Henry Vollam Morton
Encyclopedia
Henry Canova Vollam Morton, (26 July 1892–18 June 1979) was a journalist
and pioneering travel writer from Lancashire, England
, best known for his prolific and popular books on Britain and the Holy Land
. He first achieved fame in 1923 when, while working for the Daily Express
, he scooped the official Times
correspondent during the coverage of the opening of the Tomb of Tutankhamon
by Howard Carter
in Egypt
.
, Lancashire
, the son of Joseph Morton, editor of the Birmingham Mail
, and of Margaret Maclean Ewart. He was educated at King Edward's School
in Birmingham
.
, settling near Cape Town
in Somerset West and became a South African citizen.
, and spent most of the rest of his British career there, on various national newspapers and magazines. His first job in the capital was as a freelance
lineage reporter for the Evening Standard.
He served in the Warwickshire Yeomanry
during World War I
, but saw no action. After the war, he returned to London and journalism, from 1919 on the Evening Standard
, and from 1921 on the Daily Express
. His columns on London life in the latter became very popular. In 1923 he achieved worldwide fame for his reports on the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun
, as he successfully out-manoeuvered the official Times journalist who had been given exclusive rights to the story. From 1931 to 1942, he was "special writer" at the Daily Herald.
was becoming established in the UK, he set off to drive around England in a bull-nosed Morris
, an early mass-produced motor-car. His account of these travels and of the England of the 1920s was published in 1927 as In Search of England, a best-seller that established him as one of the leading travel-writers of the age. A number of similar books dealing with different regions of the UK followed.
Even greater acclaim greeted Morton's first foreign travel book, In the Steps of the Master (1934), which sold over half a million copies. The Master was Jesus
, and the book an account of Morton's travels in the Holy Land
. This was soon followed by In the Steps of St. Paul (1936), which presents a picture of Ataturk's Turkey
. This was followed by Through Lands of the Bible (1938) in which he visits Egypt
, Palestine
, Syria
and Iraq
, and gives a marvellous picture of this now vanished scene. Extracts from all three books were combined and published as Middle East during World War II
for the servicemen stationed there.
After the war, Morton turned his attention to South Africa
, publishing In Search of South Africa in 1948. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he wrote a number of books dealing with Italy
. A Traveller in Italy deals with North Italy.
A biography, by Michael Bartholomew, based on Morton's private papers, titled In Search of H.V.Morton was published by Methuen in 2004.
(FRSL). Greece
made him a Commander of the Order of the Phoenix in 1937 and he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
in 1965.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and pioneering travel writer from Lancashire, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, best known for his prolific and popular books on Britain and the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
. He first achieved fame in 1923 when, while working for the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
, he scooped the official Times
Times
The Times is a UK daily newspaper, the original English language newspaper titled "Times". Times may also refer to:In newspapers:*The Times , went defunct in 2005*The Times *The Times of Northwest Indiana...
correspondent during the coverage of the opening of the Tomb of Tutankhamon
KV62
KV62 is the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings , which became famous for the wealth of treasure it contained. The tomb was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter, underneath the remains of workmen's huts built during the Ramesside Period; this explains why it was spared from the worst of...
by Howard Carter
Howard Carter
Howard Carter may refer to:* Howard Carter , English archaeologist who discovered Tutankhamun's tomb* Howard Carter , American basketball player...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
Early life
Morton was born at Ashton-under-LyneAshton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, the son of Joseph Morton, editor of the Birmingham Mail
Birmingham Mail
The Birmingham Mail is a tabloid newspaper based in Birmingham, UK but distributed around Birmingham, The Black Country, Solihull, Warwickshire and parts of Worcestershire and Staffordshire. The newspaper, which was re-branded from the Birmingham Evening Mail in October 2005, is one of the biggest...
, and of Margaret Maclean Ewart. He was educated at King Edward's School
King Edward's School, Birmingham
King Edward's School is an independent secondary school in Birmingham, England, founded by King Edward VI in 1552. It is part of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham, and is widely regarded as one of the most academically successful schools in the country, according to...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
Later life
In the late 1940s he moved to South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, settling near Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
in Somerset West and became a South African citizen.
Private life
He firstly married Dorothy Vaughton (born 1887) on 14 September 1915; they divorced and he then married Violet Mary Muskett, née Greig (born 1900), herself a divorcee, on 4 January 1934: she survived him.Journalism career
After leaving school, Morton entered journalism on the staff of the newspaper edited by his father, the Birmingham Gazette and Express. After two years, he became its assistant editor in 1912. He then moved to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and spent most of the rest of his British career there, on various national newspapers and magazines. His first job in the capital was as a freelance
Freelancer
A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and...
lineage reporter for the Evening Standard.
He served in the Warwickshire Yeomanry
Warwickshire Yeomanry
The Warwickshire Yeomanry was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794, which served as a cavalry and dismounted infantry regiment in the First World War and as a cavalry and an armoured regiment in the Second World War, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, but saw no action. After the war, he returned to London and journalism, from 1919 on the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
, and from 1921 on the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
. His columns on London life in the latter became very popular. In 1923 he achieved worldwide fame for his reports on the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun
KV62
KV62 is the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings , which became famous for the wealth of treasure it contained. The tomb was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter, underneath the remains of workmen's huts built during the Ramesside Period; this explains why it was spared from the worst of...
