Thomas Adolphus and George Arthur) all enlisted, giving their next of kin as either one of their parents at Silas Street. Reginald and George listed their occupations as jockeys and were initially taken into the Light Horse before transferring together to Artillery. Thomas was a labourer. While not exemplary soldiers the three brothers, and their brother in law made a huge contribution to the war effort. Their war records give a realistic account of life as working class and single men experiencing war in Europe. Perhaps with a ‘larrikin’ spirit- Reg and George made an effort to fight together when they could, and all three returned from the War.
Reginald ‘Walt’ Walter Morris, known as ‘Jockey Jim’ (b.1887-1923) the eldest son, rode as a jockey in unofficial race meetings before and after WWI. He enlisted 14 June 1915 (Service Number 1623), trained with the 10th Light Horse Regiment, and embarked on 23 November 1915 on RMS Mongolia. In Egypt in May 1916 he transferred to Artillery. His Unit- the 111th Howitzer Battery, Australian Imperial Force served in North Africa and France/Belgium. He contracted syphilis while in London and was AWL many times throughout his service. After being arrested in London he was finally court martialed on 4 February 1918, and returned to Australia on 1 May 1919. He never married. He died in Fremantle Hospital.
On March 20, 1923, at the Fremantle Hospital, Reginald Walter, dearly beloved son of Samuel and Mary Morris, of Silas-street, East Fremantle, and a returned soldier, late of the Field Artillery, A.I.F., aged 36 years.’ (The West Australian, Wed 21 Mar 1923 p1) (Reference)
Thomas Adolphus Morris (b.1892-1956) nicknamed ‘Skin’, originally joined up to the 11th Battalion on 14 September 1914 but was discharged a fortnight later, the reason being he was ‘Not likely to become an efficient soldier’ (the usual reason given to men who could not be inducted into the Light Horsemen). He joined up again 8 March 1915 and subsequently went to Gallipoli with the 16th Battalion and was wounded twice (13 July & 8 August 1915) and discharged back in Australia on 16 June 1916. Tom enrolled again on 19 February 1917 and when the ship was in Durban (South Africa) on 23 July 1917 he was noted ‘Absent Without Leave’. Later it was found he had joined the Native Transport Corps of the African Expeditionary Force and was fighting in German East Africa under his own name. Consequently, his record was notated ‘Not Eligible for War Medals’ but on 10 August 1922 he did receive the 1914/1915 Star. Tom married Violet Gwendoline Burton in 1926, and had one daughter Pamela.
George Arthur Morris (1896-1970), nick-named ‘Skinny’, Service Number 4655, enlisted on 30 November 1915 and embarked on the HMAT Miltiades (A28) on 12 Feb 1916 from Fremantle with the 11th Battalion. He then transferred to the 10th Light Horse Regiment, in Egypt, to be with Reg, but Reg was soon transferred to the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. Both then transferred to Artillery. George was hospitalised with VD (Gonorrhoea) in July 1916. In September 1916 he and Reg were both absent without leave and served their punishment together. In May 1917 George was deemed fit for Permanent Base after it was found he was deaf, and was discharged and returned to Australia. He married Doris Hopetoun Pridmore in June 1922, and had two sons. One, George ‘Arthur’ Morris Jr married Phyllis Weston (see Notable People) in Kalgoorlie in 1946 and they are Raymond Morris’s parents- lived at 89 Duke st. (Reference)
Samuel Stanley Morris (b.1889) & Jessie Elizabeth ‘Dollie’ (nee Wisbey) lived at 30 East Street in 1914, 132 King Street in 1916 and 149 King Street in 1917, which was Samuel Stanley’s address when he died of the Spanish Influenza on 14 July 1919. His funeral and burial were held the next day with the funeral procession leaving his parent’s place at the Cnr. Silas & George Streets. Samuel Stanley had four children and his widow subsequently married again in 1920.
The eldest Morris daughter Maggie May Morris (1888-1940) married Neil Miller (b. 1883) in Boulder WA in 1907. Her husband enlisted on the 17 August 1914 at Blackboy Hill – on the day the camp opened - and during the war Maggie lived at ‘Milton’ with her family.
