E J "Ted" Morten 1890 - 1980

Ted Morten died on the 21st September at the Royal British Legion, Galanos House, Long Itchington after a fall which fractured his femur. He will be remembered by all who knew him for his long service to fencing as secretary to the committee of the Amateur Fencing Association and as secretary of the London Fencing Club for over 40 years.

Ted was born in 1890 and joined the shipping company Ellerman & Wilson Line when he was 18 and finally left their employ when he was 88! He joined the army at the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 and after initial training in Ireland was posted to France with the Guards Field Artillery. He served most of the time in the Ypres area, until he was demobilised in May 1919 and rejoined Ellermans

It was not until 1928 that Ted took up fencing, partly as a result of his keen interest in the theatre. He took lessons in drama and mime at the Polytechnic and as an extension to his studies decided to join the Polytechnic fencing club.

He soon favoured épée as his main weapon and on Saturday afternoons would go for some extra training sessions over Papa Paul's shop. He became one of the founder members of the Cercle d'Escrime Anglo Francais. Later, the Polytechnic held its own fencing sessions on a Saturday afternoon and he attended these, leading to resignation from the Cercle d'Escrime Anglo Francais. He became a member of the Polytechnic épée team under the captaincy of Bert Pelling, whose quiet advice helped Ted with the strategic side of his fencing while lessons from both Alfred Parkins and Lucien Morel improved his technique.

He became Assistant Epée Secretary with Terry Beddard in 1933 and later was made secretary to the committee of the Amateur Fencing Association. C.H. Biscoe was secretary at that time and Ted would call at Biscoe's office in Lombard Street most mornings to discuss the day's business. Ted was living with my family at that period and my mother allowed us to use a spare room to deal with all the paper work in connection with our fencing correspondence. Ted always regarded that room as the first AFA office.

When Charles de Beaumont was elected as secretary, Ted was asked if he would continue in his role as secretary to the committee. He agreed to do this for a short while to enable Charles to take things over more smoothly. He stayed for the next 30 years!

Ted achieved international honours when he was included in the British épée team at the European championships at Lausanne in 1935, The following year he was an official judge at the Olympic Games at Berlin, and assistant team manager at the world championships in Paris in 1937.

During the war Ted used to travel from Cobham to the London Fencing Club each night. Often the sirens would start the moment he arrived at the club. It was this dedication by Charles de Beaumont and Ted that enabled fencing to get off to a good start at the end of the war.

Ted was made fencing team manager for the Olympic Games at Wembley, the world championships at Monaco, the Olympic games in Helsinki and the world championships at Brussels in 1953 and Rome in 1955.

L.A. Mowlam