James Morris (ca. 1791 - 1872)
 

The opening paragraph of Morris's Recollections of Ayr Theatricals from 1809.   

James Morris

Little is known of James Morris although it appears that he was resident in Ayr from 1809 until his death.  He was closely associated with the evolution of theatre in Ayr and Kilmarnock during his lifetime and records suggest that he was one of the forty subscribers who contributed to the building of the Theatre Royal in Ayr.  He states that he was also the owner or lessee of a theatre in Kilmarnock.

Our main knowledge of Morris is gleaned from his book published 1872 under the imprint of The Ayr Advertiser: Recollections of Ayr Theatricals from 1809, although there are records of the sale of land in the Smith Street Area of the Burgh..  He arrived in Ayr in 1809 and it is believed that he was associated with the burgh until his death in the late 19th century.  Some sources have suggested that he originated in Perth and that he was a banker.  However, examination of the local trades directory and census records tell a different story.

It would appear that James Morris was born in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire.  As he states, he settled in Ayr in 1809.  The 1830 Post Office Directory for the burgh records a James Morris, glass & china merchant trading at 37 Sandgate Street in Ayr.  It records his home as St. John Street.  (St John Street links the Sandgate to Fort Street and is adjacent to number 34 Sandgate.)    Pigot's 1837 Directory for Ayr records a James Morris at 35 Sandgate Street, a dealer in Glass and China.  The 1846 Post Office Directory records a James Morris, sub-distributor of stamps, at 35 Sandgate Street with a house at Blackhill.

The 1849 Post Office Directory shows James Morris, Assistant Distributor of Stamps and Taxes, 34 Sandgate Street with a house in St John Street.  From 1851 his house is shown as 17 Charlotte Street, with  similar entries in directories for 1858, 1861, 1864, 1867,  James Morris does not appear in the 1870 Directory but a Capt. Archibald Morris, believed to be a mariner is listed at the Charlotte Street address (previously at Ailsa Place) in that year and again in 1878.

Examination of the census records confirms that there was only one James Morris residing in Ayr during the early years of the nineteenth century.  Indeed, there are very few Morris's in Ayrshire at any time during this period.  The 1841 census record is consistent with the information in the Directories, showing a James Morris, aged 50, residing with his wife Allison at 1 St. John Street.  In 1851 the family are at 1 St John Street but James is recorded as a visitor at an address in the Gorbals (Glasgow).  He is recorded in the 1861 census at an address in Ayr but does not appear in the 1871 census.  At this time Captain Archibald Morris is recorded at the Ayr address previously occupied by the family.  He is described as a well-off ship master trading between Ayr and Liverpool.   Archibald Morris (1823 - 1881) was married to Ann Watson (1816 - 1887).  Records show the marriage date as either 1837 or 1848.  It is believed that their son, born in 1857, may have been the architect James A. Morris.

Morris's appointment as Distributor of Stamps and Taxes is an appointment under the Stamp Act that was, with the Excise, the main source of government income.  Stamped paper refers to an, often, foolscap piece of paper which bears a pre-printed revenue stamp.  They were not a form of postal stationery.

Stamped paper has been widely used around the world to collect taxes on documents requiring stamping, such as leases, agreements, receipts, court documents and many others. The papers are bought blank apart from the pre-printed stamp and are available from stationers, lawyers offices, post offices and courts according to local regulations. The parties to the matter then write their legal business on the paper and lodge it with the court or other interested party. This is an efficient way of collecting taxes and stamping documents without the need to submit them to a separate government stamp office.  Stamped Paper was originated in London and was regulated by Act of Parliament.  In Scotland, Stamped Paper was managed from a stamp office in Edinburgh, under the London Board's control, with its own Head Distributor and Collector, Comptroller, Inspector and Solicitor. There 21 distributors in Scotland in 1782.

Links with Ayrshire:

James Morris was a long time resident of Ayr and was active in the cultural life of the burgh.

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Frank Seymour 

Frank Seymour

Text in Preparation

Links with Ayrshire:

Although Seymour is primarily linked with Glasgow Theatres, it appears that he was sometime lessee or manager of the Theatre Royal in Ayr and also a theatre in Kilmarnock.  He was associated with James Morris at this time.

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