Parents

William’s parents were William Morris and Anne (or Annie) Jacks. For more on Annie please refer to the article on Vincent Harry Jacks. William Morris Snr was a plasterer. He was born in Much Birch, Herefordshire, about 1840. The family always lived in Ludlow. Their address in 1891 was Old Gate Fee (also known as Holdgate or Holdgate’s Fee). In 1901 they lived at 6 Waterside, Ludlow, and by 1918 Annie and William were at 13 Holdgate Terrace.

They had at least 9 children, Mary, born about 1872, Ellen or Helen, born about 1875, Hannah, born about 1877, Edith, born about 1880, William Thomas, born in 1882, Henry, born about 1885, Samuel, born about 1888, Walter G, born about 1890, and Charles H (or Herbert), born about 1893. All the children were born in Ludlow.

William

William Thomas Morris was born in 1882 in Ludlow. In 1901 he appears in the census at 82 Burton Rd, living with his uncle and aunt, Samuel and Catherine Jacks. He was an assistant grocer. In 1911 he and two of his brothers, Walter and Charles, were lodging at 2 Moor St, West Didsbury, and all were grocers. It looks as though the Morris boys followed the Jacks family to West Didsbury.

In the war, William served with the 1st/6th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment. He died on 2 September 1918, aged 36. It is likely that he died in the 2nd Battle of the Somme. He is commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial, Pas de Calais, Panel 9.