English Will and Receipt - 1861 dated Foreign Document

Dividend Receipt from the Cleveland Painesville and Ashtabula Railroad to Vice Admiral Richard Moorsom and an English Will. The Pair!

Vice-Admiral Constantine Richard Moorsom (1792-1861) was a highly esteemed Royal Navy officer and a pivotal figure in Britain’s rapidly expanding railway industry. The son of Admiral Sir Robert Moorsom, a veteran of the Battle of Trafalgar, Constantine nominally served on his father’s ship, HMS Revenge, during the famous battle but was actually at school at the time. His notable naval service encompassed commanding the HMS Fury, a bomb vessel, during the 1816 Bombardment of Algiers against Barbary pirates. Praised for his efficiency and compassionate leadership, he rose through the ranks to become a Vice-Admiral in 1851.

Following his active naval career, Moorsom transitioned into a prominent business and public service role, particularly in the railway sector. He served as a director for several railway companies, including the London and Birmingham Railway, before becoming the influential chairman of the London & North Western Railway (LNWR) from 1852 until his passing in 1861. A man of diverse interests, Moorsom was also involved in the abolitionist movement and chaired a British Association committee on steamship performance.