Son of Isaac Morris and Rachel (Robinson), Captain I. Bloomfield “Bloom” Morris was an eye-witness to the grand brigantine, barques and schooners built and launched from the shipyard at his home village of Harbourville in the days of sail.

His sea-faring career began in 1863 when, at the age of 15, Bloom was the hired cabin boy under Captain Samuel McBride of Harbourville. By the time Bloom was 25 years of age, he was commanding ships that sailed the “Seven Seas” and a well-known captain to ports in the Orient, eventually earning the reputation of having “boxed the compass” around Cape Horn more often than any other sea-faring man on the coast of Nova Scotia.

Captain Bloom Morris retired in 1905, and, often accompanied by his wife, Emma May (Knowlton) Morris; devoted his time to pleasure-sailing and making annual trips along the coastline to the tip of Florida, where he and Emma May traditionally spent their winters cruising various ports. Bloom and Emma May always returned to Harbourville’s port in the spring, welcomed home by relatives and friends eager to exchange news and hear of the Morris’ adventures. Spending summers at home, Bloom never tired of sailing and was always off to one place or another for mainly day trips along the Nova Scotia coast. As fall approached, his vessel was meticulously inspected and made ready for the annual cruise.

Captain Bloom had owned several vessels over the years but, certainly, his pride and joy of all time was the Nyanza. With its long counter and sharply-rising bow, the schooner was built in 1924 in the style of the Gloucester schooners built prior to the 1900s. Registered under the British flag, this magnificent vessel served as the Morris’ winter home for several years.

Emma May and Bloom had no living children of their own; sadly, two had died in infancy. Towards the end of her life, Emma May was often unwell and, under the loving care of her nephew, Aubrey Morris of Melvern Square, she passed away at the age of 80 in December of 1929.

Heading towards the southern ports for the winter, the Nyanza bid farewell to the port of Harbourville for the last time in the fall of 1932. Captain Bloom and his mate, Frank Marshall, known to all as “Plug,” spent the winter on the Florida coast and then made ready for their spring return home to Harbourville. The Nyanza was homeward bound in April of 1933 and only two days out to sea when a turbulent storm caused the vessel to run aground on Brown’s Bank in Delaware Bay. Captain Morris and Plug managed just in time to launch the small lifeboat and make it safely to shore with a few personal effects. May 10 of that year, The Register reported “the trim little vessel will be greatly missed from its accustomed berth at Harbourville. While his many friends will sympathize with the veteran captain in his loss, they rejoice however, in the fact that his life was spared and that he is again with them in the flesh.”

The rugged and adventurous Bloom was still enjoying good health until June of 1935. His illness was quite sudden and, following an operation at the WKM Hospital, the last seafarer from the days of the wooden ships passed away on the morning of June 21, 1935. Services were conducted by Rev. W.J. Dean at the Harbourville church and Captain I. Bloom Morris was laid to rest in the Berwick Cemetery.