Francis Morse, M.A. (18 May 1818 – 18 September 1886) was a priest in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

Family

Francis Morse was the son of Thomas Morse and Elizabeth of Blundeston, Suffolk. He was educated at

Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13 –18) in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by Royal Charter, it was originally a boarding school for boys; girls have been admitted into ...

and St John's College, Cambridge. He married Clarissa Catharine Gedge on 3 January 1849 in St. Philip's Church, Birmingham, (now St. Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham). Children were: * Catherine Elizabeth Morse (1850–1936) (married Rev. Hon. William Edward Bowen) * Clara Morse (b. 1851) * Edward St John Morse (1852–1941) (vicar of

St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Shelford St Peter and St Paul's Church, Shelford is a parish church in the Church of England in Shelford, Nottinghamshire. The church is Grade II* listed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. History The church is of medieval style ...

from 1882 - 1940) * Sydney Morse (1 Jun 1854 - 27 Jan 1929) * Harold Morse (b. 1860) * Harriet Emily Morse (b. 1864) * Winifred Mary Morse (b. 1868) * Margaret Ellinor Morse (1870–1931) (married

Henry Wilson (architect and designer) Henry Wilson (12 March 1864 – 7 March 1934) was a British architect, jeweller and designer. Career He was born at 91 Red Rock Street in West Derby near Liverpool on 12 March 1864. He studied at the Kidderminster School of Art before being a ...

* Frances Hilda Morse (b. 1873)

Career

He was admitted as a deacon by Rt. Revd. Edward Stanley

Bishop of Norwich The Bishop of Norwich is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of the county of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The bishop of Norwich is Graham Usher. The see is in t ...

in January 1844 and ordained in 1845 and was a curate in the

Church of St Editha, Tamworth The Church of St Editha is an Anglican parish church and Grade I listed building in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England. History The church of St. Editha is the largest parish church in Staffordshire. Most of the church is mid- to late-14th-ce ...

in 1849. There was some controversy in 1853 when he was proposed for the

St Mary's Church, Shrewsbury St Mary's Church is a redundant Anglican church in St Mary's Place, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches C ...

by the

Edward Herbert, 3rd Earl of Powis Edward James Herbert, 3rd Earl of Powis (5 November 1818 – 7 May 1891), styled Viscount Clive between 1839 and 1848, was a British peer and politician. Background Powis was born at The Angel Hotel, Pershore, Worcestershire, the eldest son ...

but a court case ensued to prevent him from taking the incumbency. He was appointed a

perpetual curate Perpetual curate was a class of resident parish priest or incumbent curate within the United Church of England and Ireland (name of the combined Anglican churches of England and Ireland from 1800 to 1871). The term is found in common use mainly du ...

of St. John's Church, Ladywood, Birmingham in 1854. On 23 December 1864 he became Vicar of St. Mary's Church, Nottingham, a position he held until 1884. He was also a prebendary of Lincoln from 1867 - 1884. On his retirement he was made Canon of

Southwell Minster Southwell Minster () is a minster and cathedral in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England. It is situated miles from Newark-on-Trent and from Mansfield. It is the seat of the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham and the Diocese of Southwell and N ...

. ''The Anglican Church in the Industrialised Town, St. Mary's Parish, Nottingham 1770-1884'' M.W.Bowen MA, M Phil, University of Nottingham, October 1997 At St. Mary's Church, Nottingham, Francis Morse introduced a modern style of management. He printed annual reports and Vestry minutes start with his arrival. The church supported both The

Society for the Propagation of the Gospel United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) is a United Kingdom-based charitable organization (registered charity no. 234518). It was first incorporated under Royal Charter in 1701 as the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Part ...

and the

Church Missionary Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British mission society working with the Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as mission ...

. Sydney Pierrepont, 3rd Earl Manvers supported Morse and was Vicar's warden throughout the incumbency. The fabric of the church underwent continual restoration. After 20 years, Morse is thought to have raised and spent £18,000 on the interior alone, re-roofing the aisles and transepts, and redesigning the chancel. Apart from the organ of 1871 (which was removed in 1915) the chancel stalls, bishop's throne, reredos, altar, sedilla and rood-screen are all from this date and still extant.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morse, Francis 1818 births 1886 deaths 19th-century English Anglican priests Vicars of St Mary's Church, Nottingham People educated at Shrewsbury School Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge People from Waveney District