I was interested to see in last week's issue (CP, 06-05-22) that Borthwood Copse is to be dedicated to the Queen in celebration of her Platinum Jubilee, but surprised not see a mention of how the National Trust were given the copse nearly 100 years ago.
However when I looked at Borthwood Copse on the National Trust website, I was even more surprised to see no mention of how the copse was given to the National Trust under the will of Frank Morey after he died in 1926.
A lot of other references online to Borthwood Copse do mention the fact, as do almost all references to Frank Morey.
Frank Morey, of the timber merchant family, was significant in local natural history circles in the late Victorian/early 1900s and, among many other achievements in the field, was responsible for the publication by the County Press in 1909 of A Guide to the Natural History of the Isle of Wight; possibly the most significant publication on the topic.
I think the National Trust should be ashamed of this lack of acknowledgement of Frank Morey's bequest.
I actually asked three people I met in the copse if the name Frank Morey meant anything to them, and none of them recognised its connection to the copse.
Possibly as part of the dedication Frank's name could be re-introduced in to the records, and with the centenary coming up of the National Trust being given Borthwood Copse, something could be organised in 2026 to remember Newport boy, Frank Morey.
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