John Morphett
John Morphett, c. 1885
Born(1809-05-04)4 May 1809
London
Died7 November 1892(1892-11-07) (aged 83)
Cummins House, Adelaide
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s)landowner; politician
Known forsettler
SpouseElizabeth nee Fisher
Sir John Morphett, c. 1834
John Morphett, c. 1866
Sir John Morphett, c. 1880
Gravestone in West Terrace Cemetery.

Sir John Morphett (4 May 1809 – 7 November 1892) was a South Australian pioneer, landowner and politician. His younger brother George Morphett was also an early settler in South Australia.

Early life

Morphett was born in London, the second son of Nathaniel Morphett, a solicitor, and his wife Mary, née Gliddon, of Cummins, Ide, Devon.[1] When very young he was sent to a boarding school with Mme Pasquier in Wandsworth, and then to Webber's school in Teignmouth, Devon with his younger brother George. At 14 he went to the Manor House Academy, a school run by the mathematics writer Daniel Dowling at the top of Highgate Hill, London. It offered "a broad liberal education, with social accomplishments and a choice of vocational and scientific courses". He walked three miles there and back from Camden Town.[2][3] At 16 he started as an office boy in the employ of a ship broker, Henry Blanshard.[2] He then obtained a position in the counting house of Wilson & Blanshard.

At 21 he left for Egypt and worked in the counting-house of Harris & Co in Alexandria. It was here that he met Colonel William Light. He returned to London in 1834, became interested in the South Australian colonisation schemes, and was an early investor in the South Australian Company; he was one of the first who paid £81 for a preliminary land order of 134 acres.[4] With his younger brother George, he set up an agency business and published a pamphlet declaring his intention of migrating to South Australia and his readiness to act for purchasers of land. He also advertised in similar terms in the Globe and Traveller, 30 July 1835.[5] In September 1834 he joined the South Australian Literary Association, and around the end of 1835 he attended the dinner given to honour Captain Hindmarsh's appointment as governor of South Australia.[6]

Arrival in South Australia

On 20 March 1836, Morphett sailed for South Australia in the Cygnet, which arrived at Kangaroo Island on 11 September 1836. On 5 November 1836, the Cygnet arrived at Holdfast Bay. Next day, with Lieutenant Field and George Strickland Kingston, he explored the River Torrens. With others on the Cygnet, he also identified the mouth of the Port River, identified the suitability of Port Adelaide, and visited Port Lincoln with Light. At the crucial meeting on 10 February 1837, he played a decisive role in confirming the choice of Adelaide for a settlement.

On 15 August 1838 he married Elizabeth Hurtle Fisher, the eldest daughter of James Hurtle Fisher (later Sir James), whom he had first met at the meetings of the South Australian Literary Association in London. They were married at Trinity Church, South Australia's first Anglican Church.

As a land agent for the South Australian Company, he secured valuable land for his family and clients; he was energetic, enthusiastic sensible and lucky, and profited greatly from a multitude of land transactions. A Secondary Towns Association was formed in England in 1838, and Morphett became the local Colonial Representative for that Association. In this capacity he often engaged the services of John Hill in exploring for survey sites, while also exploring himself. In May 1839 he paid £4,000 for a Special Survey of 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) of land along the Hutt River, and in November 1939 he bought 8,000 acres on the River Murray which became the Wood's Point Estate. During November 1841, as one of the trustees for Lt. Col. George Gawler, Morphett selected land in sections 1553 and 1554 to the south of the Barossa South Survey.

In December 1839, Morphett was elected Director of the South Australian Railway Company. In 1842, he became one of four members appointed by the Crown to assist the Governor, and was also elected Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce. Morphett was one of the originators of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society, presiding over the introductory meeting on 24 April 1844. In April 1846, he became a member of the Committee of management of the English Railway Company which proposed to lay a railway along Port Road. He was a director of the Adelaide Mining Company, and also a director of the South Australian Mining Association which owned the Burra mine. When the Adelaide Cricket Club was formed in 1853, Morphett became its vice-president and his father-in-law, J.H. Fisher, its president.[4][5][7]

Political life

Morphett was appointed treasurer to the town corporation on 5 December 1840, and on 15 June 1843 was nominated as one of four non-official members of the expanded South Australian Legislative Council. In January 1845 he chaired the meeting called to protest the British government's proposal to send Parkhurst prison boys to South Australia. In September 1846, as a protest against the mining royalty bill being passed by the casting vote of Governor Robe, Morphett and the three other non-official council members left the chamber – in consequence the council was left without a quorum. In August 1851 Morphett became Speaker of the enlarged Legislative Council, and on 9 March 1857 he was elected a member of the legislative council at the first election under responsible government. He was chief secretary in the Thomas Reynolds ministry from February to October 1861, and on 31 March 1865 was elected President of the South Australian Legislative Council, a position he held until his retirement.[8] He was knighted on 16 February 1870 for his services to South Australia. In February 1873 he retired from politics and public life. His sons Hurtle and John Cummins took over the running of his properties along the Murray.[4][5]

