BARONS AND EARLS OF

MORLEY  .—In 1299 William de Morley of Morley in Norfolk was summoned to parliament as a baron, and his son Robert (d . 136o) was a celebrated warrior, being largely responsible for the English victory at Sluys and fighting at Crecy . His descendant Robert, the 6th baron (d . 1443), had no sons, but he left a daughter Alianore, who married William Lovel (d . 1476), and Lovel was summoned to parliament as Lord Morley, ranking as the 7th holder of the title . He left a son Henry, who was killed in 1489, and Henry's heir was his sister Alice, the wife of Sir William Parker (d . 1510), hereditary marshal of Ireland . Their son Henry Parker (1476-1556) became the loth baron, as he was summoned to the House of Lords as Lord Morley in 1523 . He was a man of literary attainments and translated some of the writings of Plutarch, Boccaccio, Petrarch, Seneca, Cicero and others into English . Most of these are only found in manuscript, but his Tryumphes of Fraunces Petrarcke was published a second time in 1887 . His eldest son Henry (d . 1553) died during his father's lifetime, leaving a son Henry (d .

1577) who became 1th Baron Morley on his

grand-father's death . His son Edward (d . 1618), one of the judges of Mary Queen of Scots, succeeded to the barony; and Edward's son and successor was William Parker, 4th Lord Monteagle (q.v.) . The barony of Morley remained united with that of Monteagle until the death of William's grandson Thomas about 1686, when it fell into abeyance . John Parker, 1st earl of Morley (1772-1840), only son of John Parker (1735-1788), who was created Baron Boringdon in 1784, but was no relation of the previous barons Morley, was a prominent supporter of Pitt and of Canning . In 1815 he was created earl of Morley . He was a public benefactor to Plymouth and its neighbourhood . He was succeeded by his son Edmund Henry Parker (1810-1864), whose son, Albert Edmund, the 3rd earl (1843-1905), was chairman of committees in the House of Lords from 1889 to 1905, after having been under-secretary for war and first commissioner of works . In 1905 his son, Edmund Robert (b . 1877), became 4th earl .