Sophia Morrison

Sophia Morrison (24 May 1859 – 14 January 1917) was a Manx cultural activist, folklore collector and author. Through her own work and role in encouraging and enthusing others, she is considered to be one of the key figures of the Manx cultural revival. She is best remembered today for writing Manx Fairy Tales, published in 1911, although her greatest influence was as an activist for the revitalisation of Manx culture, particularly through her work with the Manx Language Society and its journal, Mannin, which she edited from 1913 until her death.

Early life

Sophia Morrison was born in Peel, Isle of Man, as the third of nine children to Charles Morrison (1824–80) and his wife Louisa (née Crellin) (1830–1901). Her father was a well-respected merchant who owned a fleet of fishing boats and was responsible for the building of Athol Street in Peel. The 1881 census recorded Sophia Morrison as living at 7 Athol Street, but it is possible that she lived at the other family houses on the street during her life, including numbers 11 and 15.

Morrison attended the Clothworkers' School in Peel and took up music studies with her relative and friend, Edmund Goodwin. In receiving honours from Trinity College of Music, Morrison was the first person on the island to pass a music college examination. Little is known of the rest of her education other than that at the age of eleven Morrison was lodging in Ballig, near Onchan, for the purposes of her education. She developed an interest in languages, becoming fluent in Manx and French, and gaining a strong knowledge of Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Italian and Spanish. She travelled widely, including to France, Brittany, the Basque region and the USA.