[Life in Cambrian Register, vol. ii.; Diddanwch Teuluaidd, 1817 edit.; Rowlands's Cambrian Bibliography; Correspondence in Cambrian Register, vols. i. and ii.; Life of Goronwy Owain, by the Rev. Robert Jones, 1876; Adgof uwch Anghof, 1883; Geninen, vols. iii. 1885, and iv. 1886; information kindly supplied by Lewis Morris, esq. of Penbryn, Carmarthenshire.]
MORRIS, MORRIS DRAKE (fl. 1717), biographer, born in Cambridge, was son of a barrister of Cambridge named Drake, for some years recorder of Cambridge, by Sarah, daughter of Thomas Morris, merchant, of London, and of Mount Morris in Horton, otherwise Monks Horton, Kent. After his father's death his mother married Dr. Conyers Middleton [q. v.] He was for some time fellow-commoner of Trinity College, Cambridge. On the death of his grandfather in 1717 he assumed the additional surname of Morris as the condition of succeeding to Mount Morris (will of Thomas Morris, registered in P. C. C., 141, Whitfield). He died without issue, at Coveney in the Isle of Ely, where he possessed property, and was buried at Horton, his death being accelerated by intemperance. The estate of Mount Morris went by entail to his sister, Elizabeth Drake, wife of Matthew Robinson of West Layton in Yorkshire, and mother of Mrs. Elizabeth Montagu [q. v.]
Morris compiled in 1715 and 1716, from very obvious sources of information, 'Lives of Famous Men educated in the University of Cambridge,' which he entered in two large folio volumes, and illustrated with engraved portraits. He presented them to Lord Oxford, and they are now Harleian MSS. 7176 and 7177. In 1749 Dr. Conyers Middleton, his stepfather, presented William Cole with Morris's rough drafts, which Cole indexed, and included in his manuscripts presented to the British Museum, where they are numbered among the Additional MSS. 5856-8.
[Hasted's Kent, folio edit. iii. 317; Brydges's Restituta, iii. 73; Addit. MS. 5876, f. 215 (Cole's Athenæ Cantabrigienses); Cat. of Harleian MSS. in Brit. Mus.]
MORRIS or MORYS, RICHARD (d. 1779), Welsh scholar, was a brother of Lewis Morris [q. v.], and, like him, combined a love of Welsh poetry and history with much business capacity. While still young he left Anglesey for London, and there obtained a position in the navy office, where he ultimately became chief clerk of foreign accounts. After a long term of service he was superannuated, and died in the Tower in 1779. The chief service he rendered to Wales was his careful supervision of the editions of the Welsh Bible printed in 1746 and 1752. These were issued by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, in answer to the appeal of Griffith Jones of Llanddowror, Carmarthenshire, for a supply of bibles for his travelling free schools. 'Rhisiart Morys' not only supervised the orthography, but added tables of Jewish weights and measures. He also issued an illustrated translation into Welsh of the Book of Common Prayer. He was a leading figure among London Welshmen, and on the establishment of the original Cymmrodorion Society in September 1751 became its president. Among other Welshmen of talent whom his position enabled him to befriend, Goronwy Owain [q. v.] received much assistance from him, being employed to translate the rules of the society into Welsh.
[Diddanwch Teuluaidd, edit. 1817; Rowlands's Cambrian Bibliography; Life of Goronwy Owain, by Rev. Robert Jones, 1876.]
MORRIS, ROBERT (fl. 1754), architect, is described as 'of Twickenham ' on the title-page of his 'Essay in Defence of Ancient Architecture,' published in 1728. He received his instruction in architecture in the service of his 'kinsman,' Roger Morris, 'Carpenter and principal engineer to the Board of Ordnance,' who died on 31 Jan. 1749 (London Magazine, 1749, p. 96).
The earliest executed work ascribed to Morris is Inverary Castle (Gothic), begun in 1745, and after considerable delay completed in 1761. It seems probable that Roger Morris was concerned in the design, and that the building was erected after his death under the supervision of his pupil Robert. The central tower was destroyed by fire on 12 Oct. 1877, and restored in 1880. With S. Wright, Morris erected for George II the central portion of the lodge in Richmond Park, the design of which is sometimes attributed to Thomas Herbert, tenth earl of Pembroke [q. v.] The wings were added in later years. About 1750 he repaired and modernised for G. Bubb Dodington (afterwards Lord Melcombe) [q. v.] the house at Hammersmith afterwards known as Brandenburgh House. It was pulled down in 1822, and a house of the same name was afterwards built in the grounds, but not on the same site. Morris also erected Coomb Bank, Kent, and Wimbledon House, Surrey. In the design of the latter he was probably associated with the Earl of Burlington. The house was destroyed by fire in 1785; the offices were subsequently used as a residence until 1801, when the new house designed by Henry Holland (1746?–1806) [q. v.] was completed. With the Earl of Burlington
