James Archibald Morrison
Encyclopedia
Major James Archibald Morrison DSO
(18 September 1873 – 27 October 1934) was a British Conservative Party
politician.
Morrison was the son of Alfred Morrison, of Fonthill House
and the grandson of James Morrison (businessman)
.
A rower and expert shot, Morrison became a second lieutenant
in the 4th (Eton Volunteer) Battalion, Oxfordshire Light Infantry on 12 December 1891, and transferred to the 4th Middlesex Volunteer Rifle Corps on 15 May 1895. He transferred to the Grenadier Guards
on 5 February 1895, and subsequently fought in the Second Boer War
.
He was elected as Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Wilton division
of Wiltshire
at an unopposed by-election in July 1900
. He was re-elected at 1900 general election
, but at the 1906 election
he lost his seat to the Liberal Party
candidate. In 1910, he inherited Basildon Park
from his uncle Charles (son of James Morrison
, and was elected MP for Nottingham East
. He resigned the seat
in 1912 by the procedural device of accepting the post of Steward of the Manor of Northstead.
Morrison made major improvements to the Basildon estate, building new cottages and pumping stations to supply it with water. When World War I
broke out, he returned to the Grenadier Guards. Harold Macmillan
served as a lieutenant
under his command. Badly wounded at the Battle of the Somme, he was invalided out of the Army and turned over Basildon Park for use as a Guards' convalescent home. He was awarded the DSO
in 1916.
Morrison sold off the Basildon estate to Sir Edward Iliffe
in 1929 and died in 1934.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(18 September 1873 – 27 October 1934) was a British Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician.
Morrison was the son of Alfred Morrison, of Fonthill House
and the grandson of James Morrison (businessman)
James Morrison (businessman)
James Morrison was a British millionaire businessman and Member of Parliament.Alternatively he was born in 1790, probably at Middle Wallop, Hampshire, and died 30 October 1857 at Basildon, Berkshire possessed of property in England valued at between three and four million pounds,...
.
A rower and expert shot, Morrison became a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 4th (Eton Volunteer) Battalion, Oxfordshire Light Infantry on 12 December 1891, and transferred to the 4th Middlesex Volunteer Rifle Corps on 15 May 1895. He transferred to the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
on 5 February 1895, and subsequently fought in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
.
He was elected as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the Wilton division
Wilton (UK Parliament constituency)
Wilton was the name of a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1295 to 1707, then in the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and finally in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of the Parliament of the...
of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
at an unopposed by-election in July 1900
Wilton by-election, 1900
The Wilton by-election, 1900 was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Wilton in Wiltshire on 17 July 1900. The seat had become vacant when the Conservative Member of Parliament Viscount Folkestone had succeeded to the peerage as Earl of Radnor...
. He was re-elected at 1900 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1900
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1900*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
, but at the 1906 election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
he lost his seat to the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
candidate. In 1910, he inherited Basildon Park
Basildon Park
Basildon Park is a country house situated 3 kilometres south of Goring-on-Thames and Streatley in Berkshire, between the villages of Upper Basildon and Lower Basildon. It is owned by the National Trust and is a Grade I listed building...
from his uncle Charles (son of James Morrison
James Morrison (businessman)
James Morrison was a British millionaire businessman and Member of Parliament.Alternatively he was born in 1790, probably at Middle Wallop, Hampshire, and died 30 October 1857 at Basildon, Berkshire possessed of property in England valued at between three and four million pounds,...
, and was elected MP for Nottingham East
Nottingham East (UK Parliament constituency)
Nottingham East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
. He resigned the seat
Resignation from the British House of Commons
Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom are technically forbidden to resign. To circumvent this prohibition, a legal fiction is used...
in 1912 by the procedural device of accepting the post of Steward of the Manor of Northstead.
Morrison made major improvements to the Basildon estate, building new cottages and pumping stations to supply it with water. When 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...
broke out, he returned to the Grenadier Guards. Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
served as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
under his command. Badly wounded at the Battle of the Somme, he was invalided out of the Army and turned over Basildon Park for use as a Guards' convalescent home. He was awarded the DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
in 1916.
Morrison sold off the Basildon estate to Sir Edward Iliffe
Edward Iliffe, 1st Baron Iliffe
Edward Mauger Iliffe, 1st Baron Iliffe , was a British newspaper magnate, public servant and Conservative Member of Parliament.Iliffe was the son of William Isaac Iliffe, a publisher and Justice of the Peace, of Allesley near Coventry...
in 1929 and died in 1934.