Personal life

Freemasonry filled a great part of Morphett's personal life. He was elected as a member and initiated into the Craft on 27 November 1834 in London when The Lodge of Friendship, a Lodge especially founded to become South Australia's first Lodge, held its very first meeting. Later he rose in position within the Lodge, (which is still in operation), ultimately to become its Master.

He returned to England twice: alone in 1846, leaving Mrs. Morphett at home with four daughters and a son; then in December 1855 with his wife, ten children and two servants.[9]

Death

Morphett died at his home, Cummins House, Novar Gardens, on 7 November 1892. He was survived by his wife Elizabeth, six daughters and four of his five sons.[5]

Legacy

Morphett had faith in the colony from the beginning: although he realized that for a period South Australia would be regarded as a pastoral colony, depending chiefly on its export of wool, as early as 1838 he had hopes of raising wine, olive oil, figs, maize, flax, silk, rice, indigo and tobacco.[10]

Morphett supported Fisher and Gouger in their quarrels with Hindmarsh, later becoming a force in the Legislative Council, and he worked hard for responsible government. He took an active part in the formation of the Literary Association and the Mechanics Institute, and was an early supporter of St Peter's College. He was one of the earliest men to take an interest in horse racing in South Australia, and Morphettville Racecourse was named after him. Also named after him were the suburbs of Morphettville and Morphett Vale, Morphett Street in the Adelaide city centre, Morphett Road in the city's western suburbs and the state electoral district of Morphett.

Family

Parents

John was born on 4 May 1809 in London, England, the second son of Nathaniel and Mary, née Gliddon.[1]

Siblings

His siblings included:

  • George Morphett (1811–1893).
  • Nathaniel Morphett (1807–1828)
  • Mary Morphett (1813–1830)

Children

John Morphett (1809–1892) married Elizabeth Hurtle Fisher (1815–1905) on 15 August 1838 at Holy Trinity Church, Adelaide.

John and Elizabeth had 12 children with their first child stillborn.[11][12]

MarriedLivedNotes
0.Stillborn male
1.MaryWilliam Mair1840-
2.Amy GawlerCharles William May JP[13] (1831–1873)[14]
married 1861[15]		 1841–1922Seven children[16][17][18]
Buried with her husband in St. Judes Cemetery, Brighton[19]
3.Ada FisherHarry Lockett Ayers (1844–1905)[20]
Married 1866		1843–1939[21] Harry was the second son of Sir Henry Ayers
4.John CumminsMary Frances
married 1875		1844–1936[22] – 2nd owner of "Cummins"[7]
Mary was youngest daughter of William Sanders
5.Adelaide SturtGeorge Henderson (1841–1886)[23]
married 1864 St Peter's Church Glenelg SA[24]		 1846–1940[25] Lived (and died) in New Zealand
6.George Cooperunmarried1849–1868Died aged 19[11][12]
7.Violet1) Reginald Cobb
2) Robert Alfred Stock[12]		1850–1927
8.Charles Edward1852–1926[12]
9.James Hurtle1854–1919[12][26]
10.Hurtle Willoughbyunmarried1855–1938[27]
11.Marian Fisher Georgina1) Edward Mammatt Colley
2) Frederick Goldsmid Levi (–1934)[12][28]		 1859–1931

Grandchildren

John Morphett's grandchildren included:
ChildLivedFatherMotherBornNotes
George Cummins1876–1963John CumminsMary Frances SANDERSAdelaide3rd owner of "Cummins"[7]
Arthur Hurtle1877–1916John CumminsMary Frances SANDERSAdelaide[22]
Annie Elizabeth1879John CumminsMary Frances SANDERSAdelaide
Bessey1880John CumminsMary Frances SANDERSNew Glenelg
Mary Eleanor1882John CumminsMary Frances SANDERSGlenelg
Lucy1883John CumminsMary Frances SANDERSGlenelg
Amy Mabel MAY1866–1953Charles William MayAmy GawlerMarried George Walpole Leake (1825–1895) in 1893.[18]

Fourth generation

John Morphett's great-grandchildren included:
ChildBirthdateFatherMotherWhereNotes
Audrey Cummins OBE27 May 1902George CumminsViolet Alice ANDERSONMount GambierAwarded Queen Elizabeth II's coronation medal in 1953, OBE in 1960.
She never married, died 8 October 1983[29]
Hurtle Cummins31 March 1906George CumminsViolet Alice ANDERSONCorowa, NSWMarried Joan, daughter of Sir William Goodman on 16 March 1937,
4th owner of "Cummins", he sold the property to the State Government for ~$200,000 in 1977.

