Let me tell you the story of my great-grandfather, Albert Morrow. He stands as a constant inspiration to me, a figure from the past whose life pushes me forward. Were it not for him, I might have abandoned the dream of Morrow’s long ago. My search for his legacy took me to forgotten libraries and hidden archives, and I pieced together his life like a mosaic. Sadly, it was not my grandfather, George Morrow, who told me these stories—he died when I was only thirteen. Instead, I found them in dusty historic directories in the quiet library of England’s fourth-oldest gentlemen’s club, The Athenaeum in Liverpool.
Albert Morrow was born in 1883, on a family farm in Ireland that had belonged to my ancestors for generations. The Morrows had been tied to the land since at least his grandfather Matthew, who held a 40-acre holding in Caledon in 1810. But Albert was not bound by the fields. He was the youngest of eleven children, a boy with big dreams despite the confines of rural life.
The Morrow family Farm in Ireland
He attended a small school called Minterburn near to the family farm but left in 1897 when he was 14 years old. That same year he made his way to England to visit his sister Sarah in Cheshire. He took the ferry from Belfast to Liverpool—a journey that must have opened his eyes to a world beyond his home in Ireland. What a sight it must have been for him to see Liverpool, with its famous architecture, bustling docks and large ships. Its constant movement must have dazzled the boy who had known only the quiet countryside.
After his visit, Albert returned to Ireland and studied the weaving and dyeing of woollens at the Mullin Mills, Ballagh: he earned a meagre two shillings a week [a shilling was worth 5 pence]. But his visit to Liverpool had encouraged him to return and two years later, in pursuit of his dream, he left his family and Ireland. Before he boarded the ferry, his father gave him a solid gold sovereign, with the solemn instruction: “Son, keep this as your emergency money”.
An early photo of Albert Morrow
Once back in Liverpool, Albert found work as an assistant in a well-known gentlemen’s outfitters. He worked hard, saved what little he could and after years of effort, he opened his first shop in April 1912. It was a proud moment, for this wasn’t just any shop—it bore his name. Morrow’s had been born.
Agreement for sale of fixtures and fittings for No.13 Whitechapel between R.J. Blackler and Mr A. Morrow - 16th April 1912
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Philip Morrow