John Carnac Morris facts for kids

John Carnac Morris (born October 16, 1798 – died August 2, 1858) was an important English civil servant who worked for the East India Company. He was also a talented scholar who studied the Telugu language. He even wrote the first English-Telugu dictionary!

John Morris's Life Story

John Carnac Morris was born on October 16, 1798, in England. He was the oldest son of John Morris, who also worked for the East India Company and later became one of its directors.

Early Career and India

When he was young, John Morris joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman. He served during the last two years of the Napoleonic Wars. After the war ended in 1815, his father told his captain to send John home.

Morris then went to the East India Company College at Haileybury. After his studies, he joined the Madras civil service and arrived in India in 1818. Five of his younger brothers also found jobs with the East India Company.

Working in India

John Morris worked in different places in India, including Masulipatam and Coimbore. In 1823, he became paralyzed and could no longer use his legs. Despite this, he continued his important work, mostly in Madras.

From 1832, he was the official Telugu translator for the government. This meant he helped translate documents into and from the Telugu language. In 1839, he became the civil auditor, which is like being the chief accountant for the government.

Madras Government Bank

In 1834, Morris helped start the Madras government bank. He was the first secretary and treasurer of this bank. He also managed it. Later, the government handed the bank over to private owners.

Life Outside Work

While he was on a break in England between 1829 and 1831, John Morris was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very respected group for scientists. He was also very involved with the Freemasons in both Madras and England. When he left India in July 1846, the local people gave him a special thank-you gift.

Later Life and Challenges

After leaving India, Morris settled in London in 1848. He spent a lot of his time working on business projects. He started a company that planned to run steamships between Milford Haven and Australia, but it only lasted a few years.

He also helped start and manage the London and Eastern Banking Company. In 1855, he became the chairman of this bank. However, some of his colleagues made bad financial decisions, and the bank had to close down in 1858. Morris used all his own money to help pay back what was owed. He then moved to Jersey, where he passed away on August 2, 1858. He was buried in Saint Helier.

John Morris's Writings

John Morris was a dedicated scholar. He studied several languages, including Sanskrit, Persian, and Hindustani. However, he focused most of his efforts on the Telugu language.

Telugu Books

He put together a textbook called Telugu Selections, with Translations and Grammatical Analyses. This book helped people learn Telugu by providing examples and explanations. It also included a list of important words used in government. The first version came out in 1823, and a bigger one was published in 1855.

Morris also wrote the very first English-Telugu Dictionary. This dictionary was based on Johnson's Dictionary, a famous English dictionary. It was published in Madras in 1835 and was a very important tool for people learning either language.

Journal Editor

For several years starting in 1834, Morris was the editor of the Madras Journal of Literature and Science. This journal published articles about different topics in literature and science.

John Morris's Family

John Morris married Rosanna Curtis on February 4, 1823. Rosanna was the second daughter of Peter Cherry, who also worked for the East India Company. John and Rosanna had several sons, including John Morris (1826-1893), who later became a Jesuit.