Photograph of Harry Morse

There is a photograph in the Photo Gallery of a soldier in WW1 which is entitled "Harry Morse born Bream Eaves held rank of 1st Lieutenant WW1." The photo is dedicated to Dulcie, whose photograph also appears on the gallery. She is in my family tree under the name of Epsy Eugenia Valletta Parry Morse but I cannot find any family relationship to her, nor can I find a suitable Harry Morse in any records, apart from a Forces Record website which lists a Harry D Morse, Lieutenant WW1 but I don't subscribe to this so I can't view the record.

Can anyone help please?

Post reply

22165 views

Don't subscribe to British Newspapers on line, so just a brief glimpse of the article.... looking at Forest of Dean records, this refers to the funeral of Thomas MORSE of the Rising Sun, Bream

Gloucester Journal : 8 February 1913

Bream

Chief Mourners, Mrs Morse (Widow) Mr Harry Morse & Mr Clifton Morse (Sons) Mr> Raymond Tranter - daughter, Mrs John DAVIES, Huddersfield, & Mrs H Yarworth, Bream Cross , sisters.

? Is Harry : Arnold Harry MORSE

Post reply

22056 views

Hi Janet

The photo of Epsy also names her parents. Does that help?

Epsy Eugenia Dulcie Valletta Parry Morse, Dulcie to You and I, she was born 1888 at Yorkley
Dulcie spoke six different languages and attended Lydney Grammar School
The only daughter of Sarah Jane Parry b.1869 and Edmund Riley Rainsworth Morse b.1860 Bream

Regards
Chris

Post reply

22060 views

There is a mention of what may be Dulcie here,

BNA Gloucester Journal - Saturday 26 July 1913

Yorkley

A very pretty wedding took place from Slade Monday afternoon, the contracting parties being Miss Ethel Morris, daughter of Mrs. Morris, of Yorkley and of the late Sergt. Morris, of the Gloucestershire Constabulary, and Mr. Cameron R. Johnson, son of Mrs. Johnson, and of the late Mr. Alfred Johnson, Honeysuckle House, Yorkley Slade. The bridesmaids were the Misses Dulcie Morse (cousin of the bride)……………………………….

Record_ID: 17910
Entry_Number: 357
Year: 1913
Month: Jul
Day: 21
Grooms_Surname: JOHNSON
Grooms_Forenames: Cameron Riley
Grooms_Age: 27
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Tinplate worker
Grooms_Residence: Yorkley Slade
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: JOHNSON
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Alfred
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Grocer
Brides_Surname: MORRIS
Brides_Forenames: Ethel Amanda
Brides_Age: 22
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation: [not stated]
Brides_Residence: Yorkley Slade
Brides_Fathers_Surname: MORRIS
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: William
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Police Sergeant
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns: [not stated]
Signature_or_Mark: Both sign
Witness_1: Delcie V Morse
Witness_2: Mary Thomas
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: J Kyle Chatfield
Event: Marriage
Memoranda: Fathers of Bride and Groom both deceased
Notes:
Register_Reference: P348 IN 1/3
Page_Number: 179
Parish_Chapel: Viney Hill

Record_ID 5023
Entry_Number 82
Year 1891
Month May
Day 3
Parents_Surname MORRIS
Child_Forenames Ethel Aminda
Fathers_Forenames William
Mothers_Forenames Ethel Aminda
Mothers_Surname
Residence St Briavels
Occupation Police Constable
Officiating_Minister J Bond
Event Baptism
Memoranda Sponsors Wm Morse[?] S Smith Ethel A Morris
Notes
Register_Reference P57 IN 1/5
Page_Number 11
Parish_Chapel Bream

Post reply

22037 views

Their marriage? Perhaps Mary = Ethel?

First Name William
Last Name Morris
Gender Male
Year 1890
Spouse
Image Quarter 2
Country England
County Gloucestershire
District Cheltenham
District Number
Registry Number
Volume 6A
Page 816
Line Number 299
Entry Number

William Morris married one of the people below:
Mary Aminda MORSE
Annie COOKE

Ethel (Mary?) with Harry MORSE?

GR 1901 Census, Newland Parish, Nags Head Hotel

Mary MORRIS, Head, Wid, 41, Hotel Keeper, b. Glos, Whitecroft
Ethel, Daur, 9, Glos, Yorkley
Harry, Son, 8, Glos. St Briavels
Leonard, Son, 7, Glos. Stroud
Harry MORSE, Brother, Single, 35, Glos, Whitecroft
Haphzibh? SMITH, Aunt, Wid, 82, Glos, Breams Eaves

Harry’s baptism?

