Lyndon Henry Morris

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, MC, DL, (1889–1946) was a British chief constable and veteran of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Early life

Morris was born in

Bakewell Bakewell is a market town and civil parish in the Derbyshire Dales district of Derbyshire, England, known also for its local Bakewell pudding. It lies on the River Wye, about 13 miles (21 km) south-west of Sheffield. In the 2011 census, ...

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

, in 1889. He was the son of Reverend Ernest Edwin Morris, the vicar of Ashbourne and Deacon of Durham in the Southwell Cathedral, and Josephine Anna Bolton. As a young man he studied as a solicitor, and later decided to join the army, first serving with the Territorials as a regular and later as a captain in the 4th Battalion

King's Shropshire Light Infantry The King's Shropshire Light Infantry (KSLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in the Childers Reforms of 1881, but with antecedents dating back to 1755. It served in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. In 196 ...

. He rose through the ranks to lead the 1st Battalion with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. In 1914 he married Phyllis Hawkins, and with her had a son and two daughters. Morris had three brothers, Ernest Jr, Francis and Noah, and two sisters, Ruth and Mary.

First World War

Morris led the 1st Battalion

from 1914 to 1920, serving in Ireland, France and China. For distinguished service he received the M.C. He retired from the Army in 1921.

Interwar years

After retiring from the Army, Morris moved to Florida, US, and engaged in a fruit-farming business for two years.

Prison service

On his return to England, Morris entered the prison service, first becoming deputy governor of Brixton Prison and later governor of Birmingham and Camp Hill Prisons. In 1923 he became governor of Exeter Prison and in 1931 became governor of Dartmoor Prison. He was highly regarded by his staff and superiors, the prison commissioners, and made a number of important changes to each of the prisons he governed. Notably he also garnered the respect of the inmates, and in 1932 was instrumental in calming disorder that had broken out at Dartmoor Prison (he was chief constable by this time, and had attended with a large contingent of officers from the Devon County Constabulary and

Plymouth City Police Plymouth City Police was the city force for Plymouth, Devon, from 1928 to 1967. The force’s title was conferred upon it when the borough of Plymouth achieved city status in 1928.The Police Service in Plymouth, Brian Moseley Formation At the t ...

Devon County Constabulary

His position in the Prison Service put Morris in close contact with the Devon, Cornwall and Somerset Constabularies, and in 1931 decided to pursue a career in the police. Morris was appointed chief constable of the Devon County Constabulary on 11 February 1931 succeeding Captain Herbert Reginald Vyvyan, who had retired from the force. He was the successful candidate out of 133 applicants, with applications registered as far as Sudan, Kenya and France. The Devon Standing Joint Committee whittled down the large number of hopefuls to only three, with Morris beating Mr Freeman Newton, Chief Constable of Herefordshire, and Captain J.C.T. Rivett-Carnac, Chief Constable of Huntingdonshire and the Isle of Ely. As was custom with military officers who became Chief Constables, Morris retained his military title, and was referred to as Major throughout his tenure. As with his previous role, he introduced important changes to the police force, including scrapping the vetting of women his constables intended to marry. Devon did not have a CID when Morris was appointed, and one of his first tasks was the introduction of such a department. He was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for Devon in 1932, and in 1939 was awarded the King's Police Medal. In October 1931, Morris was a passenger in a patrol car which collided with 19 year old cyclist Alfred Francis Edgcombe on the main Totnes to Plymouth road. The car was being driven by Constable Frederick H. Hammond, who hit the cyclist at 20 mph, killing him outright. At a subsequent inquest, the layout of the road was determined to have been a significant factor, with recommendations made that proper lines and signage be laid down. The inquest heard that Constable Hammond had done everything in his power to avoid the cyclist, and no charges were brought.

Second World War

Morris was the County ARP Controller during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. In 1944 he was appointed a

Later career and death

Morris lived with his wife at Mile End, Countess Wear,

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

. After the Second World War, his health began to decline. On 31 October 1946 he underwent an operation at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital. By 7 November his condition worsened despite previous good progress, and he died aged 57.

Legacy

Morris was a philanthropist, and performed many charitable duties outside of his roles as a prison governor and chief constable. Notably he would take on chairman and vice-presidency roles in a number of charitable and public services, concurrent with his chief constableship. He studied court work, and the probationary and vagrancy systems, in meticulous detail, and became an influential member of the Training Home for Young Casuals in Blackborough, Cullompton, Devon. Formerly a solicitor, he was a member of the Law Society. He was highly regarded by all who worked with him, with tributes pouring in whenever he departed for a new post. As a chief constable he eroded the convention of a chief officer entering a constable's house unannounced, which was customary since the inception of the police service. Instead of simply barging in, he would knock and wait patiently. He was keenly interested in ambulance work, and in 1941 became vice-president of the Exeter St John Ambulance Association. Subsequently, he was a key influence in an acquisition of a new ambulance for the city of Exeter.Exeter and Plymouth Gazette 12 February 1931 He would most importantly be lauded as simply the most "human" of public officials.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Lyndon Henry 1889 births 1946 deaths British Chief Constables King's Shropshire Light Infantry officers Recipients of the Military Cross Commanders of the Order of the British Empire