MC 1058: Morell Family fonds
Dates of creation: 1828-1958
Physical description: 30 cm of textual
records
Biographical Sketch / Administrative History
Born in County Armagh, Ireland, in 1787, Hugh
Morell immigrated to New Brunswick in July 1826. His wife, Margaret Jane
Ross, had died in Ireland about 1826. The Morells had no fewer than four children:
David (1813-1891), Sarah (1820-1913), James (1821-1913), and Jane (1825-1909).
Hugh established himself at Newcastle, Northumberland County, and his children
joined him over the next two decades. In the 1850s, at age 75, Hugh
Morell,
although ill, was still employed as a post master, a position he had probably
held for a number of years. He died on 20 May 1855 at Newcastle.
The Morell children also settled in Newcastle.
David, who married Sophia Hannah in Ireland, arrived in New Brunswick in 1839.
Jane married Andrew Crocker (1815-1905); and Sarah married Walter Lowrie.
She was living in Lakewood, Ohio, when she died on 27 May 1913. James
married Janet Lowrie (d.1886) in 1841. Later generations immigrated to St. Paul,
Minnesota, and Vancouver, British Columbia - but some stayed in Newcastle or
moved to Fredericton, N.B.
James and Janet (Lowrie) Morell had 10 children
and lived in Newcastle. The younger children included Walter (1855-1933),
who married Annie Haines in 1885. They lived in Newcastle on 5 acres of
land which he bought from his father. Walter and Annie had 10 children
- but 1 died as a teenager and another by the age of 2. Of the remaining
eight, six were writers or recipients of letters in this fonds, i.e. Janet Lowrie
(1897-1979); Fred Clifford (1888-1978); Walter Horace (1892-1918); Arthur Herbert
(1894-1973); Annie (1904- ) and James (1907- ).
Fred C. Morell married Grace Jones of Woodstock
on 30 September 1916. They had 4 children: Horace, Fred Jr., George and
Lois. Horace and Fred Jr. served overseas in World War II and some of
their letters to family members are in this fonds. Walter’s son, James
G.P. Morell, married Vesta Roberta Webber of St. Stephen on 28 December 1940.
He went overseas in WWII and this fonds includes many of his letters.
After the war, he and his wife settled in Fredericton. They had two sons,
James Leonard and David Andrew.
Scope and Content
This fonds consists primarily of family correspondence,
including letters received by Hugh Morell (1828-1840); James Morell (1856-1906);
Janet (Lowrie) Morell or Mrs. James Morell (1881-1882); Andrew Morell (1936);
Jessie Morell (1902-1925); Sarah Jane (Morell) McDowell and her children (1885-1904);
and Emma Morell (1 letter from her sister Mary Morell, 1877). There is
also one letter to "brothers and sisters" from Jimmie Morell, of St. Paul, U.S.A.
(1887).
Of particular interest are letters addressed
to Walter Morell or his wife, Annie, from their sons, Fred, Herbert (Herb),
and Horace (Horrie) who served overseas during the First World War (MS4). Herb
writes most frequently but there are letters from all three soldiers. Horace
Morell was killed in France on August 8, 1918 – but his two brothers returned
home safely in 1919. These letters span the years, 1916-1919. There are
also letters (dated 1941-1945) from Walter and Annie's youngest son, James (Jimmie)
and their grandsons, brothers Fred Morell, Jr. and Horace Morell, who served
overseas during World War II. Many of the letters from the Morells serving
overseas are addressed to Janet Morell or Annie Morell and occasionally other
family members.
The soldiers' letters in this fonds are unusual
because they are from two wars and six different soldiers all from one extended
family. Son Jim's letter to his mother from Camp Sussex (sometime in 1941)
as he prepared to go overseas indicated that for a mother to have sons in both
wars was not normal; he wrote "For you to have to go through it all again after
the last time isn't any small thing." Both the frequency with which the soldiers
write, and their choice of words signify close family ties. They also indicate
that they received lots of "goodies" and letters from the home front, which
was vital to soldiers. Letters contain details about how soldiers passed
their time when not fighting and often contain news of their other Morell soldiers
- amongst whom there was a lot of contact.