Record_ID: 3835
Entry_Number: 421
Year: 1865
Month: Aug
Day: 30
Parents_Surname: MORSE
Child_Forenames: Howard Henry
Fathers_Forenames: William
Mothers_Forenames: Selina
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Whitecroft
Occupation: Haullier & Publican
Officiating_Minister: Cornelius Witherby Incumbent
Event: Baptism
Memoranda: p[rivate]
Notes:
Register_Reference: P57 IN 1/3
Page_Number: 53
Parish_Chapel: Bream

The rest of the family from FODFHT?

All with parents William and Selina

Year Surn Given Name Residence Occupation Parish/Chapel

1855 MORSE Corah Whitecroft Hauliier Parkend
1858 MORSE William Whitecroft Hauiler[sic] Parkend
1859 MORSE Mary Aminda Whitecroft Haullier[sic] Parkend
1861 MORSE Annie Laurie Whitecroft Haullier[sic] Parkend
1863 MORSE Eva Whitecroft Haullier[sic] Parkend
1865 MORSE Howard Henry Whitecroft Haullier & Publican Bream
1867 MORSE William Ernest Whitecroft Mason Parkend

Quite how Dulcie fits in I can’t determine but there must be some kind of connexion.

Post reply

22121 views

There is a photograph in the Photo Gallery of a soldier in WW1 which is entitled "Harry Morse born Bream Eaves held rank of 1st Lieutenant WW1." ..... nor can I find a suitable Harry Morse in any records, apart from a Forces Record website which lists a Harry D Morse, Lieutenant WW1, but I don't subscribe to this so I can't view the record.

Can anyone help please?

Hi Janet,

Searching the National Archives Army Medal Cards gives nine "Harry Morse"s, perhaps the best matches are those in local Regiments, as follows, altho in truth our man may have served elsewhere so... ??

TNA site only gives this basic preview info;

Reference: WO 372/14/111259
Description:
Medal card of Morse, Harry
Corps Regiment No Rank
Devonshire Regiment 52083 Private
Gloucestershire Regiment 49616 Private

Reference: WO 372/14/111261
Description:
Medal card of Morse, Harry
Corps Regiment No Rank
Monmouthshire Regiment 266243 Private

Reference: WO 372/14/111262
Description:
Medal card of Morse, Harry
Corps Regiment No Rank
Royal Army Medical Corps 3007 Corporal

Reference: WO 372/14/111257
Description:
Medal card of Morse, Harry
Corps Regiment No Rank
Royal Engineers 8386 Sapper
Royal Engineers 388386 Sapper

Reference: WO 372/14/111285
Description:
Medal card of Morse, Harry L
Corps Regiment No Rank
Gloucestershire Regiment 17655 Private

More details including promotions should be written on these Cards, images with full details can be downloaded for £3.50 each from TNA site, or from Ancestry (sorry, I'm not currently a subscriber) including their free-to-use public Library edition.
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_fn=harry&_ln=morse&_no=&...

---

Ref the card for Sapper Morse of the Engineers, a Forester would probably join them at Monmouth Castle, home of The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia). Searching their excellent website's records confirms the TNA record enlisted as a Monmouth man, but sadly gives very little additional info;

Morse, H, Regimental number:8386
Age at enlistment: 28
Record of service: Served in First World War
http://www.monmouthcastlemuseum-archives.org.uk/regsearch.php?func=listsurnames

---

Now seaching the CWWG site to see if any of the above died in the War, can find that

Pte MORSE, HARRY LAWSON, Glos Regt No: 17655, died 07/06/1917 age 24.
Son of James Thomas Morse, of Cheap St., Chedworth, Glos.

HOWEVER it must be remembered that our soldier may have been recorded as just "H.Morse", for which all these sites contain many more records.
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead.aspx?cpage=1

---

Searching the net for "Harry D Morse" also gives a Genes Reunited site reference stating he was a "Surgeon Lieutenant" in 1914. I'm not a member so cannot access the file.
http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/search/results?firstname=david&firstname_variants=tr...