Fifth generation

  • John Cummins Morphett (1943-), last generation to live in Cummins, is the son of Hurtle Cummins Morphett

References

  1. 1 2 Jennings, Reece. "John and George Morphett" (PDF). West Torrens Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2011.
  2. 1 2 Gliddon, Anne (2000). Norman, Wendy (ed.). The Gliddons in London, 1760-1850: a Family Record. New Zealand: Steele Roberts. pp. 41–43. ISBN 978-1877228605.
  3. ↑ "Hornsey, including Highgate: Education: Private schools". Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 John Morphett, www.southaustralianhistory.com.au
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Morphett, Sir John (1809 - 1892)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 2. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. 1967. pp. 261–262. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  6. ↑ Serle, Percival (1949). "Morphett, John". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus & Robertson.
  7. 1 2 3 "Information about "Cummins" and its first owner" (PDF). West Torrens Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2011.
  8. ↑ "John Morphett". Former members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  9. ↑ Perry, Dulcie. Sir John Morphett : a South Australian colonist of distinction Cummins Society, Nover Gardens South Australia, 1992. ISBN 0646123262
  10. ↑ J. Stephens, The Land of Promise, p. 49
  11. 1 2 George Morphett (1848–1868), kindredkonnections.com
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/25971803 – needs password to access
  13. ↑ "Appointments". South Australian Register. 1 February 1868 – via Trove.
    "Thomas Burgoyne. Esq., of Port Augusta; Charles William May, Esq., of Adelaide; and Pierce Rogers Warren, Esq., of Port Augusta, to be three of Her Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the Province."
  14. ↑ "Death Notices". The South Australian Advertiser. 18 February 1873 – via Trove.
    MAY.—On the 17th February, Charles William May, second Master of St. Peter's College, aged 42.
  15. ↑ "Marriage notices". South Australian Register. 25 June 1861 – via Trove.
    MAY-MORPHETT.-On the 24th June, at St. Peter's, Glenelg, by the Right Rev. the Bishop of Adelaide, assisted by the Rev. J. Stuart Jackson, Charles William May, Esq., of St. Peter's Collegiate School, Adelaide, to Amy Gawler, second daughter of the Hon. John Morpnett, of Cummins, Chief Secretary of the Province of South Australia, and grand-daughter of the Hon. Sir J. H. Fisher, President of the Legislative Council.
  16. ↑ Amy Gawler Morphett, Dictionary of Australian Artists Online
  17. ↑ "Birth notices". South Australian Register. 8 April 1873 – via Trove.
    MAY.— On the 7th April, at Cummins, the widow of the late Charles William May, of a daughter.
  18. 1 2 "Marriage Notice". The West Australian. 9 January 1893 – via Trove.
    LEAKE-MAY.-On Saturday the 7th inst., at St. George's Cathedral, by the Right Reverend the Bishop of Perth, the Honourable George Walpole Leake, Q.C.. M.L.C., to Amy Mabel, second daughter of the late Charles William May, of St. Peters College, Adelaide, S.A.
  19. ↑ List of headstones, St. Judes Cemetery, Brighton, australiancemeteries.com
  20. ↑ Henry Lockett Ayers, familysearch.org
  21. ↑ Ada Fisher Morphett, familysearch.org
  22. 1 2 Arthur Hurtle Morphett, Commonwealth War Graves Commission
  23. ↑ George HENDERSON, familysearch.org
  24. ↑ Adelaide Sturt MORPHETT, familysearch.org
  25. ↑ Adelaide Sturt Morphett, familysearch.org This reference gives her birthdate as 23 May 1856. Elsewhere "Adelaide Sturt Morphett" is given as the name of George Morphett's daughter born on the Enmore 7 January 1846.
  26. ↑ James Morphett, kindredkonnections.com
  27. ↑ "Death of notable pastoralist". The Advertiser. 19 October 1938 – via Trove.
  28. ↑ "Family Notices". The News. 6 April 1934. p. 3. Retrieved 24 March 2016 – via Trove.
  29. ↑ Howell, P. A. (2012). "Morphett, Audrey Cummins (1902–1983)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 15 March 2016.

Further reading

 

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