Name: James Morgan
Born: c1729
Died: 1810
Place: Rowan County, NC
Buried:
Married: 18 Jul 1754
Place: St George Parish, Baltimore co MD
James Morgan was a signer of the Regulator
Petition. See the timeline below for more information.
Reverend James Morgan Jr, James Morgan Sr's son, was born in Baltimore
county, Maryland, as testified in his Revolutionary War pension application
(#S7251). This fact lends credence to
the notion that the 1754 Baltimore county marriage does, in fact, belong to
his parents. The pension records do not offer proof of the Reverend's
parentage but the couple is named in the memoir of his nephew, Enoch Parr,
who states that his maternal grandparents were James Morgan and
Molly Davis. Parr further describes entering his uncle James Morgan's school
once he turned five years old. This fact is significant in properly
identifying the family because James Jr does make reference in his
application to his years as a teacher. The Parr manuscript, then, is the
glue that binds the Morgan genealogy.
James Morgan Sr
m Mary (Molly) Davis
1754
|
------------------
| |
Rev James Mary (Polly)
Morgan Jr Morgan m Arthur Parr
b 1760 |
Enoch Parr
b 1785
All this is very well and good, but in none of it can I find the needed
proof that my Martha Morgan (married William Wright) was
the daughter of James and Molly. The descent has long been a tradition and
is almost certainly correct but finding proof sometimes means having to let
go of some previously treasured ancestors. Perhaps a closer study of James
Jr and the Parrs will yield clues.
The Memoir of Enoch Parr
The Indiana Magazine of History published Enoch Parr's memoir in
its December 1926 issue (volume 22, pages 371-453). I transcribed the
following directly from a photocopy of pages 391-393. Obviously, Enoch's
grammar and spelling were poor. But it's impossible to say what other errors
may have been the result of transcription and typographical problems.
According to Parr, his grandfather was "an old man" by the onset of the
American Revolution and was ready to die when he "surrendered" to what
turned out to be a detachment of patriot General Nathanael
Greene's army:
As this old James Morgan was a firm liberty man and lived in a settlement
mostly of tories he was often exposed to perl and to loss of property and
oftener to insult so much so that when the desaterous defeat of Gates was
made properly known the old gentleman could but seldon or never go into
company with out being hissed and poined at. and once (perhaps often)
condolling himself with this cosolation. "Rejoice not mine enemy although I
fall yet shall I rise". And after the Guilford battle when the British army
under Cornwallis marched down through the countery to wards Wilmington they
passed near about the first of April 1781 striped him of every thing that
would suit to feed Soldiers or forage horses. At the time the British passed
down through the contry the poor dismayed liberty men had to keep concealed
or lay out as it was called commonly as near home as was convenient
and the old man Morgan was laying out on the day the British army plundered
his property and being very solicitious to see what damage was done he come
home early on the morning after the british left and approached near his own
house. And in that situation was discovered by a party of the Amercian horse
a part of Gen Greens army who was hanging on the rear of the British which
the old man mistook for the British and as consealment was not practable in
the situation he was in he walked forward with his hat under his arm and
requested to surrender a prisioner of war. Upon that the officer asked "who
he was for" to which chalange he replied. "I do not want to die with a lie
in my mouth I am what they call a liberty man" the officer then replyed. If
you are a liberty man you have nothing to fear from me. Tho it was some time
before the old man could be convinced that he was in company of a part of
Greens army which was really the fact and who requested him to pilot them
directly through the country to head quarters which the old man
imediately undertook and on the way encampt the nigh before and finding
several young men on the camp ground who really was the sons of tories the
officer put questions to them and they not doubting but thay they ware
interogated by a British officer was a bout answaring favourable which the
old man Morgan discovered shook his head at the young men and took upon him
to answer for them. And being known to them to be a liberty man they
discovered their mistake and changed their tone. And afterwards acknowledge
the obligation they ware under to the old man who perhaps saved them from
imediate distruction. They then put off on the same day as the old man
piloted them through the country. the liberty offiser fell in with a man who
no doubt mistook the offiser for a British officer frankly acknowledged that
he was a soldier in a regiment Raised by Col Forgason and that he fought
with Forgason at Kings Mountain and that as soon as he could work for some
clothing he would return to his duty in the kings service. Upon this the
captain informed him that he migh be busy with his maker for he had not more
than thirty minutes to live. And so conducted him a little out of sight of
some ladies and directed him to be shot which was imediately done. The old
man Morgan when recuring to the seens of war would often relate this pasage
and tell how it shocked him sepicially when he reflected upon how he had
escaped in the morning. The man killed was of the name of Frederic Hiser and
he had a brother who hearing that Morgan was along when his brother was
killed saught to kill the old man and once came to his house for the purpose
when the old man was from home. In this way individuals often suffered for
the conduct of their party.