Gunner, Sergeant, Lieutenant Neil Miller (#1796) embarked 31 October 1914 aboard HMAT Medic (A7) from Fremantle and served with 8th Field Artillery Battery, the 35th Fortress Company Australian Engineers 4th Division, and Australian Army Ordnance Corps. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in 1917. (Reference)
MILLER (nee Morris). On July 9, 1940, at Darwin, N.T., Maggie May, the dearly loved wife of Neil Miller (Commonwealth Lighthouse Service), and mother of Mrs. E.A. McNab (of Northern Territory Police) and grandmother of Neil James McNab; aged 52 years. (West Australian, Wed 17 Jul 1940 p1) (Reference)
Mary ‘Alice’ Morris (1899-1961) born Fremantle WA, married James H. Crocker c. 1921
Anna Eileen Morris (24 Dec 1901-1981) born Fremantle WA, married Frank Robson 1923
Nora Kathleen Morris (1904-1985 born NSW), married Roy Trevor Perham 1934
Family portrait c 1905/6 Standing, Left to Right: George Arthur Morris (b.1896), Reginald Walter Morris (b.1887), Samuel Stanley Morris (b.1889), Maggie May Morris (b.1888) and Thomas Adolphus Morris (b.1892) - they're around and across the back of Mrs Mary Morris (nee Ryan) sitting on the left and Samuel Morris on the right. The girl in the centre of the photo is Mary Alice Morris (b.1899), Anna Eileen Morris (b.1901) is front left, and Nora Kathleen Morris (b.1904) is front right.
Samuel Morris died at Silas Street, Plympton in 1925.
1925 The funeral of the late Mr Samuel Morris, of the Fremantle Harbor Works, and of Silas-street East Fremantle, took place on Saturday afternoon and was largely attended. The deceased, who was 66 years of age, was born at Newcastle, NSW. He had resided in this State, and principally at Fremantle, for the last 29 years. He was highly respected at the Port, and during his residence there he made many friends. A widow and a grown-up family of two sons and three daughters survive him... The pall-bearers were: Messrs. W. Glasson (president), C. Sullivan (secretary), J McKay, C. Reid, W.Steele, and S. Robinson, of the Coastal Docks River and Harbor Works Union of Workers. (The Daily News, 19 Sep 1925 p5)
In loving memory of my dear husband Samuel, who departed this life on September 3, 1925. Also dear sons Samuel, July 14, 1919; and Walter (Son), March 20, 1923. Inserted by their loving wife and mother. (The West Australian, Fri 23 Mar 1926 p1) (Reference)
In 1943 Mary Morris died at her daughters house, 53 Holland Street, East Fremantle
On November 9, 1943, at Fremantle, Mary Morris, widow of the late Samuel Morris, of 53 Holland-street, Fremantle East, loving mother of Thomas, George, Alice (Mrs J. Crocker), Anna (Mrs F. Robson), Nora (Mrs R. Perham) and the late Walter, Cis (Mrs N. Miller), and Samuel; aged 75 years. R.I.P. (The West Australian, Wed 10 Nov 1943 p1) (Reference) Loved mother of George, mother-in-law of Doris, grandma of Arthur (RAAF) and Kevin Morris (RAAF), 9 Edmund-street (changed to Chalmers St), Fremantle, beloved mother of Anna, mother-in-law of Frank, grandma of Allen (AIF) and Val Robson, dearly loved mother of Nora, mother-in-law of Roy (RAAF), grandma of Harry Perham, dearly loved grand-mother of Phyllis, Edna (AWAS), George (AIF), Stan (RAN), Jack (AIF), Fred (RAN), Albert; great-grandmother of Greg, dearly loved mother of Alice, mother-in-law of Jim, loved grandma of Joy, Jim (AIF) and Marj Crocker, grandma of Edith, Eric and Bill McNab (Adelaide, South Australia), our grandma-deeply missed by Joy, George (AIF), and Jan Devereux. (Reference)
Written and researched by Jo Darbyshire, Neil Smithson and from information and photos given by Ray Morris on his great grandparents Samuel and Mary Morris ( 2020)
Samuel Morris & Mary Morris c.1908
