MORRIS, John Carnac. Madras (or Ootacamund) 16.10.1798 — Jersey 2.8.1858. British Civil Servant and Telugu Scholar in South India. Son of John Morris, of Bombay Civil Service, and Sarah Mackay. Midshipman in Royal Navy in 1813-15, then at Haileybury 1815-17. In 1818 joined Madras Civil service. “Had paralysis, 1823; Telugu Translator, 1832; Accountant-General, 1839. Established the Madras Government Bank, 1834, and was Superintendent, 1835… A keen freemason. Retired in 1846. Embarked in commercial enterprise, Chairman of a Bank which was wound up in 1858.” Retired to Jersey and died soon. F.R.S. 1831. Married 1823 Rosanna Curtis (née Cherry), father of —> Henry Morris and other sons. Beside Telugu he knew some Sanskrit, Hindustani and Persian.
Publications: Teloogoo selections, with translations and grammatical analysis; to which is added a glossary of revenue terms used in the Northern Circars. 182+26 p. Madras 1823.
– A Dictionary English and Teloogoo. 1-2. Madras 1835-39.
– From 1834 edited the Madras Journal of Literature and Science.
Sources: Buckland, Dictionary; anon., D.N.B. 39, 1894, 100f.; Wikipedia (all from D.N.B.).
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