[1] Morrell joined the Royal Navy in 1842 at age 12, a first class volunteer aboard HMS Calcutta, Captain George Frederick Rich[2] commanding.

[3] In 1866, the Foreign Office reported on "great judgement" displayed by Morrell during a daring expedition up the Niger River aboard HMS Investigator,[3] a journey he documented in his journal.

He documented his final year of service in Ireland in another journal, filled with details such as the loss of ships and crew, the recovery of drowning victims ("30th June - Bodies of two young women aged about 16 & 18 both sweetly pretty, laying in our boat house, having been brought off Black rocks near L. House on Saturday, to await coroner's inquest on Monday, 30th June"), and discipline meted out to coast guardsmen ("Sept. 9th - Mr. King to lose one good conduct stripe").

[6] Morrell married Ellen Mary Stretton (born c. 1835 - died 21 December 1903), of Islington, in a ceremony on 29 August 1861, at St Michael, Highgate, Middlesex.

[citation needed] During the voyage, Morrell mediated a dispute between British colonists and Obi Akazue, who reigned amongst the people at Onitsha, Nigeria.