Biographical Sketch of John MORTON (1877); Delaware County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sandra Ferguson . Copyright 2004. All Rights Reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ********************************************************* extracted from CHESTER AND ITS VICINITY DELAWARE CO IN PA, by Martin 1877; John MORTON, signer of Dec. of Indep, m Ann Justice of Chester Co...his will registered Aug 26, 1778, had 3 sons and 5 daughters; Aaron, Sketchley, John, Mary, Sarah, Lydia, Ann and Elizabeth. 1) Aaron, initiated in Chester Lodge # 679, AYM Jan 30, 1798 under the name Aaron Moreton; ma Frances, dau of Richard and Elizabeth Paschall Armitt; children - Benjamin, John, Mary Ann and Richard (died unmarried.) Mary Ann m her cousin Richard Marshall, had son Morton and 2 daughters; Margaret m Mr Williams, and the other was named Frances Ann Marshall. This family moved to Ohio. Aaron, before the move, lived in his father's home at Ridley Park 2) Sketchley Morton, was Maj in the PA line of the Rev army, d 1795; signed the State Bills of Credit, 1775; a member of the Provincial Conference June 18, 1776. Maj Morton became financially embarrased before he died, by endorsing for his friends, and his property was sold to pay their debts. He m Rebecca, dau of John and Mary Niedermark Taylor, of Tinicum ( she was b 6-19-1757). Their children - Charles, Rebecca, Ann, Aaron Taylor and Josh S Morton. the widow of the Maj married a Mr Miller and after his death lived with her son John S, in Springfield..she d 3-28-1819. Aaron Taylor, son of Major and REbecca, m Ann Peirce, dau of John and Sarah Lane Crosby of Ridley, b 12-31-1794...children, Albert, Charles Justis, Annie, Rebecca, Mary, Eliza, John and Ellen ; he was a pvt in Capt Anderson's Co 1814; d June 6, 1840. His widow married Edward Horne, and she d 5-27-1872. Their eldest dau m Wm McIlvain of Reading. Their son, Howard b 10-26-1834 was Jr 1st Lieut in Durrell's Battery, 104th Pa Vols, mortally wounded in battle and d. Warrington Va 11-15-1862. The other children's names are Morton, Wm, Spencer and Annie McIlvain. Dr Charles J Morton, son of Aaron T and Ann P - physican lived in Chester, twice married - 2nd wife Anne dau of Moses Coates. His sister Annie m John Clark, Eliza M John Noble of Ridley , 1838; Albert, John and Ellen died young; Mary m Wm Millr of Chester co; Rebecca m Richard Harper of Ridley. John S Morton, son of Maj Sketchley m 6-30-1803 Susannah, dau of Judge John Crosby and Ann Peirce his wife, of Ricley; She was b 2-16-1784 d 4-9-1857; they had children, Ann Crosby, Rebecca Taylor, Susan Crosby, Sketchley, John Crosby, Ellen Elizabeth, Crosby Peirce, Franklin H (who died in infancy) and Catharine Plummer Morton. Ann Crosby Morton b 8-2-1804 D 1866 m.Dr Ellis C Harlan 5-5-1824 ...no children...widow married Jeremiah McIlvain, son of Jeremiah and Elizabeth 3-8-1833 and had children -George and Annie. Geo m Rachel dsu of Dr Samuel and Susanna RAnsey and had 3 sons John, Morton and an infant. His sister, Annie McIlvain, was unmarried. Rebecca Taylor Morton b 5-31-1807 m John D Pearce, a plumber of Philadelphia - they had dau Emma, who married James Young, of Chester co; they have children Morton, Harry, Laura and Thomas Young. Susan Crsoby Morton m John Spencer Mcilvain of Ridley - had one son, Edwawrd, who died 11-13-1856, single. Sketchley Morton, Springfield b 10-12-1810 - Assoc, Judge of Del Co Courts; m 5-5-1834 Elizabeth Annesley, dau of Benj and Elizabeth Newlin d 1mo1, 1872 in her 58th year, leaving children - John S, Benjamin N, Elizabeth N, Sketchley, Annesley, Susan and Mary Morton; twins by the names of Crosby and Hattie died in infancy. John S m Eleanor had 2 living children - Elizabeth and Virginia; he was PRes of W. Philadelphia Passenger RR Co, lived in Philadelphia. Benj N m Mary dau of John L Passmore of Paschal and 2nd Mary Farson