George Truman Morrell


George Truman Morrell RN was a British naval, officer and explorer active during the Victorian era.

Early years

George Truman Morrell was born 29 January 1830 in Dinan, Brittany, France, a British subject. He was the second son of a naval officer, Arthur Fleming Morrell, and Elizabeth Reid, who was the daughter of a pay officer at the Plymouth Dockyard. His eldest brother, Charles Walter Morrell, died in 1839, aged 11.
His younger brother, Arthur Morrell, also born in Dinan became a Rear-Admiral in the Royal Navy.

Career

George joined the Royal Navy in 1842 at age 12, a first class volunteer aboard HMS Calcutta, commanding.
He would spend seven years as a midshipman, before becoming a mate aboard HMS Excellent in 1849. He was then acting lieutenant on several occasions, before being confirmed to that rank in 1851.
In 1866, the Foreign Office reported on "great judgement" displayed by George during a daring expedition up the Niger River aboard HMS Investigator, a journey he documented in his journal.
During his naval career, George served aboard the following ships:
He was paid off from the navy in 1869, and then served for a short period with the coast guard in Sligo, Ireland, as a division lieutenant. He documented his final year of service in Ireland in another journal, filled with details such as the loss of ships and crew, the recovery of drowning victims, and discipline meted out to coast guardsmen.

Marriage and family

George married Ellen Mary Stretton, of Islington, in a ceremony on 29 August 1861, at St Michael, Highgate, Middlesex. The family was mainly settled in Kent, however his son Patrick was born in Dublin, Ireland, during his service in the coast guard.
Together, they had several children. They were:
George lived in Belvedere, Kent, at the time of his death on 7 May 1912.

Niger River Expedition

In late 1865, George, who was then a lieutenant, was given command of HMS Investigator, a steam-powered, flat-bottomed British navy gunship. He spent the next several months steaming the ship up the Niger River, bringing gifts from the British government, in Queen Victoria's name, to tribal kings and elders along the river.
During the voyage, George mediated a dispute between British colonists and Obi Akazua, who reigned amongst the people at Onitsha, Nigeria. He observed first-hand the slave trade, which flourished locally despite the cessation of the trade throughout most of the western world.
He recorded his interactions in a handwritten diary, including coloured illustrations of aspects of contemporary West African life along the river, such as this drawing of a brass canoe fitted with an awning and armed with cannons, used for local trade along the river.