Taliaferro County GaArchives Biographies.....Morris, Sr., Simon December 11 1766 - September 25 1834 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Rhoda Taylor Fone http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00012.html#0002953 October 15, 2004, 12:12 pm Author: Rhoda Taylor Fone THE SIMON MORRIS, SR. FAMILY OF VIRGINIA AND TALIAFERRO CO., GEORGIA (Note from Rhoda Fone: A shorter version of this biographical sketch was originally presented in 1993 in my newsletter “Taylors of Taliaferro.” Some additional information has been discovered and added through the years plus a few minor corrections.) SIMON MORRIS, SR. moved from Virginia to Greene County, Georgia circa 1800 in the part that later became Taliaferro County. He had a large family of children and through these children began several interesting connections with my Chapmans and Taylors, as well as the related families of Darden, Colclough, and several others. The first of this Morris family that can be proved is Charles Morris of Westmoreland County, Virginia. Although his parentage is not confirmed, it is believed that his father was John Morriss who died about 1713 in Westmoreland County. John had wife Elizabeth and his verbal will named his children as Samuel, Edward, John, CHARLES, William and Robert Morriss. This verbal will is abstracted in “Westmoreland County, Virginia Deeds & Wills No. 5 1712-1716,” by John Frederick Dorman (Washington D.C. 1989), as follows. (Note that this shows his sons, including Charles, were under the age of 21.) (Westmoreland Co., VA Deeds & Wills No. 5, pp. 243-44) “An account of what John Collins and Grace Kirkham have to depone or affirm concerning A VERBAL WILL WHICH THE DECEAST JOHN MORRISS made and departed this life 13 November last. “Being at John Morriss’ house the day before he died, he as farr as they conceived (tho’ very sick) was in perfect sence and memory and required us to bear witness to a verball will which he then made. He gave to William Collins, son of John Collins, one heifer of three years old. He gave Vincent Wyatt, son of William Wyatt, one heifer of three years old. He gave TO HIS SONS Samuel Edward John CHARLES and William Morrisses each a cow and calfe AS THEY ATTAINED THE AGE OF TWENTY ONE YEARES. If there should happen any loss of John Morriss’ stock hereafter then they are to loose all equally and not their mother who is executrix. He gave to his son Robert a pair of deer skins and lastly appointed his wife Eliza. To be executrix. /s/ John (X) Collins Grace(X) Kirkham 24 Feb. 1713 (1714). Produced in Court by Elizabeth Morris. Proved by the witness.” CHARLES MORRIS was born prior to 1713, probably in Virginia and died June 26, 1797 in Westmoreland Co., VA. His wife was Hannah, thought by some to be Hannah Rice. Although his will did not name his wife, the proof that her name was Hannah comes through an entry in the family bible of their daughter Susannah which states that she was "Daughter of Charles and Hannah Morriss." The will of Charles Morris is abstracted in “Wills of Westmoreland County, Virginia 1654-1800” by Augusta b. Fothergill (Appeals Press, Richmond 1924, reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1973), as follows: “Morris, Charles, 8 May 1797; 26 June 1797. Daus. Molly Butler and Betty Johnson, £6 each as proportion for colts given to Sanders Morris, Hannah Moxley and Simon Morris; s. Ewel Morris; daus. Peggy Stone and Susanna Lye; dec’d dau. Hannah Mosely’s children.” Known children of Charles & Hannah Morris: (Note: some of the birth and death dates below were taken from the book: “Morris and Morriss Genealogy and Related Families of Charles Morriss Revolutionary War Service Virginia 1712-1792,” Compiled by Roz G. Morris and E. Frances Morris. Most of the Westmoreland Co. marriage dates are from “Virginia County Records, Vol. IV, Early Virginia Marriages, By William Armstrong Crozier) (1) Mary "Molly" Morris, b. (?), d. January 1831. Married (1) Dec. 25, 1787 to Weedon Arnold (“Charles Morriss, her father, gives his consent”); (2) June 24, 1791 to Samuel Muse; (3) Jan. 4, 1796 to John Butler. (2) Elizabeth "Betty" Morris, b. (?). Married a Johnson or