Timeline
The following timeline was posted by "Charmaine" on 13 Feb 2007 and can
be found at the Morgan-L archive on rootsweb.
This is the James and Mary Davis Morgan who received a land grant for 440
acres on the waters of Sandy Creek - 23 Oct. 1782 Randolph Co., NC - this
was sold 18 Jan. 1785. (of course, the first registration for land purchase
may have been registered in Orange Co., NC. Do you have abstracts of the
Orange Co., Land grant?)
James Morgan and wife Mary (Davis) Morgan left Maryland and migrated to
North Carolina about 1764. There son James, Jr says in his Rev. pension
application that they first lived in Rowan Co., NC.
In 1768 James Morgan was one of the signers of Regulator Petition No. 9(.
Petition filed in Orange Co., NC court. He appears in the group known as the
Sandy Creek faction.) Also signing the petition with that group of men was
one Philbert Wright.
In 1771 he signs the Petition to create a new County, called Guilford.
In 1773 he and his son "Mentor (Permenter) Morgan signed the petition to
create the new county of Randolph.
In 1778 he appears on the Randolph Co., NC taxlist, as does his son 'Mentor
(Permenter)
Before 1790 he is living on land along the Uwharrie River on the side that
is Rowan Co., NC. He is found listed on the 1790 and 1800 Rowan Co., NC
census, surrounded by a number of German Tunkers/Dunkers (German Baptists).
Neighbors include several Miars (Myers), Frederick Miller, Isaac Odle,
Arthur Parr, Martin and Michael Ring, Christian Sears, several Tackers,
Richard, Evans, Philberson, William, Easaw Wright, John Veach, several
Fouts, William Yokley, several Cowans,several Erwins, Thomas Gillespie,
several Kerr's, Lowrance's and Huston's, among others.
This appears to be the same James Morgan who married Mary Davis in Harford
Co., MD in 1755. Three children were born to them in Maryland that are
recorded in church records:
Permenter 1756
Sarah 1757
James, Jr. 1760
There is another James Morgan Sr also living in Rowan Co., NC in this
period, but had died prior to 1790. He was the father of James, Jr, Nathan,
Hugh and John Morgan, and should not be confused with the other, although it
is easy to do at first glance. They are living in different areas of Rowan
Co., NC.
We are looking for proof of the children born after the move to North
Carolina, or after April 1760 when the last child James Morgan Jr's birth
was recorded in Maryland. It seems unlikely that James Morgan and Mary Davis
Morgan did not produce any further children after that date.
And there's this post from Judith Jones:
From: Judith Jones
Subject: [MORGAN] more info James Morgan
Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:48:50 -0800 (PST)
In-Reply-To: <1171990649.322610@rootsweb.com>
Here on the land records for Rowan co. pertaining to James Morgan and other
allied families.
1784 Nathan Morgan, Huge Morgan are listed as being on south fork of Crane
Ck in what is now southern Rowan co. Our James and wife Mary are still on
Sandy Ck in Randolph co. Nathan and brother James are listed by their
descendants as being the sons of James Morgan of Glamorganshire, Wales and
Rachel Jack McCreaden of Ireland. Nathan's birth date is listed as 1756 in
Cecil co., Md, so James was probably born same area. Nathan married Naomi
Van Poole in Rowan and had Elizabeth, James, David, Rachel, John, Hugh and
Henry. John married Elizabeth Selah and they had John, James Jr., Hardy,
Stone and Bettie Cealle.
1786 State Grant to James Morgan Jr. 350A on the Uwharrie.
1789 James Morgan of Rowan co. bought 100A on Cabin Ck in what is now
Davidson so.