---

Finally for now, I can only find one likely man in this FoD FH site's Soldier Database;

Record_ID: 3874
Year: _
Surname: MORSE
Forename: H
Rank: Private
Regiment: Army Reserve
Service_Number: _
Residence: _
Notes_1: Enlisted 24_November_1915 _ _
Notes_2: _
Newspaper: _
Date_Published: _
Image: _
Soundex: M620

============================

I do hope that this info helps lead to your Lieutenant Harry Morse.

Post reply

22072 views

Further to my post above, and very much belatedly, I've done what was surely the obvious thing and actually viewed the photo of Harry Morse... Apologies for not doing so earlier, my only excuse is during my many researches abt WW1 soldiers I've very rarely had a photo to look at... and it was late at night when I last viewed this thread.

Anyhow, I'm not an expert of WW1 uniforms and the photo isn't especially clear regarding Harry's regimental badges, but it's my belief his large badges are those of the Gloucestershire Regiment. Working thro' the various men I listed above, I can confidently say the badges are NOT from the Monmouthshire Regiment, the Royal Engineers, or the Royal Army Medical Corps. I'm unsure about the last "Reserve" soldier I listed.

Hence this appears to leave this man as the "best fit" from those I listed above. However and as said before this is not conclusive proof that this is "our" Harry, especially as he's listed as a Private.

Reference: WO 372/14/111259
Description:
Medal card of Morse, Harry
Corps Regiment No Rank
Devonshire Regiment 52083 Private
Gloucestershire Regiment 49616 Private

I hope someone is able to research him fully; his Medal Card and, if available, Army Records will show if this man ever became a Lieutenant.

I've just found this excellent website abt the Gloucestershire Regiment, and to me the uniform & badges of Richard Byers in the photo at the bottom of this page bears more than a passing resemblance to this site's photo of Harry Morse.

http://www.remembering.org.uk/glosregtofficers/glos_regt_offrs_biographies_B.htm

http://forest-of-dean.net/gallery/yorkley/pages/page_8.html

I've also searched the Glosters Museum database for "Harry Morse". Their list contains 19 soldiers surnamed Morse, two are Harrys. The Service Number shows that one of them is Harry Lawson Morse detailed earlier, thus leaving this one, and from the Service Number he's the same soldier as detailed above;

Morse, Harry - statement of service

surname Morse
forenames Harry
rank PRIVATE
service number 49616
battalion 1/6

from http://soldiers.soldiersofglos.com/morse-harry-49616~25849/

The site also has one Harold Morse;

Morse, Harold - statement of service

surname Morse
forenames Harold
rank CORPORAL
service number 39633
battalion 8

Post reply

21904 views

With regards to that Harry D MORSE, Surgeon Lieutenant, he seems to have been a Navy man,

THE LONDON GAZETTE, 30 JULY, 1918
Admiralty, 20th July, m1918.

To be tempy. Surgs.— Harry D. Morse, M.D. 1st June 1918.

Ancestry, UK, Navy Lists, 1888-1970

Serving Dy Rosy, MORSE Harry D, MD, Sg. Lt, Seniority 1 June 1918 (Tempy)

Royal Hospital, Haslar
Temporary Surgeon Lieutenants,
Harry D MORSE, MD, 3 August 1918

Post reply

21865 views

Thanks Mike,
think this may be him ? (nowt to do with the Forest but interesting).

Dr Harry Dodge Morse, born 1894 in Nova Scotia, served as Surgeon in the WW1 Royal Navy then as a Doctor of Urology in Winnipeg ?

Detailed Obituary from 1966 in the second page of this pdf.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1936837/pdf/canmedaj01187-0043.pdf

I guess you were trying to find our Harry in the Gazette ?.
Personally I find searching that site very hit & miss, so I wish you good luck !

atb Jeff

PS it seems odd that I didn't find this chap when searching the National Archives site's Navy database ?.

Post reply

21974 views

You might mean Harry Yarworth of Bream’s Cross Farm who was a subaltern in WW1. Harry’s mother was a Bream MORSE!

Post reply

21370 views

Hello my GGG Grandfather was King Bailey we seem to be related somewhere along that line. Epsy I think her Father was Edmund Riley Rainsworth Morse and Mother Sarah Jane Parry they never married. Her birth is under Epsy Eugenia Valetta Parry born 1888 Monmouth.I have not come across Harry Morse did you get any further with him ? Take care Lynette

Post reply

21791 views

RSS Feed of thread

Forest of Dean FHT Forum

Photograph of Harry Morse (Photo Gallery)