Johnston. (3) Sanders Morris, b. (?); d. ca. May 1810, Fauquier Co., VA. Married Mary Payne, daughter of George and Frances Payne of Westmoreland County. (4) Hannah Morris, b. (?), d. before May 1796. Married January 29, 1787 to Jeremiah Moxley. (5) SIMON MORRIS--SEE BELOW. (6) Sarah Morris, b. (?). Married January 25, 1791 to William Stone, Westmoreland Co. (7) Susannah Morris, b. March 4, 1778, d. Feb. 25, 1807. Married Nov. 28, 1796 to Thomas Lyne, Westmoreland Co. (“Charles Morriss, her father, gives consent.”) (8) Ewel Morris, b. 1773, d. May 27, 1835, Spotsylvania Co., VA. Married (1) Dec. 7, 1797 to Jane Boon (daughter of William Boon and Keziah Green). Married (2) June 24, 1805 to Ursula Riding (daughter of George Riding and Winney Smith). (9) Margaret "Peggy" Morris, b. (?). Married March 9, 1793 to William Stone. (“Charles Morriss, her father, gives consent.”) NOTE: It appears that William Stone married (1) Sarah Morris, (2) her sister Margaret Morris, and (3) Mary Stone Morris, widow of Sanders Morris, the brother of the first two wives.) ---------------------- SIMON MORRIS, SR., was born December 11, 1766, probably Westmoreland Co., VA and died September 25, 1834, Taliaferro County, GA. He was married Sept. 7, 1789 to Susannah Lyne (born May 22, 1772, Virginia and died January 23, 1848, Taliaferro County, GA). In 1800, Simon Morris purchased 230 acres in Greene Co. from Richard and Elizabeth Asbury and on January 31, 1808, he purchased 38 acres in Greene Co. from John Woodall. There are two land grants in 1834 to Simon Morris but it is difficult to tell if this was Simon, Sr. or Simon, Jr. Both grants are in Grant Book R-5, one on page 274 for 13 acres, and the other on page 375 for 12-1/2 acres. Simon, Sr. is listed in census records as follows: 1820 CENSUS, GREENE CO., GA Roll 8, page 245 Capt. Nelms District Simon Morris, Sr. 1 male under 10, 1 male 16-18, 2 males 16-26, 1 male 45 and upwards 2 females under 10, 1 female 10-16, 2 females 16-26, 1 female 26-45 9 Slaves TALIAFERRO CO. ROSTER OF MILITIAMEN, 1827 District 606, Taliaferro Co. 1 male under 18, 1 male over 45, 2 females under 18, 1 female over 45 and 11 slaves. 1830 CENSUS, TALIAFERRO CO., GA Roll 20, Bk. 1, p. 358 Simon Morris, Sr. 1 male 60-70 2 females 15-20, 1 female 50-60 12 slaves The following abstract of the will of Simon Morris, Sr. is from “Taliaferro County, Georgia Records and Notes,” by Alvin Mell Lunceford Jr.: (Taliaferro Co., GA Will Rec. A, 1826-1866) “Morris, Simon Sr.: made 9/19/1834, probated 11/3/1836. Pp. 95-97. Wife: Susanna. CH: Charles, Simon Jr., William A., Frances, Hannah Rice Overton, Nancy Darden, Susan Woodall. Gr-Dau: Missouri Ann Morris and Rice Ann Clark. Exec: Simon Morris Jr., and Charles Morris. Test: Malachi Murden, Richard A. Murden, Thos. Thompson.” Children of Simon Morris and Susannah (Lyne) Morris: (Note: some of the exact dates below are from the Morris/Morris book, others from Tombstone inscriptions and obituaries, plus marriage records of Greene Co. and Taliaferro Co., GA) (1) Charles Morris, b. ca. 1790, VA, d. 22 Feb. 1846, Taliaferro Co (Obit., 6 March 1846, The Christian Index). He was married twice but the name of his first wife is unknown. They had one child, Alexander C. Morris. Charles married second May 14, 1844, to Mrs. Nancy Asbury, Taliaferro Co. (2) Simon Morris, Jr., b. Sept. 24, 1792, VA, d. Jan. 23, 1874, Talladega Co., Alabama. Married Oct. 10, 1816 to Martha "Patsy" Colclough, Greene Co., GA. She was born Feb. 22, 1797 in North Carolina, daughter of William and Charity (Harris) Colclough, died April 18, 1889, Talladega Co., Alabama. Simon, Jr. and his wife are both buried in the family cemetery at Winterboro, Alabama. (3) Thomas Lyne Morris, b. Jan. 19, 1795 in Virginia, d. May 4, 1829, Taliaferro Co., GA. Married Jan. 4, 1827 to Rachael Colclough, daughter of William and Charity (Harris) Colclough. His widow Rachel married second to John Chapman (son of Nathan and Elizabeth (Hart) Chapman.) Thomas L. Morris and Rachel Colclough had one child, Missouri Ann Morris, b. 19 Nov 1827, Taliaferro Co., d. 6 Jun 1896, Taliaferro Co. (tombstone inscription transcribed by Mikki and Tim