1792 James Morgan is listed as living on Hodges Fork of Uwharrie.
1793 State Grant to James Morgan on both sides of Brier Ck of
Uwahrrie.
1793 State Grant to James Morgan Jr. 77A on Uwharrie next to James
Sr.
1794 James Morgan sells to Elijah Morgan land on both side of Brier
Ck.
1798 James Morgan Sr. sells to Isaac Morgan land on the Uwharrie next Elijah
Morgan, Levi Truitt and James Morgan. There are two Isaac Morgans living in
this area. When ours was in Washington co. Indiana, the other was still in
Rowan co. and later shows up living near Perminter in western North
Carolina. I don't know which one bought the land.
1798 State Grant to James Morgan land on Cabin Ck in what is now Davidson co
and some distance from the Uwharrie.
1798 James Morgan Jr. sells to Andrew Fouts both of Randolph co. land next
to James Sr.
1799 Mark Cole sells to James Morgan of Randolph co.land on Cabin
Cr.
1802 Andrew Fouts of Randolph co. sells land to David Fouts of Rowan co.
land "which was part of a conveyance of 77A from James Morgan". (see 1793,
this is James Jr.)
1805 Elijah Morgan sells to Isaac Morgan land he got from James Sr. which is
witnessed by Andrew Fouts and Absolom Morgan, Elijah son's.
Now we have Nathan's brother James, his son James Jr., and Nathan's son
James, and James who is married to Mary Davis and possibly another James
married to a Mary Davis who may still be in Randolph co. although he is
listed as having died in 1791.
As I said the whole thing is really confusing. Judith Jones
Other Information
From
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=johnrobison&id=I09878
It's tempting to believe that Perminter Morgan's step-grandmother's name was
Patience Perminter.
I don't know who the father of Rev. Perminter Morgan was. The account by
Tom Morgan below is at odds with other accounts, some of which say he
was the son of Stephan Morgan, not James. So until I get it sorted out
I will just put down what information I have.
_________________
From Tom Morgan's account:
James Morgan was born about 1719 in Pennsylvania, the colony founded for
religous freedom, on land bought by his father from William Penn. He
was the son of John and Sarah (Evans) Morgan, but raised by Patience
Perminter, his stepmother. James migrated south some 40 miles, after
his father's death, to the Harford area in north Maryland. He found
his first wife Elizabeth Walker and second wife Mary Davis among the
followers of the St. George Parish. [Note: there is dispute about
whether Mary Davis was his wife or his son James' wife -- IF he had a
son named James!] Around 1760, James and family moved to North Carolina
near the modern town of Liberty. The homestead site in this new land
was on the water s of Sandy Creek near the intersection of two primary
trading paths an d the geographic center of modern North Carolina. The
Sandy Creek are a was the center of the back country religious and
political activity from 1770 to 1790. A land grant of 440 acres was
recorded in 1782. It is highly likely that this was the land
homesteaded in 1760 but not re corded until later. In 1786 James (along
with John, Goin C., and Ruddy Morgan ) signed a petition in protest of
unfair taxes. This petition was one of ten presented to the colonial
government. His signature caused him to be named, as were all signers,
Regulators or Rebels. Some 2,000 Regulators joined together and marched
in protest to Hillsboro (15 mile NE) the seat of the colonial government.
Violence erupted and in 1771 "The Battle of Alamance" culminated the
civil disobedience." James was named as a articipant in this battle.
Son Perminter, although not named, was probably present. Both were
required to pledge allegiance to the king in 1 772 (as punishment for
the riot) or forfeit all property. James became a very influential
person in the area. He homesteaded some 600 acres of the Piedmont
Grassland area for which he recieved title after the War of Revolution.
The tax list of Randolph County N.C. for the year 1779 show James
Morgan owning 66 acres of improved land, 59 0 acres other land, 14
cattle, 6 horses, and 80 pounds English money. James sold his last
landholding in 1811, after which nothing is know . His age would have
been over 90 at this time. The sale of the lands in 1810 and 1811 may
have been done by James Jr. after the death of his father.
DNA Evidence
To my knowledge, none of James's paternal descendants have tested. The
only lineage I find at the Morgan
Surname DNA Project having a Rowan County connection is that of Nathan
Morgan, born 1776 in Cecil county, Maryland.1
Likely, a good candidate for testing would best be found among the
descendants of James's sons Perminter and Isaac Morgan. Any male Morgan
wishing to test should contact Morgan Surname DNA Project directly.