Finally, the fonds includes post war letters
(1946-1958) to Janet Morell (in Montreal) from her mother, Annie Morell; a
letter to Grandmother Annie and aunts Jen and Annie from Dilys Morell at Camp
Medley, 1947; a genealogy of the Morell family and the annual report for St.
James' [Presbyterian] Church, Newcastle, December 1913.
INVENTORY
MS1
Hugh Morell Correspondence, 1828-1840
A
Letter to Hugh Morell from his brother, John Morell, 7 April 1828, Mill Brook,
Ireland
B
Letter to Hugh Morell from J. Morell, Fairview, Ballibay, Ireland, 26 February
1829
C
Letter to Hugh Morell from his son, Rich. [Richard] Morell, Ireland, 18 July
1838
D
Letter to Hugh Morell from his friend, Rich. [Richard] Ross, Drum Crain [Drum
Crin] Cottage, Ireland, 3 November 1840
MS2
Correspondence of Children of Hugh Morell
A
James Morell (Newcastle, N.B.) Correspondence, 1856-1906:
1
Letter to James Morell from James Beatty, Monaghan, Ireland, 4 January 1856
2
Letter to James Morell from James Beatty, Monaghan, Ireland, 13 January 1857
3
Four letters to James Morell from his four grandchildren, Maud, Hugh, Mary and
James, St. Paul, Minneapolis, United States of America, 18 December 1889 (Morell
Grandchildren)
4
Letter to James Morell from his son, James, St. Paul, United States of America,
26 November 1892
5
Letter to James Morell from his grandson, Charlie McDowell, Vancouver, British
Colombia, 6 April 1906
6
Envelope addressed to James Morell, Newcastle, (child's printing, with make-believe
scribbled letters attached)
7
Receipt from “D
& J Ritchie & Co.” – marked paid: January 1905
B
Janet (Lowrie) Morell (wife of James) Correspondence, 1881-1882
1
Letter to his mother from J.L. Morell, St. Paul, United States of America, 10
April 1881
2
Letter to his mother from Walter Morell, St. Paul, United States of America,
28 October 1881
3
Letter to his mother from Walter Morell, St. Paul, United States of America,
30 January 1882
MS3
Children of James and Janet (Lowrie) Morell
A
Andrew Morell (Newcastle, N.B.) Correspondence (including cards), 1936, n.d.
1
Letter to Andrew Morell from Janet Jardine, Newcastle, 4 January 1936
2
Christmas card to Uncle Andrew from Jennie, n.d.
3
Christmas card to Andrew Morell from Margaret J. Adams, Campbellton, n.d.
B
Jessie Morell (Newcastle, N.B.) Correspondence (including Christmas Card), 1902-1913,
1925
1
Letter to his Aunt Jessie from Arthur, Campbellton, 4 January 1902
2
Letter to his Aunt Jessie from Arthur, Campbellton, 27 June 1902
3
Letter to Jessie Morell from her father, St. Paul, U.S.A., February, [1903]
4
Letter to Jessie Morell from her sister, Sarah McDowell, Vancouver, B.C., 19
June 1907
5
Card to Jessie Morell from Saville Mowatt, Lakewood, Ohio, re death of Sarah
Lowrie, 4 June 1913
6
Letter to Jessie Morell from her sister, Sarah McDowell, Vancouver, B.C., 9
September 1913
7
Letter to Jessie Morell from her sister, Sarah McDowell, Vancouver, B.C., 21
September 1913
8
Letter to Jessie Morell from her brother Richard, California, U.S.A., 18 December
1919
9
Christmas Card to Aunt Jessie with love from Jennie, Christmas 1925
C
Sarah Jane (Morell) McDowell and children
1
Teacher's Agreement - Contract between Sarah Morell and the Trustees of School
District Number 7, Parish of Newcastle, County of Northumberland, 20 March 1885
2 Correspondence
a
Letter to Jessie McDowell from her father, John
McDowell, Vancouver, B.C., 29 July 1904
b
Letter to Sarah McDowell (Mama) from John McDowell,
Vancouver, B.C., 13 August 1904
c
Letter to Jessie McDowell from her father, John McDowell, Vancouver, B.C., 14
August 1904
d
Letter to Charlie McDowell from his father, John McDowell, Vancouver, B.C.,
16 August 1904
3
Short notes and sketches that accompanied letters from John McDowell, ca. 1904
(3 pages)
D
Letter to Emma Morell from her sister, Mary Morell, Green Bay, 18 December 1877
(Not certain who Mary Morell is – calls Emma and Sarah her sisters – so must
be a daughter of James and Janet – but there is no Mary listed amongst their
children in the Census Returns, 1851 – 1871 or in the “Morell Family History”
in this fonds.)
