Collection GB 0097 MOREL - MOREL, Edmund Dene, 1873-1924, MP

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0097 MOREL

Title

MOREL, Edmund Dene, 1873-1924, MP

Date(s)

  • 1883-1957 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

101 boxes and 6 bankers boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Edmund Dene Morel, 1873-1924, was educated in Eastbourne but moved to Liverpool in 1891. Forced to leave school at the age of 15 due to his mother's financial difficulties, Morel worked as a clerk for the shipping firm Elder Dempster, and supplemented his income with part-time journalism. Many of the articles that Morel wrote related to stories from visitors to the shipping office, including material on British trade in Africa. Morel became concerned about the consequences of such trade for African culture. In 1900, he published a series of articles concerning the Congo, and was forced to resign from Elder Dempster due to the company's involvement in the rubber trade in the Congo. In 1904, Morel founded the Congo Reform Association and took a leading part in the movement against Congo misrule. He published many pamphlets on the subject and travelled to the United States to create a similar movement there. Morel was Honorary Secretary of the Congo Reform Association from 1904 to 1912. In 1909, he took part in the formation of the International League for the Defence of the Natives of the Conventional Basin of the Congo. He was also a member of the West African Lands Committee (Colonial Office), 1912-1914, and vice-president of the Anti-Slavery Society. His interest in African affairs extended to his journalism. He published "Le Congo Leopoldien" with the French explorer Pierre Mille, and was editor of the "African Mail" for ten years before bringing out his own paper "The West African Mail" in 1903. Morel was also active in the political world. He was the Liberal candidate for Birkenhead, 1912-1914, resigning when the First World War broke out. He then formed the Union of Democratic Control, a political party that opposed the war. From 1917 to 1918 he was imprisoned for violation of the Defence of the Realm Act. After the war he joined the Labour Party and was the Labour candidate for Dundee, 1921-1922.

Archival history

GB 0097 MOREL 1883-1957 collection 101 boxes and 6 bankers boxes Morel , Edmund Dene , 1873-1924 , MP author and journalist
Edmund Dene Morel, 1873-1924, was educated in Eastbourne but moved to Liverpool in 1891. Forced to leave school at the age of 15 due to his mother's financial difficulties, Morel worked as a clerk for the shipping firm Elder Dempster, and supplemented his income with part-time journalism. Many of the articles that Morel wrote related to stories from visitors to the shipping office, including material on British trade in Africa. Morel became concerned about the consequences of such trade for African culture. In 1900, he published a series of articles concerning the Congo, and was forced to resign from Elder Dempster due to the company's involvement in the rubber trade in the Congo. In 1904, Morel founded the Congo Reform Association and took a leading part in the movement against Congo misrule. He published many pamphlets on the subject and travelled to the United States to create a similar movement there. Morel was Honorary Secretary of the Congo Reform Association from 1904 to 1912. In 1909, he took part in the formation of the International League for the Defence of the Natives of the Conventional Basin of the Congo. He was also a member of the West African Lands Committee (Colonial Office), 1912-1914, and vice-president of the Anti-Slavery Society. His interest in African affairs extended to his journalism. He published "Le Congo Leopoldien" with the French explorer Pierre Mille, and was editor of the "African Mail" for ten years before bringing out his own paper "The West African Mail" in 1903. Morel was also active in the political world. He was the Liberal candidate for Birkenhead, 1912-1914, resigning when the First World War broke out. He then formed the Union of Democratic Control, a political party that opposed the war. From 1917 to 1918 he was imprisoned for violation of the Defence of the Realm Act. After the war he joined the Labour Party and was the Labour candidate for Dundee, 1921-1922.

Biographical material of Edward Dene Morel, including diaries and photographs; papers and correspondence concerning Morel's parliamentary candidature and activities as an MP, his publications, the Congo Reform Association and its publications, trials and atrocities in the Congo, the Union of Democratic Control, and research into the origins of World War One and armaments after the war; general correspondence; books of outgoing letters concerned mainly with the Congo Reform Association and the publication of the 'African Mail'; material relating to the newspapers with which Morel was involved, including the 'West African Mail', the 'African Mail', and 'West Africa'; books, pamphlets and articles by Morel and others on Africa, the Congo, and World War One; British and Belgian parliamentary reports and discussions concerning the Congo; and family correspondence.

This collection is arranged in 18 sections:

  1. Biography, 1887-1924.
  2. Parliament, 1908-1924.
  3. Publications, 1900-1921.
  4. Congo Reform Association, 1898-1913.
  5. Congo Documents, 1887-1913.
  6. Union of Democratic Control, 1910-1928.
  7. Foreign Affairs, 1914-1924.
  8. General Correspondence, 1898-1925.
  9. Miscellaneous Correspondents, 1895-1924.
  10. Letter Books, 1902-1910.
  11. Newspapers, 1901-1912.
  12. Print, 1721-1948.
  13. Pamphlets and Articles, 1883-1924.
  14. Parliamentary Report, 1885-1917.
  15. Press Cuttings, 1893-1924.
  16. Scrapbooks and Press Cuttings, 1897-1923.
  17. Various Correspondence, 1885-1957.
  18. 'Foreign Affairs', 1921-1931.

OPEN

COPYRIGHT IS HELD BY THE LIBRARY.
English

Printed handlist and online catalogue available.

Output from CAIRS using template 14 and checked by hand on May 29, 2002 29 May 2002 Administration of justice African Mail , newspaper Arms control Belgium Central Africa Colonialism Congo Congo Reform Association Disarmament Europe Human rights violations Imperialism International conflicts Journalism Morel , Edmund Dene , 1873-1924 , MP author and journalist Peace Political doctrines Slavery Social structure Union of Democratic Control War West Africa , newspaper West African Mail , newspaper Western Europe World War One (1914-1918) World wars (events) Wars (events)

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Biographical material of Edward Dene Morel, including diaries and photographs; papers and correspondence concerning Morel's parliamentary candidature and activities as an MP, his publications, the Congo Reform Association and its publications, trials and atrocities in the Congo, the Union of Democratic Control, and research into the origins of World War One and armaments after the war; general correspondence; books of outgoing letters concerned mainly with the Congo Reform Association and the publication of the 'African Mail'; material relating to the newspapers with which Morel was involved, including the 'West African Mail', the 'African Mail', and 'West Africa'; books, pamphlets and articles by Morel and others on Africa, the Congo, and World War One; British and Belgian parliamentary reports and discussions concerning the Congo; and family correspondence.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

This collection is arranged in 18 sections:

  1. Biography, 1887-1924.
  2. Parliament, 1908-1924.
  3. Publications, 1900-1921.
  4. Congo Reform Association, 1898-1913.
  5. Congo Documents, 1887-1913.
  6. Union of Democratic Control, 1910-1928.
  7. Foreign Affairs, 1914-1924.
  8. General Correspondence, 1898-1925.
  9. Miscellaneous Correspondents, 1895-1924.
  10. Letter Books, 1902-1910.
  11. Newspapers, 1901-1912.
  12. Print, 1721-1948.
  13. Pamphlets and Articles, 1883-1924.
  14. Parliamentary Report, 1885-1917.
  15. Press Cuttings, 1893-1924.
  16. Scrapbooks and Press Cuttings, 1897-1923.
  17. Various Correspondence, 1885-1957.
  18. 'Foreign Affairs', 1921-1931.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

OPEN

Conditions governing reproduction

COPYRIGHT IS HELD BY THE LIBRARY.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Printed handlist and online catalogue available.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

British Library of Political and Economic Science

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area