This, however, does little to resolve the question as to whether Martha
Morgan was James's daughter since women do not have a Y chromosome to test.
However, they do have mtDNA. A matrilineal descendant of Martha's would
posssess the same markers in her mitochondrial DNA.
James Morgan (c1729-1810) m Mary Davis
Rev Perminter Morgan (1756-1854) m Gracie Jones
Stephen Morgan (1776-1859) m1 Mary Stanley m2 Elizabeth Byrd m3 Dorcas Elkins
Noah William Morgan m Sophronia Dixon
John Breckinridge Calhoun Morgan m Sarah Margaret Ross
Charles Morgan
Stephen Morgan Jr
James "Squire" Morgan (1780-1854) m Margaret Grant
Elijah Morgan
John Morgan (1755-) m Nancy Bright
Jesse Morgan (1785-1859) m1 Ann Justice m2 Mary Grant
William "Squire" Morgan m Marha B Morgan
Johnathan Morgan (1788-) m Rbecca Wilkerson
Abner Morgan (1790-)
Moses Morgan (1812-1903)
Perminter Morgan (1818-1891)
Jesse Morgan (1819-)
Perminter Morgan Jr (1793-1859) m Mary Wilkerson
Elijah Morgan (1798-1869) m1 Rutha Wilkerson m2 Susannah Reed
James Webb Morgan
Elisha Perminter Morgan
George R Morgan
Stephen W Morgan
John P Morgan
Samuel Bruce P Morgan
Joseph G Morgan
Wade Hill Morgan
Rev James Morgan (1760-)
John Morgan?
Miles Morgan?
Elijah Morgan (1775-1843) m Mary Ann Crum
Absolom Morgan (1798-) m Elizabeth May
Lewis R Morgan (1828-)
Enoch A Morgan (1830-)
George W Morgan (1833-)
Joel H Morgan (1836 -)
Marion F Morgan (1838-)
John D Morgan (1841-)
Solomon Morgan (1805-) m Lydia Goodwin
John Morgan (1831-)
Elijah J Morgan (1818-) m Matilda Goodwin
William Seth Morgan (1837-)
Perminter Morgan (1824-)
Isaac Morgan (1778-1848) m Susannah Fouts
John M Morgan (1802-1875) m Hester Hensley m2 Rachel Hurst m3 Elizabeth Rose
Isaac Morgan (1828-)
Joel Morgan (1832-1855) m Eliza Jackson
William Curtis Morgan (1834-1868)
Elem Morgan (1860-1863)
Aaron Morgan (1837-1905) m Polly Ann Richey
John Henry Morgan (1860-)
Francis Marion Morgan (1863-) m Nellis F Morgan
William R Morgan (1897-)
Aaron Sherman Morgan ((1865-)
Jacob Richard Morgan (1870-1920) m1 Julia Etta Jones m2 Sarah Jane Shaffer Payton
Albert Morgan (1895-1942) m1 Electra m2 Harriet
Oscar Edward Morgan (1892-1969) m Elsie
LIVING Morgan
Jacob Raymond Morgan (1910-1986)
Walter Derrel Morgan (1910-1911)
Elvin Richard Morgan (1912-1985) m Clark
Harold Shaffer Morgan (1915-1940)
Samuel Walter Morgan (1873-1943) m Rilla Ruth Moyer
Alan LeRoy Morgan (1903-1931) m Cleo Ross
Cecil Wilburn Morgan (1906-1970)
Ivan Wayne Morgan (1909-1970)
John Newton Morgan (1839-1886)
Thomas J Morgan (1840-1878) m Sarah E Payne
James M Morgan (1843-)
Francis Marion Morgan (1849-1852)
John Morgan (1858-)
Daniel M Morgan (1815-1890) m Mary Malone
Jonas W Morgan (1847-)
Henry M Morgan (1849-1921) m Emeline Tatlock
John M Morgan (1854-)
Ben M Morgan
Alexander Morgan (1817-1844) m Mary Watts
|
|
All original portions ©
1994-2024
Michael Cooley, OrbitInternet.net -
Copyright Notice
/HTTP
Validation
|