E
Letter to his brothers and sisters from Jimmie Morell, St. Paul, U.S.A., 1 January
1887 [on the death of their father]
MS4
Letters received by Walter and Annie Morell or their children.
Letters of the six Morell soldiers (in WWI and WWII) to other family members
also follow.
A
Walter Morell or Mrs. Walter Morell (Annie Haines Morell), Newcastle, NB.
(Letters are dated, 1885, 1911, 1916-1919.) Walter (1855-1933) was the
6th child of James and Janet (Lowrie) Morell.
1
Note to Walter
Morell from the [Rev.] T.G. Johnstone, the “Manse, Blackville”
saying he will be happy to perform the marriage ceremony for you at the Haines
Residence, on Tuesday evening (the 24th); note dated 19 November
1885.
2
1911: Letter from Mary E. McAvity (Saint John) to Mrs. Walter Morell,
3 January [1911]
3
1916
4
1917
a
1 January – 3 June
b
1 July – 31 December
5 1918 – 1919
a
4 January – 30 June
b
19 July 1918 – 10 March 1919 (only 6 letters
2 postcards are dated 1919)
6
1922 (1 Christmas letter from James L. Morell, St. Paul, Minnesota)
7
19 November – 12 December 1933 (Letters of condolence upon Walter’s death: 18
November)
8
1941 (and Miss Annie
Morell) 1942 (and Miss Annie Morell)
9
1942 (and Miss Annie
Morell) 1942 (and Miss Annie Morell)
10
1943 (and Miss Annie
Morell)
11
1944 (and Miss Annie
Morell)
12
1945 (and Miss Annie
Morell)
13
1950 (1 Postcard from Jane Watters)
B
Annie Morell (Newcastle) (younger sister or aunt of the soldiers)
1
1916-1919 (2 letters, one of which is incomplete, and 1 postcard)
2
1939, 1941-1942 (1939 item is Royal Visit Pass, Newcastle)
3
1943
4
1944
5
1945
6
1947 (To Ann, Grandma and Aunt Jen from Dilys at Camp Medley, 25 July 1947);
2 cards, n.d.
C
Janet L. Morell (Montreal) Most of the early letters are from her three
younger brothers serving overseas as soldiers in World War I (i.e. Herb, Jim
or Horace.) In World War II, she receives letters from her brother, Jim
and her two nephews, Fred Jr. And Horace, all of whom were serving overseas.
After WWII, all of her letters are from her mother, Mrs. (Annie) Morell. Letters
are written to Jen, Jennie and Aunt Jennie never Janet.
1
1916
2
1917
3
1918
4
1919
5
1937 (1), 1939 (3)
6
1940
7
1941
8
1942
9
1943
10
1944
11
1945
12
1946-1947 (from Mother)
13
1950-1952
14
1953
15
1954
16
1955
17
1956
18
1957
19
1958
D
Jim Morell from Herb, 1916-1919 (4 items)
E
Hugh Morell from Herb, December 13, 1916 (One letter in which he discourages
his younger brother from enlisting reminding him that three of us are enough
over here.)
F
1918 (card from Herb also undated letter); and card from Jim, Christmas, 1941.
G
Christmas card from Frank, n.d.
MS5
Genealogy of the Morell family
MS6
Annual Report of St. James Church, Newcastle, New Brunswick, 31 December 1913