Morton Leslie

[mark99]

Just checking. L. N. Morton was not related/connected at all to the FMC originators?

[Ray T]

I read an autobiography of his life which was supposed to be in two parts. Part I dealing with his experiences as an Able Bodied Seaman including surviving the Lusitania tragedy. Part II about his life in charge of The GUCCCo and Willow Wren was never published.

 

I was actually so disappointed in the book I donated it to The Chesterfield Canal Trust!

 

http://www.titanicinquiry.org/Lusitania/02morton2.php

 

I cannot say I have ever seen / read of his connection with Fellows Morton & Clayton however.

 

From here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fellows_Morton_and_Clayton the only mention Frederick Morton gets is this:

 

"In 1876 Frederick Morton brought with him investment capital to expand the business, and the company name was changed to Fellows Morton & Co. This new company continued to absorb smaller traders, so expanding with new boats and also with acquired vessels."

 

More here: http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=75957&hl=leslie+morton

Edited May 18, 2016 by Ray T

[archie57]

I found part one very interesting, although it only covers his earlier life before his canal involvement. Interesting to read of his heroic rescuing of "Lusitania" survivors for which he received a medal. Part Two does exist, and the relevant canal parts may yet get an airing!

[David Schweizer]

I knew Leslie Morton back in the mid 1960's, and as far as I know he had no connection with FMC. His notable connection with canals and canal carrying was when he was appointed General Manager of the newly created GUCC, and commissioned the building of a new fleet of Narrowboats for carrying,.

 

I can well remember sitting in his office one day, when he commented "I had to buy my own bloody boats back" referring to the nationalisation of the GUCC fleet and the subsequent formation of Willow Wren who had a significant number of ex GUCC boats in their fleet.

 

Late edit:- to correct some awful typos

Edited May 19, 2016 by David Schweizer

[mark99]

Was this office at Brentford?

 

I saw a ambiguous picture of his office which showed it as a small hut.

[David Schweizer]

Was this office at Brentford?

 

I saw a ambiguous picture of his office which showed it as a small hut.

 

Although many of the Willow Wren boats displayed a Brentford address, the office I remember was at Bulls Bridge, and from recollection was in a brick building on the wharf side. However, he could often be found conducting business from the Public Bar in the Admiral Nelson at Braunston. Interestingly he was rarely referred to by his first name, just Morton.

Edited May 19, 2016 by David Schweizer

[Derek R.]

In David Blagrove's book 'Bread Upon The Waters' Blagrove describes his interview with Morton at the Willow Wren offices at Brentford dock in part of the loft of an old stables block. Also mentioned is that he and his erstwhile companion Stanley had run Willow Wren for eight years after starting in a caravan on the wharf at Paddington basin.

[FadeToScarlet]

In David Blagrove's book 'Bread Upon The Waters' Blagrove describes his interview with Morton at the Willow Wren offices at Brentford dock in part of the loft of an old stables block. Also mentioned is that he and his erstwhile companion Stanley had run Willow Wren for eight years after starting in a caravan on the wharf at Paddington basin.

When, if I remember rightly, Stanley would answer the phone and direct callers to the "traffic department", "warehousing department", or suchlike- all of which were made up, and it was all Leslie Morton on the other end- just to make the company sound much bigger.

[David Schweizer]

In David Blagrove's book 'Bread Upon The Waters' Blagrove describes his interview with Morton at the Willow Wren offices at Brentford dock in part of the loft of an old stables block. Also mentioned is that he and his erstwhile companion Stanley had run Willow Wren for eight years after starting in a caravan on the wharf at Paddington basin.

 

Willow Wren moved from Brentford Dock to Bull's Bridge sometime around 1964, after the company changed from Willow Wren Canal Carrying Company into Willow Wren Canal Transport Services, which was the company I was familiar with. I believe that David Blagrove worked for the former company but had left by 1964.