Martin), buried Crawfordville Cemetery. Missouri Ann married Samuel Whatley Chapman 11 Jan. 1844, Taliaferro Co., younger brother of her mother’s second husband. He was born 16 Dec 1819, Taliaferro Co., d. 30 Dec 1892 (tombstone inscription transcribed by Mikki and Tim Martin), buried Crawfordville Cemetery. (4) Hannah Rice Morris, b. January 19, 1801, Greene Co., GA, d. October 3, 1856, Taliaferro Co., GA(??). There is some confusion because her Obituary, dated 3 Nov. 1856 in The Christian Index, says she died in Talladega Co. Alabama. She was married November 29, 1821 to Gilchrist Overton in Greene Co., GA. He was born Jan. 10, 1800, VA, d. Oct. 17, 1860, Taliaferro Co. (Obit., 14 Nov. 1860, The Christian Index) Although there is some question regarding Hannah’s place of death, she has a tombstone in a small cemetery, described by the late Wiley Jones as about one mile north of Sharon, where her husband is buried. (5) William Alexander Morris, b. June 18, 1803, Greene Co., GA, d. May 18, 1891, Plantersville, Alabama. Married April 22, 1830 to Elizabeth (Betsy) Ann Darden. She was born Sept. 23, 1815, died Feb. 25, 1840 (daughter of William C. Darden and Polly Dewberry). He married (2) Nov. 23, 1841 to Susan Wynn (b. June 28, 1818, d. Dec. 25, 1869, daughter of James Wynn,). (6) Frances Morris, b. Jan. 4, 1806, Greene Co., GA, d. May 3, 1852, Talladega Co., Alabama. Married June 9, 1824 to George G. Morris, Greene Co., GA. (7) Robert Morris, b. 1808, Greene Co., GA, d. Sept. 21, 1829, Greene Co., GA. (8) Nancy Morris, b. Feb. 22, 1811, Greene Co., GA, d. Feb. 19, 1890, Talladega County, AL. Buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, Talladega County, Alabama. Married Feb. 9, 1831 to Abner Darden, Taliaferro Co. (Abner Darden was born Jan. 19, 1812, d. July 11, 1877, Talladega County, AL). (9) Susan Morris, b. (?), married Colbert Woodall, Nov. 27, 1830, Taliaferro Co., GA. (10) Mary “Polly” Morris, b. (?), m. Jesse Clark. Note: although she is listed as a daughter in the Morris/Morriss book, I’ve not found her in the records to date. But it appears likely that she was daughter of Simon, Sr. His will mentions his granddaughter, Rice Ann Clark. In addition, according to the Morris/Morriss book, there is an entry in the Bible belonging to Simon, Sr. which states: “Rice Ann Clark, Daughter of Jesse and Mary Clark was Born October 1, 1832.” If there were children other than those listed above, they have not been discovered. SOURCES: (1) “Westmoreland County, Virginia Deeds & Wills No. 5 1712-1716,” by John Frederick Dorman (Washington D.C. 1989) (2) “Wills of Westmoreland County, Virginia 1654-1800” by Augusta b. Fothergill (Appeals Press, Richmond 1924, reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1973), (3) “Virginia County Records, Vol. IV, Early Virginia Marriages, By William Armstrong Crozier ((New York 1907, reissued (with new Index) Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD 1973, 1982) (4) “History of Greene County, Georgia 1786-1886), Data by Dr. Thaddeus Brockett Rice, Edited by Carolyn White Williams (The J. W. Burke Co., Macon, GA 1961) (5) “Morris and Morriss Genealogy and Related Families of Charles Morriss Revolutionary War Service Virginia 1712-1792,” Compiled by Roz G. Morris and E. Frances Morris; (6) “The Georgians Genealogies of Pioneer Settlers,” by Jeannette Holland Austin (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD 1986) (7) Crawfordville Cemetery tombstone inscriptions transcribed by Mikki and Tim Martin (8) “Rest In Peace – A cemetery Census of Taliaferro County, Georgia” Researched and Compiled by Wiley B. Jones (Wilkes Publishing Company, Inc. 1984) (9) Taliaferro Co., GA Marriage Book A; (10) Taliaferro Co., GA Will Record A; (11) “Taliaferro County, Georgia Records & Notes,” by Alvin Mell Lunceford, Jr. ((The Reprint Company, Publishers, Spartanburg, SC 1988) (12) “Index to The Headright and Bounty Grants of Georgia 1756-1909 Revised Edition,” by The Rev. Silas Emmett Lucas, Jr. (Southern Historical Press 1992) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/taliaferro/bios/gbs238morrissr.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 13.1 Kb