Work of Nunburnholme vicar and wildlife campaigner Reverend Francis Orpen Morris takes centre stage at Treasure House exhibition

Rev Francis Orpen Morris is featured in the display entitled ‘Birds, Books and Belfries’.

Reverend Morris (1810-1893) combined his work for the Church of England with studying nature and campaigning for wildlife.

The exhibition, running until Saturday, September 24 at the Treasure House in Beverley, centres on the beautiful natural history books held in East Riding Archives which were written by Morris and printed by Benjamin Fawcett of Driffield.

The books are complemented by loans from a private collector including rare monthly book sections and Morris’ letter to Randolph Churchill asking for support for bird conservation.

In the 1800s there was an explosion of interest in natural history.

Clergymen were particularly enthusiastic in embracing the subject, leading to the name parson-naturalist.

Many of the books were collected by philanthropist John Edward Champney (the Treasure House is located on the street named after him) and were some of the first books in Beverley Library when it opened back in 1906.

The books are complemented by loans from a private collector, including monthly book sections – Morris’ books were often first produced as small sections, due to the high cost to both print and to buy.

The exhibition also looks at the Association for the Protection of Sea Birds, of which Morris was a member.

The Association was set up by another natural history enthusiast, the Reverend Henry Barnes-Lawrence of Bridlington Priory, and was a response to the terrible shooting of birds at Bempton and Flamborough in the 1860s.

A spokesperson said: “A stunning film in the exhibition space called Seabird City features the bird colonies at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, showing the habitats which Morris was passionate about protecting.”