William Sommerville MORRISON MD

Birth:  20 Sep 1849  Place: Wilmot, Annapolis Co, Nova Scotia1

Death:  25 Dec 1938  Place: Lachute, Quebec

Burial Place: Lachute, Quebec

Father: Daniel MORRISON (1809-1876)

Mother: Margaret CAMPBELL (1810-1869)

 

Spouse:  Mary KENNEDY2

Birth:  19 May 1854   Place: Limavady, Co Derry, Ireland3

Death:  27 Jul 1936   Place: Hampton, New Brunswick4

Burial Place: Hampton, New Brunswick

Father: Rev James KENNEDY (1818-1898)

Mother: Eliza CONN (1821-)

Marriage:  28 Jan 1885  Place: 34 West 55 Street, New York5

                                                                                            

Children: 

James Kennedy "Kennedy" (1886-)

Frank Sifford (1887-1976)

Hugh O'Neill "Neill" (1889-)

Fraser Campbell (1892-)

 

 

Notes for William Sommerville Morrison     

Children: Left: James Kennedy "Ken",  back centre: Frank Sifford,  right: Hugh O'Neill "Neill" and front centre: Fraser Campbell. 
                                                              
 
  • He was born and raised in Wilmot, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia.  Wilmot home pictured right.

 

  • At the  Boston University School of Medicine he studied from 1878-1881 and received his Doctor of Medicine May 27, 1881.

 

Graduated Doctor of Medicine May 27, 1881

 
Above: Wilmot, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia home built by his father and mother,  Daniel & Margaret Morrison
  • He had his practice in St John, New Brunswick

 

  • "The Morrison residence in Saint John was on Carleton Street, the house at present owned by R. Downing Paterson. Dr. and Mrs. Morrison had a summer home at South Bay and it was one of the local summer show places at that time." A quote from Mary Kennedy Morrison's obituary.

 

  • He had an office in at his home "Ken-Mor Place" Hampton, New Brunswick

 

Map of St John, New Brunswick  in 1984.

            

Photograph left:  L-R:  William's sister Eliza, William himself and his wife Mary (nee Kennedy).

KENMOR Place named for Mary Kennedy & William S. Morrison

Back view of KenMor Place
                                                                          
  • The following biography has been assembled using two biographical excepts about William Sommerville Morrison, M.D.. They were very similar, using much the same data, format and even most sentences. The differences were in clarification (use of words rather than initials) of the associations to which he belonged, the date of his graduation from Boston University and in naming his sons.

The first publication (complete with picture) is "The Canadian Album ~ Men of Canada or Success By Example in Religion, Patriotism, Business, Law, Medicine, Education and Agriculture ~ containing portraits of some of Canada’s chief business men, statesmen, farmers, men of the learned professions and others; also , an authentic sketch of their lives VOL III." published by Bradley, Garretson & Co., Brantford, Ontario, 1894. The second publication is "Biographical Review ~ This volume contains Biographical sketches of leading citizens of the Province of New Brunswick" ~ Boston ~ Biographical Review Publishing Company ~ 15 Court Square ~ 1900.

William Somerville Morrison, M.D., Homeopathic Physician, etc., St. John, New Brunswick, was born September 20th, 1949 at Wilmot, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. His parents were Daniel and Margaret (Campbell) Morrison, natives of the north of Ireland, whose ancestors, on both sides were Scotch. His professional studies were pursued in the medical department of Boston University, where in 1881 he graduated as Doctor of Medicine. He has built up a large practice, in St. John, which is constantly increasing and he stands high in the estimation of the public generally.

Dr. Morrison belongs to the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, various temperance societies, and is Past Chief of Clan MacKenzie, O.S.C.. He is also an active member of the Young Men’s Christian Association (Y.M.C.A.) and corresponding member of the International committee of the Y.M.C.A.. He is a member of the Medical Society of New Brunswick, and of the American Institute of Homeopathy. In politics, he is a Liberal, but takes no prominent part in political affairs, being obliged to devote all his time to his extensive practice. In religion, he is a Presbyterian.

Dr. Morrison was married January 28th, 1885, to Mary, daughter of Rev. James Kennedy of New York City. His family consists of four sons; namely James Kennedy, Frank Sifford, Hugh O’Neill and Fraser Campbell.

 

       
Picture (left) is of  Fraser Morrison, sitting beside his father's, William S. Morrison's, desk/bookcase. 
            

                                                            

Syringe and case belonging to Dr. William Sommerville Morrison.

Picture of gravestone in Lachute, Quebec taken in 1963, prior to deaths of Fraser and Irene Morrison.

Excepts from letters:

 

  • "Frank never did learn to handle money, in fact none of the [Morrison] family did.  His father was a very poor business man and it took Fraser a long time.  Oh well, life is full of ups and downs and makes interesting looking back." Irene Shaw-Morrison January 18, 1965

 

  • "He [Fraser] is still under 200, not 240 [pounds] like his father was." - Irene Shaw-Morrison March 1967

 

 

  • "... larger homes had parlors and sitting rooms, or like the Morrison's, library and 'drawing room' which was probably your grandmother's old country label carried over to America. At my home and my grandmother's it was parlor and sitting room doubled for dining as well.  [William S. and Mary Morrison] had a room for dining and nothing else in St John and Hampton.  But gradually with smaller families and lack of help, the living quarters have shrunk and now-a-days a 'maid' is a rarity. "  Irene Shaw-Morrison February 26, 1971

 

 

  • "[William Sommerville Morrison] couldn't boil water without having it stick to the pot (more or less).  He just couldn't be left alone to make a cup of tea.  But he'd had a lot of sisters to do it and never learned.  Maybe that is why his wife saw to it [that] her boys weren't so unskilled."  Irene Shaw-Morrison March 29, 1971
                                                          

                                                                                                                             
Sources

1. "Family Bible - Holy Bible Old & New Testaments - Appointed to be read in churches," Oxford: Printed at the University Press, and sold by Thomas Nelson and Sons, New York M,DCCC.LXIX, Passed down to Margaret Campbell Morrison then to Sherrie Patricia Bryan after which it will go to Bryan Arthur Thorne, Estate of Sherrie Patricia Bryan.

2. 1862, Reformed Presby'n Congregation, Newtownlimavady, Newtownlimavady Society, Reformed Presbyterian Church, Limavady, Northern Ireland, Copy in estate of Sherrie Thorne.

3. Irene Morrison, Unknown, Information sent to Peggy Bryan.

4. Unknown (clipping sent from Irene (Shaw) Morrison to Peggy (Morrison) Bryan, Most likely Saint John, New Brunswick newspaper, July 28, 1933, "MRS. Morrison Dies in Hampton," Unknown.

5. "Marriage invitation," Estate of Sherrie Patricia Bryan, Inside Family Bible.

6. The Canadian Album ~ Men of Canada or Success By Example in Religion, Patriotism, Business, Law, Medicine, Education and Agriculture ~ containing portraits of some of Canada’s chief business men, statesmen, farmers, men of the learned professions and others; also , an authentic sketch of their lives VOL III." published by Bradley, Garretson & Co., Brantford, Ontario, 1894.

7. Mary Kennedy Morrison's obituary