MILESON MORPHEY

Mileson is remembered on the war memorial at St. Mary & St. Botolph, Whitton-cum-Thurleston, Suffolk.

Image from the Suffolk Chronicle and Mercury – 1918

Born: August 1882, Akenham, Suffolk.

Baptised on the 27th March 1891 at St. Mary’s Church, Witnesham, Suffolk, with his sisters: Henrietta Morphey, born 17th November 1876, Margaret Morphey, born 16th October 1878, Emily Morphey, born 15th March 1866 and Ada Morphey, born 12th February 1870 – family home at Witnesham.

Died: 12th August 1917: age 35; KiA.

Residence: The Dales, Whitton, Suffolk.

Occupation: with Messrs. T. Mortimer Ltd., Ipswich.

Enlistment Location: Ipswich.

Rank: Private: Service Number: 71811.

Regiment: Machine Gun Corps (Infantry), 53rd Battalion.

Formerly 26601, Suffolk Regiment.

Medals Awarded: Victory & British War.

In September 1925, the body was exhumed from a grave with no cross, identified by his name Disc, and reburied at Hagle Dump Cemetery, with many unknown/unnamed Australian and British soldiers. Mileson’s Disc was forwarded to Base.

Grave Reference:

III.AA.11.

Hagle Dump Cemetery,

West-Vlaanderen,

Belgium.

CENSUS

1891   Cottage, Witnesham, Suffolk.

Mileson was 9 years old and living with his parents & siblings.

George Hunard Morphey, 55, an Agricultural Labourer, born Westerfield, Suffolk.

Ada Morphey (nee Saddler), 50, born Witnesham.

George Morphey, 29, an Agricultural Labourer, born Witnesham.

Amos Morphey, 19, born Westerfield.

Henrietta Morphey, 14, born Whitton cum Thurleston, Suffolk.

Margaret Morphey, 12, born Whitton cum Thurleston.

1901   Clay Cottages, Akenham, Suffolk.

Mileson was 18 years old, a Labourer on a Farm. He was living with his parents.

George, 66, an Agricultural Labourer.

Ada, 60.

1911   12, The Dales, Henley Road, Ipswich.

Mileson was 28 years old, a Maltster’s Labourer for a Brewer. He was living with his widowed mother, brother & niece.

Ada, 70.

Alfred Morphey, 47, a Farm Labourer, born Westerfield.

Rosebel Morphey, 12, born Homerton, London.

Mileson’s 31 year old brother, Amos Morphey, died on the 13th April 1903, at Clay Cottage, Akenham, of internal haemorrhage. Amos was an Army Reservist, Gunner, 86674 and died after discharge on the 30th July 1902, from the Royal Field Artillery, 65th Battery. Amos, a labourer, enlisted on the 24th September 1891. He served in the South African Boer War and was awarded the Queen’s South Africa 1901 medal, the King’s South Africa 1902 medal, and the Transvaal clasp. The soldiers’ effects were awarded to his father, George Morphey. An inquest into Amos Morphey’s death was held on the 13th April, before burial on the 17th April in Section GG at Ipswich Old Cemetery.

Soldiers’ Effects to Ada Morphey – mother.

Suffolk Chronicle and Mercury – Friday, 2^nd October 1903 – At the Needham Market Petty Sessions, Mileson Morphey and his brother Albert Francis Morphey, both labourers, of Akenham, were before General Martin, General Phillipps, Messrs. S. T. Harwood, Edward Snell, and R. H. Tidswell, Esqrs., charged with trespassing in search of game on the 13^th September, on land in the occupation of Mr. Ebenezer Gooding. At the outset, George Batchelor, gamekeeper to Mr. Matthew Haal, of Claydon, said that his master, from what he had learnt, wished to withdraw the summons against Albert Morphey. The Bench decided to first hear the evidence. George Batchelor then told how he saw the defendants both together walking along the fence with a dog on Mr. Gooding’s land. The dog was a lurcher and was hunting about. George Bathcelor addressed the young men, and they replied that they were after nuts. The dog was with them, they said, for exercise. Albert Morphey said that on the day in question, he and his wife were on a visit to Akenham and went together with other relatives to get blackberries. His brother, Mileson, joined the party, and his dog followed. When the gamekeeper came on the scene, the witness was in the hedge getting the fruit, and his brother was some distance off picking nuts – quite 14 yards. Mileson Morphey said his brother’s statement was a true account of what had occurred. The Bench decided to allow the summons against Albert Morphew to be withdrawn, and they dismissed the case against Mileson, but told him that he had no business to go on the land with the dog at all, because it was difficult for a gamekeeper to discriminate as to a person’s intent under such circumstances.

Evening Star – Friday, 18^th November 1904 –  A SUNDAY WALK WITH SNARES IN THE POCKETS – At the Woodbridge Petty Sessions, Mileson Morphey and his brother Albert Francis Morphey, both labourers, living at Akenham, were before J. Loder, Esq. (in the chair), Messrs. L. H. Hayward, C. A. Creasey, and R. Eaton White, Esqrs., Major C. E. Morr, and Captain White, charged with poaching on some property at Witnesham. P.-c. Chapman said he was on duty at Witnesham on Sunday, 13^th November, when he saw the defendants coming down Windy Land with a dog. He suspected they had just come off the fields; if they had come along by the road, he would have seen them approaching. He searched, Alfred Morphey, and found several snares in his pocket. In reply to the Chairman, he said he did not think the snares had been recently used. P.-c. Bridges testified to searching Mileson Morphey. Albert and Mileson said they were simply taking a walk and had no intention of using the snares. They had not been across the fields but had kept to the road all the time. The Chairman said there was not sufficient evidence to convict, and the case would be dismissed. He advised Albert and Mileson to burn the snares and not lay themselves open to suspicion again. The police had been quite right in bringing the case forward.