Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 39.djvu/113

 Bristol, 1802. This is the latest date to be found on his work.  MORRIS, WILLIAM (1602–1676), secretary of state. [See .]

MORRISON, CHARLES (fl. 1753), first projector of the electric telegraph, was a surgeon of Greenock. He is said to have subsequently engaged in the Glasgow tobacco trade, and to have emigrated to Virginia, where he died.

Morrison was identified by Brewster and others with the writer of a letter in the 'Scots Magazine' for 1753 (xv. 73), dated 'Renfrew, Feb. 1. 1753,' and signed with the initials 'C. M.' This letter contains a suggestion for conveying messages by means of electricity. The author proposes to set up a number of wires corresponding to the letters of the alphabet, extending from one station to the other. 'Let a ball be suspended from every wire,' says the writer, 'and about a sixth or an eighth of an inch below the balls place the letters of the alphabet, marked on bits of paper, or any other substance that may be light enough to rise to the electrified ball, and at the same time let it be so contrived that each of them may reassume its proper place when dropt.' Signals were to be conveyed by bringing the wire belonging to each letter successively into connection with the prime conductor of an electrical machine, when a current passes and electrifies the ball at the receiving end. The project was alluded to by Sir David Brewster in 1855 in the course of an article on the electric telegraph in the 'North British Review,' xxii. 545. In 1859 Brewster was informed by a Mr. Forman of Port Glasgow that, according to a letter (not now known to exist) dated 1750 addressed by Forman's grandfather to a Miss Margaret Wingate, residing at Craigengelt, near Denny, Charles Morrison had actually transmitted messages along wires by means of electricity, and he is stated to have communicated the results of his experiments to Sir Hans Sloane.  MORRISON, GEORGE (1704?–1799), general, military engineer and quartermaster-general to the forces, entered the train of artillery as a gunner on 1 Oct. 1722, and was quartered at Edinburgh Castle until 1829. He distinguished himself in suppressing the Jacobite rebellion of 1745, and was sent to the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich as a cadet gunner. After he had been instructed in the theory of a profession of which he had already learned the practice, he was sent to Flanders with the temporary rank of engineer extraordinary from 3 Feb. 1747, and served under Captain Heath, chief engineer of the Duke of Cumberland's army. He was present at the battles of Roucoux and Val (July) and at the siege of Bergen-op-Zoom (12 July-16 Sept.) With the assistance of Engineer Hall he made a survey of the river Merk and of the adjoining country from Breda to Stoutersgut. The drawing of this survey is in the British Museum.

On 2 April 1748 Morrison was appointed to the permanent list as practitioner engineer, and on his return home, on the conclusion of peace, he was sent to Scotland and employed in surveying the highlands and constructing roads on a plan laid down by Marshal Wade. Under Morrison's superintendence part of the trunk road from Stirling to Fort William was made, and also the road through the wilds of Glenbeg and Glenshee to Dalbriggan. His surveys of the former, dated 9 Jan. 1749, and of the latter, dated 22 Feb. 1750, are in the war office. Part of the road between Blairgowrie and Braemar was made by a detachment of Lord Bury's regiment under Morrison's orders. His drawing of this road is in the British Museum.

On 18 April 1750 he was promoted to be sub-engineer, and sent to Northallerton in Yorkshire for duty. Possessed of personal attractions and accomplishments, and having earned the good opinion of the Duke of Cumberland, he was about this time brought to the notice of the king, and in 1751 he was attached to the person of the Prince of Wales. He was promoted engineer extraordinary on 1 Jan. 1753, captain lieutenant on 14 May 1757, and captain and engineer in ordinary on 4 Jan. 1758. On 25 April 1758 he was appointed to the expedition assembled in the Isle of Wight for a descent on the French coast. He took part under the Duke of Marlborough in the landing in June in Cancale Bay, near St. Malo, and the destruction of St. Servan and Solidore. The troops were thence conveyed to Havre and to Cherbourg, and returned home again. On 23 July Morrison embarked under General Bligh at Portsmouth, and sailed on 1 Aug. for Cherbourg. Forts Tourlaville, Galet, Hommet, Esqueurdreville, St. Anines, and 