John Morris (soldier)

John Morris (1617?–1649) was a celebrated and dashing army officer of the First English Civil War. He served on both royalist and parliamentarian sides of the conflict, and was executed on a treason charge.

He was eldest son of Matthias Morris of Esthagh, in Elmsall, near Pontefract, Yorkshire. Brought up in the house of Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, when Strafford became lord deputy of Ireland, he was at age 16 made ensign to Strafford's own company of foot, and soon afterwards lieutenant of his guard. After Strafford's death, Morris became captain in Sir Henry Tichborne's regiment. During the Irish rebellion of 1641 he was appointed sergeant-major in the regiment commanded by Sir Francis Willoughby, and major by commission from the Earl of Ormonde (2 June 1642). After the storming of Ross Castle, though wounded, he rallied some English troops that were retreating before General Preston, and charged the enemy. On returning to England, Morris served for a while in Lord Byron's regiment.

After the surrender of Liverpool in 1644, Morris threw up his commission on a whim, and joined the parliamentary army, where he became a colonel. But when the New Model Army was set up, he was out of place, and was not immediately entrusted with command. Morris went back to his estate of Esthagh.

From the siege of Sandal Castle in 1645 Morris knew Colonel Robert Overton, who had since been made governor of Pontefract. With reason to believe Overton sympathetic to the royalists, Morris entered into a conspiracy with him to surprise Pontefract Castle: Overton promised that he would open a sally port at need. But in November 1647 Overton was transferred to the governorship of Kingston upon Hull, and Morris had little connection with Cotterell, who succeeded him at Pontefract.

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