Staats Long Morris | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Parliament for Elgin Burghs | |
| In office 1774–1784 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Lockhart |
| Succeeded by | William Adam |
| Governor of Quebec | |
| In office 1797–1800 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Preceded by | James Johnston |
| Succeeded by | William Goodday Strutt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 August 1728 Morrisania, New York |
| Died | 28 January 1800 (aged 71) England, United Kingdom |
| Resting place | Westminster Abbey |
| Spouse(s) | Duchess of Gordon (m. 1756) Jane Urquhart (m. 1780) |
| Parent(s) | Lewis Morris Katryntje Staats |
| Alma mater | Yale College |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Great Britain (1746–1800) |
| Branch/service | British Army (1746–1800) |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | 89th Regiment of Foot 61st Regiment of Foot |
| Battles/wars | Seven Years' War |
General Staats Long Morris (27 August 1728 – 28 January 1800) was a British Army officer and politician who sat in the British House of Commons representing the constituency of Elgin Burghs from 1774 to 1784. He also served as governor of Quebec from 1797 until his death. Born in the colony of New York, Morris parlayed a marriage to a Scottish noblewoman into a successful career as a military officer and politician in the British Parliament.
Born in 1728 in the town of Morrisania, New York, Morris graduated from Yale College in 1746 before embarking on a military career, serving as an army officer in the New York Independent Companies. A protege of British colonial official William Shirley, a journey with him to England in 1756 led Morris to meet and marry the widowed Catherine Gordon, Duchess of Gordon, who significantly advanced her husband's career in the British Army.
After serving in India from 1762 to 1763 during the Seven Years' War, Morris focused his attentions on American affairs, receiving 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) of land grants in Canada. Morris also began to develop a political career, entering Parliament in 1774 thanks to a friendship with the 4th Duke of Gordon. When war broke out between Britain and its North American colonies in 1776, Morris, a Loyalist, avoided service in North America.
His wife died in 1779, and Morris remarried a year later. In 1796, Morris was promoted to the rank of general, and was given the governorship of Quebec in the next year. The position was a sinecure and Morris remained in England while holding the governorship, which he continued to do until his death in office at the age of 71. After his death, Morris was buried in Westminster Abbey, one of the few Americans to be accorded such an honor.