Levi Lapper Morse
Encyclopedia
Levi Lapper Morse was an English grocer
and draper
and Liberal Party
politician.
, near Swindon
in Wiltshire
. He was educated at the High School, Swindon. He married Winifred, daughter of Isaac Humphries of Broad Hinton
, Wiltshire and they had two sons and four daughters. Their son William Ewart Morse
was also a Liberal politician in Wiltshire and a Member of Parliament.
and a large mail order
business.
on Wiltshire County Council
and also served as a Justice of the Peace
. He was Mayor
of Swindon in 1901.
at the 1906 general election
. He gained the seat from the sitting Conservative, James Archibald Morrison
by 4,272 votes to 3,458 a majority of 724 Morse did not seek re-election in 1910 because of ill-health. In 1908 he was one of the members of the British group of the Inter-parliamentary Union who attended its conference in Berlin.
.
He also became Vice-president of the Primitive Methodist conference in 1896.
Grocer
A grocer is a bulk seller of food. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
and draper
Draper
Draper is the now largely obsolete term for a wholesaler, or especially retailer, of cloth, mainly for clothing, or one who works in a draper's shop. A draper may additionally operate as a cloth merchant or a haberdasher. The drapers were an important trade guild...
and Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Family and education
Morse was the son of Charles Morse from Stratton St MargaretStratton St Margaret
Stratton St Margaret is a civil parish in the Borough of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The parish covers north-eastern suburbs of Swindon including Stratton St Margaret itself along with Upper Stratton, Lower Stratton, Nythe and Kingsdown.-History:...
, near Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. He was educated at the High School, Swindon. He married Winifred, daughter of Isaac Humphries of Broad Hinton
Broad Hinton
Broad Hinton is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The parish includes the hamlet of The Weir. The village is about southwest of Swindon....
, Wiltshire and they had two sons and four daughters. Their son William Ewart Morse
William Ewart Morse
William Ewart Morse was an English businessman and Liberal Party politician, briefly member of parliament for Bridgwater and later a member of Wiltshire County Council.-Family and education:...
was also a Liberal politician in Wiltshire and a Member of Parliament.
Career
Morse was a prominent Swindon shopkeeper He owned Morse’s department store on Regent Street, Swindon the second most important of Swindon’s stores for many years. Mostly known as a grocer and draper, he also owned a chain of other shops in the south-westSouth West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
and a large mail order
Mail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
business.
Local politics
Morse served as an AldermanAlderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
on Wiltshire County Council
Wiltshire County Council
Wiltshire County Council was the county council of Wiltshire in the South West of England, an elected local Government body responsible for most local government services in the county....
and also served as a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
. He was Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Swindon in 1901.
Parliament
Morse was elected Liberal MP for the Wilton or South Division of WiltshireWilton (UK Parliament constituency)
Wilton was the name of a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1295 to 1707, then in the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and finally in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of the Parliament of the...
at the 1906 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1906
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1906*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-External links:***-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
. He gained the seat from the sitting Conservative, James Archibald Morrison
James Archibald Morrison
Major James Archibald Morrison DSO was a British Conservative Party politician.Morrison was the son of Alfred Morrison, of Fonthill Houseand the grandson of James Morrison ....
by 4,272 votes to 3,458 a majority of 724 Morse did not seek re-election in 1910 because of ill-health. In 1908 he was one of the members of the British group of the Inter-parliamentary Union who attended its conference in Berlin.
Religion
Morse was a devout member of the Primitive Methodist Church and was a delegate to its centenary conference in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
He also became Vice-president of the Primitive Methodist conference in 1896.