Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

James Archibald Morrison DSO (18 September 1873 – 27 October 1934) was a British Conservative Party politician. Morrison was the son of Alfred Morrison, of Fonthill House, and the grandson of James Morrison. Hugh Morrison was his elder brother and Lord Margadale his nephew. A rower and expert shot, Morrison became a second lieutenant in the 4th (Eton Volunteer) Battalion, Oxfordshire Light Infantry on 12 December 1891, and transferred to the 4th Middlesex Volunteer Rifle Corps on 15 May 1895. He transferred to the

Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...

on 5 February 1895, and subsequently fought in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

. He was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for the Wilton division of

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

at an unopposed by-election in July 1900. He was re-elected at the 1900 general election, but at the 1906 election he lost his seat to the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

candidate. In 1910, he inherited

Basildon Park Basildon Park is a English country houses, country house situated 2 miles (3 kilometres) south of Goring-on-Thames and Streatley in Berkshire, between the villages of Upper Basildon and Lower Basildon. It is owned by the National Trust and is a ...

from his uncle Charles (son of James Morrison), and was elected MP for Nottingham East. He resigned the seat in 1912 by the procedural device of accepting the post of Steward of the Manor of Northstead. In 1912 he was named as the co-respondent in a divorce case between Helena Woodley Morand and her husband, the actor M. R. Morand. Both Helena Morand and Morrison denied adultery but the case was found proved and M. R. Morand was awarded £5,500 in agreed damages against Captain Morrison.England & Wales, Civil Divorce Records, 1858-1918 for Marcellus Raymond Morand, 1912: Ancestry.com
/ref> Morrison made major improvements to the Basildon estate, building new cottages and pumping stations to supply it with water. When the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

broke out, he returned to the Grenadier Guards.

Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986), was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Nickn ...

served as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

under his command. Badly wounded at the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...

, he was invalided out of the Army and turned over Basildon Park for use as a Guards' convalescent home. He was awarded the DSO in 1916. Morrison sold off the Basildon estate to Sir Edward Iliffe in 1929 and died in 1934.

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* 1873 births 1934 deaths British Army personnel of World War I British Army personnel of the Second Boer War Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Grenadier Guards officers People educated at Eton College UK MPs 1895–1900 UK MPs 1900–1906 UK MPs 1910 UK MPs 1910–1918 People from Basildon, Berkshire Volunteer Force officers in Middlesex units Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry officers James Military personnel from Wiltshire {{England-Conservative-UK-MP-1870s-stub