John Morris

*There is little doubt that this John Morris is the father of the children shown here however, it is a bit uncertain that his father was Jacob Morris (c1685-1727). The latter hints to other sons but does not name a son John Morris in his will of 1727. More research required but this compiler believe this John Morris to be an unnamed son of Jacob Morris due to naming conventions and the area/vicinity is which the families lived and owned land. Many genealogies attribute the father of Jacob Morris (1745-1822) to be Joseph Morris but he lived further to the west. John Morris here lived in the exact area where Jacob Morris ends up owning land, straddling the boundary between Somerset and Worcester Counties and later Wicomico. This is not positive proof but compelling nonetheless. This compiler rates the probability that this John Morris (and not his brother Joseph) is the father of Jacob (1745-1822) as very high, in the 90-95%+ range.

When John died in 1773, we know he was married to Mary whose maiden name is unknown as of yet. She had remarried to Thomas Carey sometime between 1774 and 1779 when they sold land in "Collins Chance" (which John Morris had surveyed in 1762) to John Robins on Aug 21 1779 (WoLR-K:223) - it is probable that she married Carey not long before or actually in the year 1779. This compiler feels it likely that John Morris had a previous wife that bore the older children in family and, after she died, Mary Sirman was the mother of "my small children" referenced in John's will of 1773. When Mary Sirman Morris Carey wrote her will in 1792, she names "son" Jacob Morris among others and we know that they had married in October 1744 so Jacob was likely their first child. This compiler thinks that children Joseph and John Morris were the sons of John Morris from a previous marriage. More research may ferret out such a hypothesis.

He was listed in the Somerset Tax Lists between 1734 and 1740 in Wicomico Hundred, Somerset Co, MD. Jacob Morris (likely John's older brother) was shown as head of HH. Joseph Morris was living with him in 1735 and Joseph Morris was living with him in 1736 & 1737 and John Morris was living with him in 1736-1737. This suggests John Morris arrive at age 15 in 1736. He was on the tax list between 1738 and 1740 at Wicomico Hundred, Somerset Co, MD living in the household of Thomas Humphries.

On Aug 21 1755, John Morris purchased the 87a tract "Mealeys Beginning" from John Mealey and this became his dwelling plantation (SoLR-B:088). This land is in the very southern part of modern Wicomico Co., MD and straddles Meadow Bridge Road with about 1/3rd to the west and 2/3rds to the east. This is the road that divided Somerset from Worcester prior to Wicomico being formed in 1867, Since Morris' estate was probated in Worcester in 1773, is seems that he lived on the east side of the property which would be in Worcester at that time.

On 10 Nov 1758, John Morris of Worcester Co. bought 40a land tract "Collins Chance" from Timothy Collins of Sussex Co. On Nov 23 1762, John Morris had the tract "Collins Chance" surveyed for him of which he received patent on Sep 29 1763 (Worcester Patent No. 545) for 231a. It was a resurvey of a tract of the same name patented by Timothy Collins on Mar 13 1753 for 40a and included vacate land to the west between that original patent and Morris' land "Mealys Beginning." This gave John Morris a contiguous plantation of 318a. The majority of this land (~90%) was in Worcester at the time with the rest in Somerset. In the modern day, this land lies at and to the northeast of the area where the three counties of Somerset, Worcester and Wicomico meet.

John Morris wrote his will on Apr 5 1773 and it was probated in Worcester Co. on May 31 1773 with the following provisions:
-To son John Morris - dwelling plantation "Mealeys Beginning" and part of tract "Collins Chance"
-To son Joshua Morris - John's part if John dies without heir and Negro boy William
-To daughter Tempey - Negro boy William if Joshua dies without heir
-To son Samuel Morris - remainder of tract "Collins Chance" except one small field which shall fall to those caring for my small children.
-To son Jacob Morris - Negro boy Dick
-To daughter Elener - Negro boy Dick if Jacob dies without heir
-To youngest daughters Mary, Tempey, and Elener Morris - bed and furniture each
-To wife - Negro woman Silence for a term of eight years to care for my small children and remainder of estate
-To son Jonathan Morris, tract "Turkey Ridge"
Executor: wife and son John Morris
Witnesses: Stephen Roach, Levin Gunby, Benjamin Hitch
Widow Mary Morris elects to take her thirds (MdW-39:162, WoW-JW4:190)

John married (?) (?) about 1734. ((?) (?) died before 1744 in Somerset Co., MD.)

John next married Mary Sirman, daughter of Thomas?? Sirman and Unknown, on 01 Oct 1744 in Somerset Co., MD. (Mary Sirman was born about 1725 in Somerset Co., MD and died 01 May 1792-11 Jun 1794 in Somerset Co., MD.)