Jacob Morris

On Feb 14 1776 Jacob Morris purchased the 100a tract "Come By Chance" from Levin Ballard and wife Elizabeth for £100. The land was described as "part in Somerset, part in Worcester." (SoLR-G:040) This tract was adjacent to a tract called "Property" which he had surveyed for him on Jun 23 1775 for 29.5a and received a patent on Dec 12 1783. It was described as having improvements 20 indifferent old peach trees and 18a cultivated land (Somerset Patent No. 1954).

Jacob Morris is listed as a Corporal in the 1780 muster of the Mill Creek Co., Salisbury Battalion, MD Militia in the Revolutionary War.

In the Somerset County Direct Tax of 1798, Jacob Morris Sr. is shown in Wicomico Hundred as owner and occupant of a dwelling on the main road dividing Worcester from Somerset with a dwelling house 32x16 with an ell 6x12, 4 windows, kitchen 20x16, cider house 16x12, smokehouse 10x10, milkhouse 8x10, 80 perches assessed $200. He owns 9 slaves of which 5 are between the taxable ages of 12-50. He also owns unoccupied property adjoining Isaac Hayman, James Bayley and John N. Pollitt with an out of repair dwelling house 20x16, 160 acres for $340.

On Oct 16 1806, Jacob Morris had the tract "Morrises Concluion" surveyed for him of which he received a patent on Dec 23 1811. It was a large 431.75 acre tract that encompassed older tracts as follows:
-COME BY CHANCE (25 May 1735, Michael Raglin, 100 ac, found = 101.25) less 6.25 by MOUNT PLEASANT and less 4.5 by MIDDLE NECK
-COME BY CHANCE (04 Nov 1791, Jacob Morris, Sr., 41 ac) less 28.75 by MIDDLE NECK and less 1 by ADDITION TO THE FORK
-MORRISES FANCY (07 Jul 1792, Jacob Morris, Sr., 17.25 ac, found = 17.5) less 1.5 by MIDDLE NECK
-28.25 ac of THE FORK (28 Aug 1762, Duncan Baines, 50 ac), less 7.25 by MIDDLE NECK
-RAGLINS ADDITION (12 Mar 1762, David Raglin, 20 ac, found = 10), less 5.75 by COME BY CHANCE
-two parts (8.25 + 6.25) of ADDITION TO THE FORK (17 Nov 1767, Duncan Baines, 50 ac)
-7.25 ac of THE POINT OF THE FORK (03 Jun 1769, Duncan Baines, 25 ac), less 4.75 by MIDDLE NECK
-PROPERTY (23 Jun 1775, Jacob Morris, Sr., 29.5 ac, found =30.5),less 4.75 by MIDDLE NECK, less 0.75 by THE FORK and less 0.5 by MIDDLE NECK
9 ac of HIGH MEADOW (01 Aug 1673, Edward Surmon [Sherman], 250 ac)
35 ac of JOSHUAS CHOICE (04 Aug 1784, Joshua Morris, 150 ac in Wo), less 4.75 by COLLINS CHANCE and less 1.25 by COME BY CHANCE
-DAVIDS PRIVILEGE (07 Aug 1769, David Raglin, 30 ac in Wo, found = 30.25), less 13.75 by MOUNT PLEASANT, less 0.25 by COME BY CHANCE
-111.5 ac of COLLINS CHANCE (23 Nov 1762, John Morris, 231 ac), less 14.75 by MIDDLE NECK
-28.5 ac of TIMBER LOT (10 Mar 1772, William Pollitt, 156 ac in Wo)
-two parts of (14.75 + 51.5) of MIDDLE NECK (24 May 1688, William Brererton, 300 ac in Wo and So)
- Plus 1 ac vacant land

Jacob Morris wrote his will Jan 22 1819 and it was probated in Somerset County on May 7 1822 as follows:
-To dearly beloved wife Nelley, tract of land I now live on called "Morrises Conclusion" during her natural life or widowhood also all my household and kitchen furniture and all my livestock of any kind, also negro men Abram and Enos and Stephen and all movable estate during her life afterwards to go equally to Thomas, Betsey and Josiah Morris.
-To daughter Betsey Morris, a home on my dwelling plantation during her single life and a tract called "Morrises Double Purchase" in Worcester County.
-To son Thomas, all of tract "Morrises Conclusion" and part of "Gillises Double Purchase" and negro Stephen after the death of his mother
-To so William 1/2 of tract "Morrises Hundred" where he now lives laid off at the west end of said tract free of any incumberances.
-To daughter Betsey Morris the other 1/2 of said tract and negro Abram after the death of her mother
-To son Josiah negro Enos after death of his mother
-Appoint wife and son Thomas as co-administrators.
Witnesses James D. Hayman, Henry Pollitt, Thomas Hitch (SoW-JP4:039)

Jacob married Rebecca Pollitt, daughter of Thomas Pollitt and Catherine (?), about 1774 in MD. (Rebecca Pollitt was born about 1753 in MD and died before 1788 in Somerset Co., MD.)

Jacob next married Ellender (Nelly) Heath, daughter of William Heath and Mary Bannister, about 1788 in MD. (Ellender (Nelly) Heath was born about 1766 in MD and died between 19 Jan 1827 and 11 Jul 1827 in Somerset Co., MD ².)