morse descended from new england stock although for five generations his family lived in nova scotia, where he was born. the family returned to medford, massachusetts when morse was young. he attended boston latin school and graduated from harvard college in 1874, where he was a member of phi beta kappa. he married annie josephine welsford in london on february 8, 1881. the couple had no children of their own. after morse's retirement, they lived in surrey, england, and during world war i he became a british citizen. he was granted an honorary ll.d. from western reserve university in 1913 and an honorary ll.d. from harvard in his fiftieth reunion year, 1924. he died in on february 13, 1934 in surrey, england.