GRACE, MORGAN STANISLAUS (1837-1903) was born at Clonmel, County Tipperary, the son of James Grace, of Sheffield, Queen's County. Educated at Stonyhurst College, he studied medicine at Dublin, Paris and Edinburgh, and qualified as M.D. in 1858 and L.R.C.S. in 1859. He then entered the army as an assistant staff surgeon and, coming to New Zealand at the outbreak of the Taranaki war, served throughout that and the Waikato campaign under Generals Pratt, Cameron and Whitmore. He had charge of a field hospital at Waitara and in 1865 he was appointed principal medical officer to the New Zealand forces. In the following year he withdrew from the army to engage in private practice in Wellington, but some time later he volunteered to assist Whitmore with his advice when engaged in the strenuous campaign on the West Coast. (C.M.G.) His account of the Maori war, published in 1899, is one of the most interesting and dispassionate contributions to the history of the period.

Grace practised for 30 years in Wellington, and during that time associated himself with many philanthropic movements and with the public life of the community. He was the first surgeon-general of the New Zealand volunteer forces (1887). In 1870 he was called to the Legislative Council, of which he was a member until his death. He moved the address-in-reply in his first session and again in 1890. In the latter year he was created a Count of the Holy Roman Empire. He was for some years lessee of the Wellington tramways and for 30 years a member of the local board of the Australian Mutual Provident Society (being chairman for 10 years); and was a member of the senate of the University of New Zealand, 1871-1903.

Grace married in 1866 a daughter of the Hon John Johnston (q.v.). His death occurred on 19 Apr 1903.

(See F. G. DALZIELL.) N.Z.P.D., 30 Jun 1903; Cycl. N.Z., i (p); Whitmore; Beaglehole; Cowan; Grace, op. cit.; Gudgeon; Lyttelton Times, Jun 1879; N.Z. Times, 20 Apr 1903. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 1, page 174

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