William Morison (1663–1739)

William Morison (1663–1739), of Prestongrange, Haddington, was a Scottish politician who sat in the Parliament of Scotland from 1690 to 1707 and in the British House of Commons as a Whig between 1707 and 1715.

In 1696 he invested the sizable sum of £1,000 in the Company of Scotland which supported the Darien scheme to found the colony of Caledonia in the Panama area.

When Queensbury was re-instated, he rewarded Morison with the post as a Commissioner for the union with England in 1706 and promoted him to Scottish Privy Councillor in 1707.

At the 1708 British general election, he was returned as MP for Peeblesshire and his main aim was to secure a private bill for improving the harbour near Prestonpans, which had become known as Morison's Haven.

At the 1713 British general election, he stood for Peeblesshire and for Sutherlandshire, on the interest of Lord Sutherland.

He did not stand again for Parliament in 1715,[1] Morison married an illegitimate daughter of Sir John Germain, 1st Baronet before 1 May 1718.

Coincidentally, he held a bond whose security was guaranteed by duties on goods passing via Fleet River.