, as he successfully out-manoeuvered the official Times journalist who had been given exclusive rights to the story. From 1931 to 1942, he was "special writer" at the Daily Herald.
Travel writing
Morton's first book, The Heart of London, appeared in 1925, and was a development of his popular Daily Express columns. In 1926, as motoringMotoring
Motoring may refer to:* 310 Motoring, an automotive customization garage based in Los Angeles, California* AA Motoring Trust* Best Motoring International, Japanese automobile magazine* Driving* Motoring...
was becoming established in the UK, he set off to drive around England in a bull-nosed Morris
Morris Motor Company
The Morris Motor Company was a British car manufacturing company. After the incorporation of the company into larger corporations, the Morris name remained in use as a marque until 1984 when British Leyland's Austin Rover Group decided to concentrate on the more popular Austin marque...
, an early mass-produced motor-car. His account of these travels and of the England of the 1920s was published in 1927 as In Search of England, a best-seller that established him as one of the leading travel-writers of the age. A number of similar books dealing with different regions of the UK followed.
Even greater acclaim greeted Morton's first foreign travel book, In the Steps of the Master (1934), which sold over half a million copies. The Master was Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, and the book an account of Morton's travels in the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
. This was soon followed by In the Steps of St. Paul (1936), which presents a picture of Ataturk's Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. This was followed by Through Lands of the Bible (1938) in which he visits Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, and gives a marvellous picture of this now vanished scene. Extracts from all three books were combined and published as Middle East during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for the servicemen stationed there.
After the war, Morton turned his attention to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, publishing In Search of South Africa in 1948. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he wrote a number of books dealing with Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. A Traveller in Italy deals with North Italy.
A biography, by Michael Bartholomew, based on Morton's private papers, titled In Search of H.V.Morton was published by Methuen in 2004.
Honours
Morton became a Fellow of the Royal Society of LiteratureRoyal Society of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
(FRSL). Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
made him a Commander of the Order of the Phoenix in 1937 and he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
in 1965.
H.V. Morton Society
The H.V. Morton Society ( http://www.hvmorton.co.uk/hvm_society.html ) aims to promote interest in, and provide a means for the exchange of views and information on, the life and work of the travel writer and journalist H.V. Morton.Publications
Listed below are the titles of the books and pamphlets written by H.V. Morton. He was a prolific writer and his body of work contains many hundreds of newspaper and magazine features and articles, the total of which may never be fully catalogued.| Title | Year |
|---|---|
| The Heart of London | 11 June 1925 |
| The Spell of London | 11 February 1926 |
| London | June 1926 |
| The London Scene | 1926 |
| The London Year, A Book of Many Moods | |
| The Nights of London | 11 November 1926 |
| When You go to London | 1927 |
| May Fair: How the Site of a Low Carnival Became the Heart of Fashionable London | 1927 |
| In Search of England | 2 June 1927 |
| In Search of Scotland | 1 August 1929 |
| The Soul of Scotland | 1930 |
| In Search of Ireland | 4 December 1930 |
| In Search of Wales | 16 June 1932 |
| Blue Days at Sea, and Other Essays | 20 October 1932 |
| Glastonbury, the Jerusalem of England | 1933 |
| What I Saw in The Slums | 1933 |
| A London Year | 1933 |
| In Scotland Again | 26 October 1933 |
| In The Steps of the Master | October 1934 |
| Our Fellow Men | 7 May 1936 |
| In The Steps of St. Paul | October 1936 |
| London: A Guide | 1937 |
| Through Lands of The Bible | 27 October 1938 |
| The Ghosts of London The Ghosts Of London The Ghosts Of London is a book written by Henry Vollam Morton , published in 1939 by Methuen & Co Limited in London. Far from being on the subject of ghosts and the supernatural, Morton's book is instead a sentimental portrait of historic London juxtaposed with contemporary London... |
16 November 1939 |
| Travel in War Time | circa 1940 |
| H.V. Morton's London | 31 October 1940 |
| Women of the Bible | 21 November 1940 |
| Middle East | 5 June 1941 |
| I, James Blunt | 1942 |
| I Saw Two Englands | 15 October 1942 |
| Atlantic Meeting | 1 April 1943 |
| Travels in Palestine and Syria | September 1944 |
| In Search of South Africa | 21 October 1948 |
| In Search of London | 24 May 1951 |
| In The Steps of Jesus | 1953 |
| A Stranger in Spain | 3 February 1955 |
| A Traveller in Rome | 29 August 1957 |
| This is Rome | 1959 |
| This is the Holy Land | 1961 |
| A Traveller in Italy | 24 September 1964 |
| The Waters of Rome | 1966 |
| The Fountains of Rome | 1966 |
| A Traveller in Southern Italy | 1969 |
| H.V. Morton's Britain | February 1969 |
| H.V. Morton's England | 5 June 1975 |
| The Splendour of Scotland | 11 November 1976 |
| The Magic of Ireland | 17 August 1978 |
| In Search of The Holy Land | April 1979 |