James Morgan (1816-1878) was a politician in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia. He was a Member of the

Queensland Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembly h ...

Early life

James Morgan was born on 29 September 1816 in Longford, Ireland to Michael, a local farmer. He attended the private school of author

Maria Edgeworth Maria Edgeworth (1 January 1768 – 22 May 1849) was a prolific Anglo-Irish novelist of adults' and children's literature. She was one of the first realist writers in children's literature and was a significant figure in the evolution of the n ...

in Edgeworthtown. He was a member of 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 ...

. At 19 years of age, he became interested in surveying and spent 3 years attached to a party of surveyors around Snowdon in Caernarvonshire, Wales. In late 1840, he immigrated on the ''Palestine,'' arriving in Sydney on 14 March 1841. He spent a few years in the

Brisbane Water Brisbane Water is a wave-dominated barrier estuary located in the Central Coast region, north of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Brisbane Water has its origin at the confluence of the Narara and Coorumbine Creeks, to the south–east ...

district in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

before managing the property of W. C. Wentworth on the

Namoi River The Namoi River, a major perennial river that is part of the Barwon catchment of the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the Northern Tablelands and North West Slopes districts of New South Wales, Australia. The Namoi River rises on the west ...

until the end of 1847. In early 1848 he married. He continued to manage pastoral properties until 1868.

Editorial career

In 1868 Morgan purchased the '' Warwick Argus'' newspaper. He worked fervently on thenewspaper, often writing columns particularly against the 1868 Land Act.

Political career

Morgan was elected the member for

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...

from 10 August 1870 until 21 July 1871, when he was defeated by Charles Clark in the

1871 Queensland colonial election Elections were held in the Colony of Queensland (now a state of Australia) between 8 July 1871 and 6 September 1871 to elect the members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. Key dates Due to problems of distance and communications, it was n ...

. Morgan was again elected in Warwick unopposed on 4 November 1873, holding the seat until his death on 19 November 1878. He held strongly conservative pursuits on property and agricultural rights.

Later life and legacy

In July 1878, Morgan participated in a parliamentary excursion on the steamer Norseman. Due to rough weather, Morgan sustained a severe blow to his head. Later as the vessel berthed at Brisbane, he fell from the gangway to the wharf, causing a compound fracture of the right leg above the ankle. Although early reports suggested Morgan was recovering well, he remained ill for some months. Despite his illness, he tried to contest the

1878 Queensland colonial election Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Aust ...

held on 19 November, but was defeated by Jacob Horwitz. Morgan died 10 days later on 29 November 1878 at his home in Victoria Street, Warwick. All business ceased in the town in the afternoon of his funeral on Saturday 31 November 1878. A special train was arranged so his son The funeral cortege was nearly a mile long, comprising over 110 vehicles and estimated to contain at least 1200 people, including

Queensland Premier The premier of Queensland is the head of government in the Australian state of Queensland. By convention the premier is the leader of the party with a parliamentary majority in the unicameral Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The premier is a ...

John Douglas and other parliamentarians. In accordance with Morgan's deathbed wish, he was buried beside his son in the Warwick General Cemetery in a funeral ceremony conducted according to Anglican rites by the priest of St Mark's Anglican Church,

Masonic Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

rites and Oddfellow rites. His son, Sir Arthur Morgan, became

Premier of Queensland The premier of Queensland is the head of government in the Australian state of Queensland. By convention the premier is the leader of the party with a parliamentary majority in the unicameral Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The premier is ap ...

from 1903-1906. His grandson Arthur Morgan was a

Member of the Australian House of Representatives Following are lists of members of the Australian House of Representatives: *Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1901–1903 *Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1903–1906 *Members of the Australian House of Repre ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, James Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly 1816 births 1878 deaths Irish emigrants to colonial Australia 19th-century Australian politicians