A. J. Morse & Son – Gallagan’s Island

The name Morse has been synonymous with the best diving equipment since 1837. At that time the partnership of Fletcher and Morse was formed for the manufacturing of brass goods at the corner of Water and Congress Streets in Boston, Massachusetts, using the name Fletcher & Morse Co. After a few years Mr. Fletcher retired and Andrew Morse began making diving helmets and air pumps.

In 1864 the company name was changed to Andrew J. Morse & Son and in 1881 Mr. Morse died, leaving his son, William F. Morse, to run the company. The company then expanded into manufacturing valves, fittings, nozzles, and water cannons for firefighting.

In 1905 William Morse retired and the business was given to his daughter and her husband, Elizabeth and Mark A. Lawton. They incorporated the company and Inc. was added to the name – Andrew J. Morse & Son Inc. The 1910 Morse catalog lists 221 High Street as the company address.

In 1939 William Farrell (owner of McKee Pile Diving Company), bought the company and continued to operate it in Boston, and in 1940 the name of Morse was then incorporated – Morse Diving Equipment Co, Inc.

In 1970 they moved the operation to Hingham Street in Rockland, MA, 20 miles south of Boston. Ken Downey was hired by the company in 1978 as a machinist and in 1998 he and his wife Donna purchased the company and the name Morse was incorporated as Morse Diving, Inc. and moved around the corner to 199 Weymouth Street, Rockland.

In 2014 Morse was sold to Mr. Watson Roby Holland and the name changed once more to Morse International and soon after the company suspended manufacturing operations. Mr. Holland tried to have DESCO construct helmets for Morse as the firm’s ability to produce helmets had deteriorated. In 2015 Mr. Holland determined operation of the company was no longer viable and Morse declared bankruptcy. At the time of its bankruptcy Morse Diving was the 412th oldest business in the United States that was in continuous operation.

DESCO Corporation purchased the assets of Morse Diving in January of 2016. DESCO now manufactures Morse diving helmets under the A. J. Morse & Son name. The company’s assets were in poor condition and much work was done to allow the construction of new helmets. AJMS helmets are constructed using castings made from original or newly replaced Morse patterns. DESCO is committed to offering authentic A J Morse & Son diving helmets.

First appearing in the 1894 Morse catalogue, described as an improved pattern to take air in breastplate. This style helmet is identical in all respects with the helmet that receives the air in the headpiece, except that the air hose is attached to the breastplate at the neck, and allows the headpiece to be removed from the diver’s head, leaving the hose attached to the breastplate, and enabling the diver to go below by simply replacing the headpiece and securing the same to the breastplate by making a quarter turn, or revolution.

Code Word, with three lights, “Bigat.”

Code Word, with three lights, “Biguf.”