James Patrick Morgan was born in London in 1943 and was raised in the South of England. He first joined the Merchant Navy in 1961 as a cadet and ascended through the ranks to Captain. He sailed extensively to Europe and Africa, which was served by Elder Dempster Lines, and throughout his career, he acquired an array of artifacts which provide a detailed collection of Elder Dempster shipping history.  The Captain James Morgan Collection contains photographs and postcards, paintings and prints, personal correspondence, and a selection of printed ephemera, such as magazines. The collection was donated to LJMU by his widow Mrs Joyce Morgan.