Conwy Lloyd Morgan Papers

The papers consist of correspondence, lecture notes, notes, draft manuscripts and newspaper cuttings relating to Professor Morgan's fields of expertise and interest in the fields of psychology, philosophy and sociology, as well as papers relating to University College and University business.

Conwy Lloyd Morgan was born in London, 9 February 1852, second son of James Arthur Morgan. He studied at the School of Mines in London with the intention of becoming a mining engineer, but became increasingly attracted to the study of pure science and continued to pursue his studies as a private tutor and at the Royal College of Science. After a period of work at the Diocesan College of Rondebosch, South Africa, he returned to England to succeed W.J. Sollas as Chair of Geology and Zoology - later renamed the Chair of Psychology and Ethics - at the University College, Bristol in 1884. He was elected Principal in 1887, and took the position of Vice-Chancellor when the College became the University of Bristol in 1909. In 1910 he resigned as Vice-Chancellor to concentrate on his work in his academic field. He retired in 1919, though he lived on in Clifton and occasionally returned to the University to aid his department, now called the Department of Philosophy He was considered one of the foremost scholars of animal and comparative psychology, and was among the chief founders of the scientific study of animal psychology. Among his published works were Animal Life and Intelligence (1890), Habit and Instinct (1896), Animal Behaviour (1900), and Instinct and Experience (1912). He was the first Fellow of the Royal Society to be elected for psychological work. He died at Hastings on 6 March 1936.

Accessible to all bona fide readers.

Compiled by Martin Hall, Assistant Archivist, University of Bristol Information Services - Special Collections.

Typescript catalogue available in Special Collections.

Permission must be obtained from Special Collections.

The following DM numbers contain material pertaining to the life and career of Conwy Lloyd Morgan, and are kept in Special Collections:

• DM 612 - Notes, letters, articles, newspaper clippings, reviews and lectures of Conwy Lloyd Morgan (1882 - 1936).
• DM 1643 - Letters, documents, notes and speeches concerning Conwy Lloyd Morgan's term of office as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bristol (1908-1913).
• DM 147 - 2 letters of William James to Conwy Lloyd Morgan (1904).
• DM 210 - Letter of Olaf Stapledon to Conwy Lloyd Morgan, regarding criticism of Stapledon's book (1929).
• DM 219 - Occasional mentions in series of University of Bristol papers and correspondence.
• DM 244 - Article "Happy Recollections of the College in its Youth" by Conwy Lloyd Morgan in series of bound volumes concerning the Wills Memorial Building (1925).
• DM 257 - Photograph in series of University papers (1907).
• DM 341 - Newspaper cuttings in series of University papers (1920).
• DM 357 - Letter to Professor F.E. Francis, in collection of University papers (1934).
• DM 374 - Illustration in Bristol Times and Mirror Supplement (10 June, 1925).
• DM 384 - Letter to James Baker in collection of University papers (n.d).
• DM 454 - Group photo of the Committee which promoted and secured the University of Bristol charter (n.d).
• DM 526 - Occasional mentions in papers of Colston Society.
• DM 583 - Studies of his theories in the notes of Prof. Kenneth Ronald Lambert Hall (1961).
• DM 615 - Copy of speech delivered at the tenth annual Colston Society dinner (1909).
• DM 636 - Obituary and report of funeral in collection of H.S. Thompson (1936).
• DM 646 - Zoological and philosophical bibliographical card index (1926).
• DM 876 - &qot;Lloyd Morgan's Theory of Instinct" by Robert J. Richards, 1977.
• DM 910 - Portrait in University of Bristol Gazette Centenary Issue, in collection of Walter Kendall Stanton (1976).
• DM 1086 - Typescript draft of "A University for Bristol" by Don Carleton, with list of illustrations (1984).
• DM 1504 - Newspaper article on his death (1936).
• DM 1657 - Images in collection of University photographs.
• DM 1866 - Mentions in collection of miscellaneous University materials.