Morris was born in 1877 at 47 Comer Gardens in Worcester, England. His family moved to 16 James Street, Oxford, when he was three years old. Upon leaving school at the age of 15, he was apprenticed to a local bicycle-seller and repairer. After nine months, he set up his own bicycle repair business in a shed at the back of his parents’ house, aged 16. He then opened a shop at 48 High Street, assembling and repairing bicycles labelled with “The Morris”. Morris raced his own machines, competing as far away as south London, and became champion of Oxford (City and County), Berkshire and Buckinghamshire for distances varying between one and fifty miles.
In 1901, Morris began working with motorcycles, designing the Morris Motor Cycle. By 1902, he had acquired buildings in Longwall Street, Oxford, from which he repaired bicycles, operated a taxi service, and sold, repaired, and hired-out cars. He held agencies for Arrol-Johnston, Belsize, Humber, Hupmobile, Singer, Standard and Wolseley cars. In 1910, he built new premises in Longwall Street, renaming his business ‘The Morris Garage’.
Morris began designing a car, the “bullnose” Morris, in 1912, using bought-in components. He began building them at a disused military training college in Cowley, Oxford. During World War I, the factory largely produced munitions, including 50,000 minesinkers. Car production revived in 1919, rising from 400 cars that year to 56,000 in 1925. Morris pioneered the introduction of Henry Ford's mass production techniques to the United Kingdom. Between 1919 and 1925, he built or purchased factories in Abingdon, Birmingham and Swindon, adding to those in Oxford.
In February 1927, Morris paid £730,000 for the assets of the collapsed Wolseley Motors Limited. He purchased component suppliers, such as the American engine suppliers, who became Morris Engines Limited, and back-axle manufacturer EG Wrigley and Company, which he reconstituted as Morris Commercial Cars Limited. He also bought the manufacturer of SU Carburettors in 1926. Impressed by American all-steel bodies, he entered a joint venture with Edward G Budd of Budd Corporation, called Pressed Steel Company, erecting a factory at Cowley in 1926. However, disagreements led to Morris surrendering his membership of the Pressed Steel board and all his holdings in 1930.
Morris was described as "the most famous industrialist of his age". He was ennobled as Baron Nuffield in 1934 and further as Viscount Nuffield in 1938. In September 1938, he bought the bankrupt Riley (Coventry) and Autovia companies, adding them to the portfolio of Morris Motors Limited. After being ennobled as Baron Nuffield, all his enterprises were promoted as the Nuffield Organization, though this had no legal basis.
In July 1934, a strike took place in a Morris factory, described by historians as a "spontaneous walkout" of approximately 180 workers. Morris was politically anti-union, having stated he would refuse to recognise any unions at his factory. The Communist Party activist Abraham Lazarus led the strike, which resulted in increased wages and the establishment of trade unions within Morris' factories. The success of the strike led to increased support for the Labour Party, the Transport and General Workers' Union, and the Communist Party of Great Britain in Oxford.
During World War II, Morris was tasked with building a new factory at Castle Bromwich to produce Supermarine Spitfires. Despite an initial budget of £1.125 million, costs increased to £4.15 million within a year. Although Morris claimed he could produce 60 Spitfires a week, not one had been built at Castle Bromwich by May 1940. Lord Beaverbrook was then placed in charge, and Morris was sacked.
Morris Motors Limited merged with Austin Motor Company in 1952 to form the British Motor Corporation (BMC), with Nuffield as chairman for its first year. He retired as a director of BMC in December 1952, becoming honorary president.
Morris was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1918, created a baronet in 1929, and raised to the peerage as Baron Nuffield in 1934. He was further honoured as Viscount Nuffield in 1938. He was also made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1939, a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in 1941, and a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in 1958.
Morris married Elizabeth Anstey on 9 April 1903. They had no children, and he donated a large part of his fortune to charitable causes. He founded Nuffield College, Oxford, in 1937, and funded the expansion of the Sea Cadet Corps and the University of Birmingham. He also offered to donate iron lungs to hospitals across Britain and the Empire. He founded the Nuffield Foundation in 1943 with an endowment of £10 million. Nuffield Place, his former home, is now open to the public.
Historians have described Morris as politically anti-Semitic, citing his financial support for Sir Oswald Mosley and British fascism. Between 1931 and 1932, he gave Mosley £35,000 to fund the anti-Semitic newspaper Action, and £50,000 in 1930 to finance Mosley's New Party. Despite ceasing to publicly support fascism after 1932, Morris retained his subscription to anti-Semitic newspapers for many years. In 1934, Morris issued a public statement repudiating fascism and antisemitism while also announcing a donation to the Central British Fund for German Jewry.
In May 1938, a serial blackmailer attempted to kidnap Morris for a £100,000 ransom, but the plan was betrayed to Oxford City Police. The police ambushed the blackmailer, and he was convicted and sentenced to seven years' penal servitude.
Morris died in August 1963, aged 85, and his ashes lie in Nuffield churchyard, beside his wife’s. The baronetcy and two peerages died with him as he was childless.
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