William Morris
Agency patch
Sergeant

William Morris

Gloucestershire Constabulary — Cheltenham, ENG
Felonious
End of Watch November 10, 1895
Age 32
The Vigil Panel 188 ›
Gender Male

Incident

After being sent early on Sunday morning to apprehend three poachers on the Hare Estate at Newnham, Sergeant Morris and a police constable located them in the neighbourhood of Viney Hill, in the Forest of Dean, but were confronted by the men and struck down by stones.

When the constable regained consciousness he found William dead, with a fractured skull and a broken neck.

All three poachers were later arrested.

Sergeant Morris had served with the Constabulary for eleven years and left a wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-GB-GLC-91009756
Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

131 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sergeant Morris served with the Gloucestershire Constabulary.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type State Police
Location Cheltenham, ENG
Platform Identity gco.gls.eng.gb.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 10, 1895
Age 32
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Homicide - Beaten

Sergeant William Morris is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In ENG, 702 of 2,827 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 24.8% of this state's fallen. That is 24.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Gloucestershire Constabulary, 2 of 18 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 11.1% of this agency's fallen.

Gloucestershire Constabulary
2
of 18 officers
11.1% Felonious
ENG — Statewide
702
of 2,827 officers
24.8% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Morris's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How William Morris Compares

Age at Death
32
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Morris is highlighted in Nov.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909