Key York 'influencer' to get his own blue plaque

Two times Lord Mayor of York, Morrell was a director of Rowntrees, and key member of the campaign to set up the University of York.

He was also a founder of both the York Civic Trust and York Conservation Trust.

The civic trust will be marking its 75th anniversary year by unveiling a plaque to Morrell at Fairfax House, the Georgian townhouse restored and opened by the Trust as a museum in 1984, at 1pm on September 10.

“The plaque will eventually move to Burton Stone Lane, Morrell’s former home,” a York Civic Trust spokesperson said.

A civic leader, historian, conservationist and businessman, Morrell had a varied and distinguished career.

A Director of Rowntree & Co., the Chairman of Westminster Press (which used to own The Press) and twice Lord Mayor of York, he also played a vital role in the preservation of York’s cultural heritage, co-founding York Civic Trust and York Conservation Trust, which is still ran by members of the Morrell family today.

He enthusiastically backed the campaign for a university in York, with the help of financing arranged through the Joseph Rowntree Social Service Trust, which he chaired.

When a successful bid for a university was made in 1958, the Social Service Trust offered Heslington Hall and its grounds as the nucleus of the university site. The University of York opened in October 1963 and the library was named the JB Morrell Library.

The unveiling of the Morrell plaque will be the first event in the civic trust’s free programme of events being held as part of Heritage Opens Days 2021, which takes place between September 10 - 19.

The programme will include two other plaque unveilings, creative hidden history tours, and a ‘Pitch for Plaques’ grand debate, where members of the public who have put forward blue plaque suggestions will battle it out to try and get their historic person or place chosen.

For full details of York Civic Trust’s Heritage Open Days events visit yorkcivictrust.co.uk/heritage-open-days/