dau of John and Suysah, by whom he had children - Sketchley jrk John Rarson Annesley, and Benjamin N jr, deceased; Elizabeth N m Rev John Pleasanton DuHamel, rector of the Episc. Church of the Beloved Disciple, Philadelphia - children; Wm and Fanny. Sketchley Morton jr b 3-2-1842 d in the US service 11-12-1862, Port Royal SC of Yellow fever; 1st Lieut 97th Pa Vols. Annesley Newlin Morton, m Elizabeth Day dau of Henry and Virginia, had one child, son John. Annesley was 2nd Lieut 97th Pa Vols, resigned- then 1st Lieut Anderson Cavalry. His sister, Susan m Isaac M Lewin; and Mary m J Ridgeway Bunting ahd had 1 dau, Susie. John Crosby Morton, 5th child of John S and Susannah b 11-30-1812 d 11-25-1841 m Elizabeth Worrall of Del Co - children Jeremiah and Ellen Crosby Morton. Ellen Elizabeth Morton m Wm Wright, Pres of W. Philadelphia Passenger RR Co. He died 10-9-1863 leaving Wm Morton who m Marion Mullen of Philadelphia - children; Florence Gilbert, Wm Edwin, Ellen E, Crosby Morton, Clara and Herman lombaert. W Crosby P Morton, 7th child of John S. and Susannah b 11-27-1819 d 7-16- 1870. m his cousin Sarah An Lownes, of Springfield, dau of John and Rebecca....survived by widow and a daughter Susanna who m J Frank Black and had children - Crosby Morton, and Sarah Lownes Black, the latter died as child. Catharine Plummer Morton, youngest child of John S and Susannah, m David S Brown jr of Philadelphia - had 6 children; Mary Thornton, Susan Morton, John M, Crosby M, Ellen Elizabeth and Wm Lewis Brown; (3) Dr John Morton, 3rd son of the signer - a surgeon in the Continental Army...died while a prisoner of war, aboard a British Ship, "The Falmouth", in NY harbor...He was unmarried. 4, 5) concerning Sarah and Lydis, daughters of the signer, nothin is known except that it is said a "Dr Curry, " married one of them and "Governor Bibb:, the other 6) Elizabeth, dau of the signer, died of consumption at the residence of her brother, Aaron, in Ridley, before he moved west. 7) Mary Morton, 4th child of the signer, m Charles Justis of Kingessing where they resided all their lives and died - buried in old grave-yard of Swedes church, now called St James Church. He died 1-10-1789, aged 34 years. She died later, and left 4 children; Charles, John M, Bebecca and Mary....the latter died unmarried. Charles m Eleanor Maddock, of Chester. Their son Jesse M d 10-24-1845 - he was at one time in the drygoods business and m Lydia Mclaughlin of Marcus Hook, dau of Wm - they had one child that died in infancy. Wm McLauchlin was a tavern keeper and had several pretty daughters - at the death of Jesse, his widow Lydia m a Capt Walton, afterwards Henry May. Charles Justis, s of Charles and Eleanor, emigrated to Ca in the ship "Grey Eagle" in 1849. He later moved to Wheatland, Yuba Co, Ca, m Charlotte McFerran, dau of John Johbnson Lynn - had 4 children Eleanor Bella, Lynn Morton, Charles Eyre, and Theodore Jesse Justis. John M Justis, son Charles and Mary, of Kingsessing, m rebecca Worrall of Springfield, and had 1 son and 4 daus. Rebecca Justis, d of Charles and Mary, of Kingsessing, was the 1st wife of Peter Hill Ridley, late of Lenni Mills. they had one child, a son, who died in infancy and the mother died soon after, at the old family residence at Ricley Park. Peter Hill m 2nd July 31, 1824, Hannah, dau of Nathan Sellers. Ann Morton, 7th child of the signer, m 1784, Capt John Davis of Tredyffrin twp, s of Isaac and Elizabeth Bartholomew Davis, b 1752; he entered the Continental service 1776, as capt 9th Regty of Pa Line, and served till close of the Rev...he was present at the surrender of Cornwallis...he fought at Brandywine, Paoli, Germantown, Monmouth, Stony Point, Green Spring, Yorktown. After the war he returned to the family estate in Paoli and became an Assoc Judge of the Chester courts, till his death....member of the Cincinnati Society. He d July 10, 1867.