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University of Texas at Austin

John Morley:

An Inventory of His Collection at the Harry Ransom Center

Creator: Morley, John, 1811-1849
Title: John Morley Collection
Dates: 1806-1894; 1969, undated
Extent: 6 document boxes (2.52 linear feet), 1 oversize folder (osf)
Abstract: The John Morley Collection largely consists of the papers and journals of John Morley (1811-1849), a teacher and writer born in Woodbridge, Suffolk County, England, who was educated in and taught at Quaker schools; a few papers and journals of John’s sister, Eliza Ann Morley Willis ( - 1898?); and much later notes on the papers compiled by collateral descendant Christopher Morley, Jr. (1916-2011), an Episcopal priest and only son of the well-known American author Christopher Morley (1890-1957). The collection offers a glimpse into the life of a 19th-century schoolteacher in England.
Call Number: Manuscript Collection MS-02924
Language: English, plus French, German, Hebrew, Italian, and Latin.
Access: Open for research. Researchers must create an online Research Account and agree to the Materials Use Policy before using archival materials. Condition: Readers are asked to use caution in using fragile material in this collection. Handle bound volumes carefully when removing them from folders, place them in a book cradle to protect the spine, and turn pages carefully when viewing. Many of these volumes contain paper slips labeling content, please maintain these in place for later users.
Use Policies: Ransom Center collections may contain material with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in the collections without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the Ransom Center and The University of Texas at Austin assume no responsibility.
Restrictions on Use: Authorization for publication is given on behalf of the University of Texas as the owner of the collection and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder which must be obtained by the researcher. For more information please see the Ransom Center's Open Access and Use Policies.

Administrative Information


Preferred Citation: John Morley Collection (Manuscript Collection MS-02924). Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin.
Acquisition: Gift of Christopher Morley, Jr., 1969.
Processed by: Catherine H. Cowen, 1984; finding aid by Cowen adapted by Joan Sibley, 2025.
Repository:

Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin

Biographical Information for John Morley (1811-1849)


1811 (August 28) Born of a Quaker family in Woodbridge, Suffolk County, England.
1818 Left home for a boarding school at Godmanchester, where he remained for three years.
1821-1825 Attended the Howards School at Ackworth in West Yorkshire on scholarship.
1825 (August) Apprenticed at Ackworth to become a teacher.
1832 Finished his apprenticeship and became a master at the Howards School.
1835 (May) Left Ackworth to become a private tutor in John Seebohm’s family in Friedensthal, Germany. Was introduced to German poetry.
1838 (April) Returned to Ackworth to teach French and German.
1839 (July) Went to London.
1839 (August) Went to Forest Place as a tutor to Harry Barclay and John Birkbeck.
1842 (February 22) Morley’s mother Elizabeth died.
1842 (July 7) Began his "Daybook of Facts."
1843 Began his engagement at Egerton, where he remained until 1849.
1849 (July 20) Returned to Ackworth from Egerton.
1849 (Summer) Tried to sell his series of essays on German poetry to Elizabeth Cooke’s Journal and other periodicals.
1849 (August 10) Died by drowning in England.

Sources:


See the Christopher Morley, Jr. folder in this collection for his biographical notes on John Morley.

Scope and Contents


The John Morley Collection largely consists of the papers and journals of John Morley (1811-1849), a teacher and writer born in Woodbridge, Suffolk County, England, who was educated in and taught at Quaker schools; a few papers and journals of John’s sister, Eliza Ann Morley Willis ( - 1898?); and much later notes on the papers compiled by collateral descendant Christopher Morley, Jr. (1916-2011), an Episcopal priest and only son of the well-known American author Christopher Morley (1890-1957). The collection offers a glimpse into the life of a 19th-century schoolteacher in England.
The Collection is arranged in three series: I. John Morley, 1806-1850; II. Christopher Morley, Jr., 1969; and III. Eliza Ann Morley Willis, 1837-1894. This order retains the arrangement established when originally processed in 1984.
Series I. John Morley, 1806-1850 (17 folders and 52 journals) is dominated by Morley’s journals (1824-1849) which sometimes give a day-by-day account of his life. The volumes are generically referred to as journals, but also include diaries, notebooks, poetry journals, school notebooks, a few commonplace books, and one gift album of original verse by John Cash Nield (1815-1893; John Morley’s colleague at Ackworth and a life-long friend). Also present is an 1809 volume with verse by E. Morley, possibly by John’s mother, Elizabeth ( -1842).
In addition to diary and journal entries, the volumes contain notes on languages, mathematics, sciences, essays and literary extracts from other writers, original verse, and pencil drawings. Illustrating Morley’s intellectual interests and desire for knowledge is a list of “Facts of the Day” (compiled 1840-1848) with trivia from all branches of learning. Also of note are two letters from poet William Wordsworth quoted in their entirety, written after Morley left a poem for Wordsworth at his home at Rydal Mount (vol. 16).
Among John Morley’s other papers are correspondence, financial and legal documents, language studies, literary works, and teaching materials. The literary materials include original poetry, essays on religion, sciences, and German poetry, literary extracts, and miscellaneous notes. Items relating to John Morley’s death include a George IV half-penny and finger pouch found on his body, along with information about his death by drowning and his estate.
Series II. Christopher Morley, Jr., 1969, undated (1 folder) contains notes made by Christopher Morley, Jr. in a notebook on the contents of the John Morley papers, including a list of the journals and notebooks; part of essay he wrote titled The Unknown John Morley; and a few other notes.
The volumes in the Collection appear to have been labeled and numbered by Christopher as volumes 1-53, matching the list in his notebook. There are an additional six unnumbered volumes. Of the total 59 volumes, 52 are included in the John Morley series, the other seven attributed to his sister, Eliza Ann Morley Willis, are located in Series III.
The following Container List includes parenthetical descriptions of the journals taken from Christopher’s list. The volumes themselves still contain paper slips marking specific content, also probably added by Christopher.
Series III. Eliza Ann Morley Willis, 1837-1894 (1 folder and 7 journals) includes 13 letters to Eliza Ann from John Cash Nield dealing with John Morley’s death and his poetry, 1849 to 1853; a chronology of her own life; a financial document relating to the death of their mother Elizabeth in 1842; an essay on Spenser, probably by husband John Willis; and seven journals with literary extracts from other writers and notes. Two of the journals reflect her presence as a teacher at York Quaker School for Girls, also called the Mount School in York, England.

Related Material


Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin: Christopher Morley Collection
Borthwick Institute for Archives, University of York: Records of The Mount School, Original Copy of the 'Out-of-School' Journal of Eliza Ann Morley, 1836

Index Terms


People
Morley, Christopher, 1916-2011.
Morley, John, 1811-1849.
Nield, John Cash, 1815-1893.
Willis, Elizabeth Ann Morley, -1898?

Organizations
Ackworth School.

Subjects
Quakers -- 1800-1900.
Quakers -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th century.
Society of Friends -- Education -- Great Britain.
Teachers -- England.

Places
Ackworth (England).
Woodbridge (Suffolk, England).

Document Types
Correspondence.
Journals.

Container List