Morris Cargill
Encyclopedia
Morris Cargill CD was a white Jamaica
n lawyer
, businessman, planter, journalist
and novelist.
Educated at Munro College, a prestigious Jamaican secondary school, and the Stowe School in England, Cargill was articled as a solicitor
in 1937. During World War II, he worked for the Crown Film Unit in Britain.
After the war, he played a role in the development of the coffee liqueur Tia Maria
. Returning to the Caribbean he worked as a newspaper editor in Trinidad, and, having acquired a banana plantation in Jamaica, began a career as a columnist for the Gleaner
newspapers in 1953 which was to last, with some interruptions, until his death. Until the late 1970s, his articles appeared under the pseudonym
"Thomas Wright".
In 1958, he was elected to the parliament
of the Federation of the West Indies, as a candidate of the Jamaica Labour Party
, and served as deputy leader of the opposition in that legislature for the next four years.
In 1964 he persuaded his friend Ian Fleming
to write the introductory article for a guidebook to Jamaica called Ian Fleming introduces Jamaica. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he collaborated with novelist John Hearne
, under the pseudonym
'John Morris', on a series of three thrillers -- Fever Grass, The Candywine Development, and The Checkerboard Caper -- about an imaginary Jamaican secret service. Cargill makes an appearance, in the surprising guise of a high court judge
, at the end of Fleming's novel The Man with the Golden Gun
.
For two years in the late 1970s, he left Jamaica because of his opposition to the government of Michael Manley
, returning in 1980 to join the campaign against Manley. During this period he lived in the United States and worked for the publisher Lyle Stuart, editing a study of the Third Reich in Germany called A Gallery of Nazis, and writing a memoir called Jamaica Farewell (an expanded version of which was reissued in 1995).
In his last two decades of life, he became an established figure in Jamaican journalism, which must have amused him as his entry in Who's Who Jamaica and the Directory of Personalities, described his hobby as "pricking and puncturing pompous people."
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, businessman, planter, journalist
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 novelist.
Educated at Munro College, a prestigious Jamaican secondary school, and the Stowe School in England, Cargill was articled as a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
in 1937. During World War II, he worked for the Crown Film Unit in Britain.
After the war, he played a role in the development of the coffee liqueur Tia Maria
Tia Maria
Tia Maria is a coffee liqueur made originally in Jamaica using Jamaican coffee beans. The main flavor ingredients are coffee beans, cane spirit, vanilla, and sugar, blended to an alcoholic content of 31.5% ....
. Returning to the Caribbean he worked as a newspaper editor in Trinidad, and, having acquired a banana plantation in Jamaica, began a career as a columnist for the Gleaner
Gleaner
Gleaner may refer to:*Gleaner Company, a newspaper publishing enterprise in Jamaica.*Gleaner Manufacturing Company, a manufacturer of combine harvesters.*Gleaning, the collection of crops left over after harvest....
newspapers in 1953 which was to last, with some interruptions, until his death. Until the late 1970s, his articles appeared under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Thomas Wright".
In 1958, he was elected to the parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
of the Federation of the West Indies, as a candidate of the Jamaica Labour Party
Jamaica Labour Party
The Jamaica Labour Party is one of the two major political parties in Jamaica, the other being the People's National Party. Despite its name, the JLP is a centre-right, conservative party.-Background:...
, and served as deputy leader of the opposition in that legislature for the next four years.
In 1964 he persuaded his friend Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
to write the introductory article for a guidebook to Jamaica called Ian Fleming introduces Jamaica. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he collaborated with novelist John Hearne
John Hearne
John Hearne may be:* J. T. Hearne , British cricket bowler* J. W. Hearne , British cricket all-rounder* John Edgar Colwell Hearne , Jamaican-born Canadian writer & educator...
, under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
'John Morris', on a series of three thrillers -- Fever Grass, The Candywine Development, and The Checkerboard Caper -- about an imaginary Jamaican secret service. Cargill makes an appearance, in the surprising guise of a high court judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, at the end of Fleming's novel The Man with the Golden Gun
The Man with the Golden Gun (novel)
The Man with the Golden Gun is the twelfth novel of Ian Fleming's James Bond series of books. It was first published by Jonathan Cape in the UK on 1 April 1965, eight months after the author's death. The novel was not as detailed or polished as the others in the series, leading to poor but polite...
.
For two years in the late 1970s, he left Jamaica because of his opposition to the government of Michael Manley
Michael Manley
Michael Norman Manley ON OCC was the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica . Manley was a democratic socialist....
, returning in 1980 to join the campaign against Manley. During this period he lived in the United States and worked for the publisher Lyle Stuart, editing a study of the Third Reich in Germany called A Gallery of Nazis, and writing a memoir called Jamaica Farewell (an expanded version of which was reissued in 1995).
In his last two decades of life, he became an established figure in Jamaican journalism, which must have amused him as his entry in Who's Who Jamaica and the Directory of Personalities, described his hobby as "pricking and puncturing pompous people."