Kent, however his son Patrick was born in Dublin, Ireland, during his service in the coast guard. Together, they had at least 10 children: Arthur Wellesley Morrell, who also joined the Royal Navy, becoming a Paymaster Captain William George Henry Morrell, another naval officer Rosa Elizabeth Morrell Douglas Henry Morrell, another naval officer, who died in 1903 Alice Fanny Morrell Maud Lucy Morrell Patrick Frank Arthur Morrell, later a vicar Edith Georgina Morrell George Edwin Morrell Frank Alfred Morrell Death George Truman Morrell lived in Belvedere, Kent, at the time of his death on 7 May 1912. First West Africa expedition In the early 1860s Morrell made maps of several parts of the coast of West Africa, including what has since become the southwestern parts of Ivory Coast. He also observed native fauna in that region such as the pygmy hippopotamus and western chimpanzee. People in the region spoke the Guéré language which Morrell attempted to document. Travelling further along the coast on the same expedition he made extensive maps of an area further east, near the settlement of Assinie-Mafia where he made maps of the Aby Lagoon and the surrounding area. After this Morrell returned to England and took up residency in the Cotswolds region. Niger River expedition Due to the success of his previous mission to West Africa, Morrell was given command of another, far more ambitious expedition. In late 1865, Morrell, who was then a lieutenant, was given command of HMS Investigator, a steam-powered, flat-bottomed British navy gunship. He spent the next several months steaming the ship up the Niger River, bringing gifts from the British government, in Queen Victoria's name, to tribal kings and elders along the river. During the voyage, Morrell mediated a dispute between British colonists and Obi Akazue, who reigned amongst the people at Onitsha, Nigeria. He observed first-hand the slave trade, which flourished locally despite the cessation of the trade throughout most of the western world. He recorded his interactions in a handwritten diary, including coloured illustrations of aspects of contemporary West African life along the river, such as this drawing of a brass canoe fitted with an awning and armed with cannons, used for local trade along the river. External links Footnotes Winter 2001 edition, Northwestern University newsletter, article on p. 6 highlighting the acquisition of the 1865 journal (PDF) References Other sources: 1881 British Census, Kent 1830 births 1912 deaths