A BARONET

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 251, 22 October 1937, Page 7

A BARONET

UNWANTED TITLE OLD MAN IN QUEENSLAND SYDNEY, Oct. 9. Eighty-live-year-old George Cecil Morris, named in Press cablegrams from London as the successor to the title and estates of Sir Tankerville Morris, Bart., wants neither title nor estates. He cultivates a vegetable and Hower garden at Mona Vale, a few miles north of Sydney. His first words when told of his succession were: “1 don’t want a title. I’ve seen enough of titles. I don’t want the estate, either. I want to be left here with my flowers.” Through the death last week of his nephew, Sir Tankerville. Mr. Morris has become the head of the Morris family, one of the oldest and wealthiest in Wales.

“Title, indeed! I ran away from | titles 50 years ago,” said Mr. Morris. “Since then I have sold fish, kept a hotel, dabbled in dairy produce, and grpwn vegetables. I’m not going back to titles; I’ll stay here. I received a cable this week, from one of the administrators of the estate, saying Sir Tankerville had died, and I am just lying low, seeing nobody. “My father was Sir John Armine Morris, the third baronet. I was his third son. He had me trained to be a soldier, and I was drilled for the Franco-Prussian War. I spent most of my childhood in Paris and travelling about fne Continent. French is practically my mother tongue. In spite of my family, I was pretty democratic. Perhaps that was due to French influence. My father went on his knees begging me not to leave home. But I went. I came here with my brother John. We both had letters to the Governor of New South Wales. John used his and got in at Government House. I opened a hotel. I was a bit of a Bohemian. I was never asked to Government House after that. Then I started a farm. It was not much of a farm and after losing my money in a produce firm I grew vegetables. My wife went out and sold them. We met hard times. Once when I needed it very badly I wrote to my baronet nephew asking for £2O. He never answered my letter. I hope nobody comes pestering me about this, because I am not going to take any titles unless I have to.”

Mr. Morris’ only son died three years ago. “I feel certain that if Mr. Morris knew there was some hard cash to be secured from the estate he would take steps to get it,” said his daughter-in-law. “But the estate is bound to be tied up with all sorts of legal restrictions. Anyhow, he would find it difficult to overcome his prejudice against titles and pomp."