James Morgan

James Morgan (1816-1878) was an Australian politician who was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Early life James Morgan was born on 29 September 1816 in Longford, Ireland, the son of Michael, a local farmer. He attended the private school of author Maria Edgeworth in Edgeworthtown. He was a member of the Church of England. At 19 years of age, he became interested in surveying and spent 3 years attached to a party of surveyors around Snowdon in Caernarvonshire, Wales. In late 1840, he immigrated on the Palestine, arriving in Sydney on 14 March 1841. He spent a few years in the Brisbane Water district in New South Wales before managing the property of W. C. Wentworth on the Namoi River until the end of 1847. In early 1848 he married. He continued to manage pastoral properties until 1868. Editorial career In 1868 Morgan purchased the Warwick Argus newspaper. He worked fervently on thenewspaper, often writing columns particularly against the 1868 Land Act. Political career Morgan was elected the member for Warwick from 10 August 1870 until 21 July 1871, when he was defeated by Charles Clark in the 1871 Queensland colonial election. Morgan was again elected in Warwick unopposed on 4 November 1873, holding the seat until his death on 19 November 1878. He held strongly conservative pursuits on property and agricultural rights.