James
Morris was born in 1838. After his marriage be lived at Wellington
House, 65 Lingfield Road where he opened a newsagents in 1866. A post-office
was added in 1887. James had three children, Victor, Mary and Joanna.
James had strong puritanical beliefs had campaigned strongly against
the visit of a circus and the proposals to build a theatre in the
town. A member of the Liberal Party, he
served on the East Grinstead Urban Council between March 1903 and
his death in October 1906.
After James Morris' death, the shop was run by Victor, Mary and Joanna.
Victor was a talented photographer and won several prizes for his
work. Victor, like his father, was a Liberal and Nonconformist.
During the First World War Victor Morris
was a conscientious objector.
(1)
East Grinstead Observer (10th September, 1904)
James Morris objected to the Circus coming to East Grinstead. Morris
claimed that "a pavilion of varieties would not benefit the moral
character of the young people in in the town."
(2)
East Grinstead Observer (2nd November, 1904)
James Morris
strongly objected to the proposal to allow Taylor's Travelling Theatre
to take place in East Grinstead. James Morris contended that the theatre
was taking money from those who could least afford it and from some
of those who, before the winter was over, would be asking the ratepayers
for assistance. He contended that the Council was the custodian of
the town's morals.
Mr. Gallard said: "The theatre was a place that brought many
people into the town from surrounding villages and they all spent
something before they went back. There might be a few things they
ought to shut their eyes to, but on the whole people could learn things
for their own good in such a place."
(3)
East Grinstead Observer (5th April, 1904)
Rev. James Campbell and
Victor Morris gave an illustrated lecture on 'Passive Resistance:
Past and Present' at the Wesleyan Chapel on Wednesday. The lecture
included pictures of John Wycliffe, Oliver Cromwell, John Bunyan and
George Fox. Slides were shown by Victor Morris and the descriptions
read by Rev. James Campbell.
Last
updated: 20th August 2002
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