Patrick Morris

Who is Patrick Morris?

Patrick Morris was an Irish-born merchant, ship owner, farmer, author and politician in Newfoundland. He represented St. John's in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly from 1836 to 1840.

He was born in Waterford and came to St. John's around 1804 as a clerk for a merchant from Waterford. Several years later, he went into business on his own. Morris owned a number of ships involved in trans-Atlantic trade; he was also involved in the seal fishery and in transporting passengers from Ireland to British North America. He operated a farm outside of St. John's and was president of the Agricultural Society. In 1828, he published a pamphlet Arguments to prove the policy and necessity of granting to Newfoundland a constitutional government which lobbied for local representative government in Newfoundland. In 1840, he was named to the Newfoundland Council as colonial treasurer. Morris was married twice: to Mary Foley in 1814 and to Frances Bullen in 1830. He died at his residence near St. John's in 1849.