[2] Morris's mother Elizabeth McGuiness was born in Van Diemen's Land of West Indian parents.

His father Isaac Morris was from Barbados and had travelled to Australia in the gold-rush years of the early 1850s.

Sam was born in Hobart, Van Diemen's Land, in 1855, and the family moved to the Daylesford gold fields in the Colony of Victoria in the late 1850s.

[3] Isaac Morris played cricket in the Daylesford area and was soon joined by Sam, who became a prominent local player and represented the district several times.

[7] He played his second match two years later, also against South Australia in Adelaide; he made his highest first-class score of 64 not out and took five wickets in Victoria's four-wicket victory.

[24] He was looked after by his de facto wife, Jean Eukermunder, as well as by several old cricketing friends, for the rest of his life.

[26] Morris died at his home in the Melbourne suburb of Albert Park on 20 September 1931, aged 76.

The Australasian said, "By the death of Sam Morris Victoria has lost one of the most likeable characters that ever played the game in this State.