merit. He wrote the account of the parish of Canisbay for Sinclair's 'Statistical Account,' and collected the topographical history of Caithness for Chalmers's 'Caledonia.' A translation of Herodian's 'History ' from the Greek remained in manuscript. He was an accomplished classical scholar and an able preacher.
[Scott's Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, iii. 359; Calder's History of Caithness; Maclagan's History of the Scottish Paraphrases; Julian's Dictionary of Hymnology; Burns's Memoir of Dr. Macgill; Bonar's Notes in Free Church Hymnal; Free Church Magazine, May 1847; Life and Work Magazine, January 1888; Private Prayers put forth by Authority during the Reign of Queen Elizabeth (Parker Soc.), p. 405; Cairnie parish register.]
MORISON, JOHN, D.D. (1791–1859), congregationalist minister, born at Millseat of Craigston, in the parish of King Edward, Aberdeenshire, on 8 July 1791, was apprenticed to a watchmaker at Banff, but, resolving to devote himself to the ministry, he became a student at Hoxton Academy in 1811. He was ordained 17 Feb. 1815, and became pastor of a congregation at Union Chapel, Sloane Street, Chelsea. In 1816 a larger place of worship was provided for him in the same parish. At the close of that year Trevor Chapel was opened, where he continued to labour for more than forty years. From about 1827 till 1857 he was editor of the 'Evangelical Magazine.' The university of Glasgow conferred upon him the degree of D.D. in 1830, and at a later period he received from an American university the honorary degree of LL.D. He died in London on 13 June 1859, and was buried in Abney Park cemetery.
He married in 1815 Elizabeth, second daughter of James Murray of Banff, and had several children. His portrait has been engraved by Cochran.
In addition to numerous minor works and discourses, he wrote: 1. 'Lectures on the principal Obligations of Life, or a Practical Exposition of Domestic, Ecclesiastical, Patriotic, and Mercantile Duties,' London, 1822, 8vo. 2. 'Counsels to a Newly-wedded Pair, or Friendly Suggestions to Husbands and Wives,' London, 1830, 16mo. 3. 'An Exposition of the Book of Psalms, Explanatory, Critical, and Devotional,' 3 vols. London, 1832, 8vo. 4. 'A Tribute of Filial Sympathy ... or Memories of John Morison of Millseat, Aberdeenshire,' London, 1833, 12mo. 6. 'Morning Meditations for every Day in the Year,' London [1835], 16mo. 6. 'Family Prayers for every Morning and Evening throughout the Year,' 2nd edit., London [1837], 4to. 7. 'A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, in the Catechetical Form,' London, 1839, 12mo. 8. 'The Founders and Fathers of the London Missionary Society, with a brief Sketch of Methodism and Historical Notices of several Protestant Missions from 1556 to 1839,' 2 vols. London [1840], 8vo; new edition, with twenty-one portraits, London [1844],8vo. 9. 'The Protestant Reformation in all Countries, including Sketches of the State and Prospects of the Reformed Churches,' London, 1843, 8vo.
[Memoirs by the Eev. John Kennedy, 1860; Evangelical Mag. September 1859 (by the Rev. A. Tidman); Smith's Cat. of Engraved Portraits, 1883; Funeral Sermon by the Rev. William Mann Statham, 1859; Congregational Year-Book, 1860, p. 200; Darlings Cycl. Bibl. ii. 2109.]
MORISON, Sir RICHARD (d. 1556), ambassador, was son of Thomas Morison of Hertfordshire, by a daughter of Thomas Merry of Hatfield. He is said to have been at Eton, but his name does not occur in Harwood's ‘Alumni.’ He graduated B.A. at Oxford on 19 Jan. 1527–8, and at once entered the service of Wolsey. He probably noted the way things were going, as he soon quitted the cardinal, visited Latimer at Cambridge, and went to Italy to study Greek. He became a proficient scholar, and was always interested in literature, although he adopted Calvinistic religious views. He lived at Venice and Padua, and endured all manner of hardships, according to the accounts given to his friends at home, from whom, although he had a pension, he was continually begging. In August 1535 he wrote to Starkey: ‘You cannot imagine in what misery I have been, but that is past, and how great it would have been in winter if the kindness of Signor Polo had not rescued me from hunger, cold, and poverty. My books, good as they were, are a prey to the cruel Jews, for very little truly … my clothes are all gone. I am wearing Mr. Michael Throgmorton's breeches and doublet.’ But at this time, as throughout his life, he exhibited a gaiety of disposition which caused him to be called ‘the merry Morison’ (cf. Letters and Papers of Henry VIII, XII. i. 430). Writing in February 1535–6 to Cromwell, he said that he wished to do something else than be wretched in Italy. Cromwell, who respected Morison's abilities, summoned him home in May 1535, and gave him an official appointment. On 17 July 1537 he became prebendary of Yatminster in the cathedral of Salisbury. Henry in 1541 is said to have given him the library of the Carmelites in London. He received the mastership of the hospitals of St. James's, Northallerton, Yorkshire, and St. Wulstan, Worcester, with other monastic
