Richard Morris (c1831-c1884)

The parentage of Richard Morris is uncertain at this time, but it beleived that he may have been the son a John Foster Morris, a shipwright, and his wife Sarah (nee Moore). This has been determined by knowledge that Richard was born in Chatham, Kent, England in approximately 1827.

If he is a child of this couple, then his siblings were Mary, John, Mercy, Sarah and William. A Richard Morris of the correct age is recorded as living with this family at Fort Pitt Street, Chatham in the 1841 census, and again at 34 Coleman Street, Chatham in the 1851 census. His occupation in 1851 is recorded as labourer.

South Australia
The Richard listed as son of John Foster Morris then disappears from the British census records. This matches our Richard whose next official record of his existance is in South Australia. The date that he travelled and the ship that he arrived on has not yet been located. if he is indeed the son of John Foster Morris, then he travelled between the years of 1851 and late 1852.

The first official record of Richard Morris in South Australia is his marriage to Mary Ann Rundle, the daughter of Thomas and Mary Rundle (nee Mutton) who had arrived in South Australia from Cornwall in 1847. The couple married in Walkerville, and 15-year-old Mary Ann was 4 months pregnant at the time.

West Adelaide
Even though all their children were born in the city of Adelaide, the couple settled in West Adelaide, near Southwark in the Hindmarsh district, where Richard was employed as a shoemaker. Richard and Mary Ann would have 8 children altogether, between the years of 1853 and 1876. Their eldest daughter Eliza was married 4 years before their last child was born.

Their are two gaps between the ages of the children - one between 1856 - 1861 and another between 1864 - 1876.

The reason for the first gap is uncertain, but it appears that Richard travelled to Melbourne for some time. The South Australian Advertiser reported on 29/3/1860 that a Richard Morris boarded the steamer 'Omeo' for Melbourne the previous day with a James and Mary O'Brien and two of their children. The O'Brien family lived near the Morris family in the Hindmarsh district and would eventually marry into the family.

Richard was back in Adelaide later that year as his daughter Harriet was born in March 1861. The South Australian Advertiser all reported on 02/05/1862 that Richard, who had been a private in the Volunteer Force with the West Adelaide Rifles, was to be promoted to Corporal.

Desertion
In June on 1864, Richard's wife Mary Ann gave birth to twin boys. By October of the same year, Richard had deserted the family.

The South Australian Advertiser reported the incident on 2/11/1864. Mary Ann reported at the Police Courts that her husband could earn 2 pounds and 5 shillings a week at his trade (shoemaker), but he had given her only 10 shillings during the last 5 weeks. She had received some rations from the Government, but she had sought most of her support from her mother and father.

Richard in turn charged Mary Ann with infidelity, but that he had offered her 1 pound per week out of his earnings if she would leave her parents (it appears Mary Ann may have moved into their house with her children when Ricahrd deserted her). Several witness gave evidence that Richard had taken lodgings for a single woman whom he introduced under false pretences. When it was discovered that Richard was a married man with a family, this lead to the expulsion of both lodgers.

An order was made for the payment of 1 pound weekly, and for costs amounting to 3 pounds, 5 shillings. It also appears that Richard was expelled from the Volunteer Rifle Band, of which he was a part, as the Secretary of the association reported this in the newspaper on the same day.

When and if Richard and Mary Ann divorced has not been determined at this stage. The couple appeared to have reunited briefly 14 years later in 1876, when their last child Albert Edward was born, but would separately permanently by September of 1880, when Mary Ann married for a second time to a James Wishart.

Prize Fighting
Details of Richard's later life are scarce, but it appears he may have become involved in street fighting for extra money. On Friday 15/1/1882, he appeared at an inquest being held at the Destitute Asylum into the death of a man named John Thompson. Thompson was a well-known street fighter, and Richard had fought him in the two months prior to his death. Richard reported on his meetings and discussions with the deceased leading up to his death.

Richard was arrested for involvement in prize fighting one month later at Hardy's Vineyard at Underdale. He was arrested with four other men who were all oprder to appear before the Police Court. They were all fined for their actions.

Death
How, where and when Richard died is yet to be determined. The approximate date given of 1884 is based on a newspaper entry in the Chronicle in October 1884 about son William's marriage. It stated that Richard was 'late of Southport'. A search of the majority of death indexes across Australia has not found a matching death entry at this stage.

Children

 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Richard and Mary Ann Morris
 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of Richard and Mary Ann Morris