Virginia is not the only place to find the surname Morris. It is abundantly found in North Carolina as well. There were at least two Morris lines in Montgomery County, North Carolina. One of them being my own line back to my 3rd great grandfather, John Jacky Morris, born in Virginia and died in Montgomery County. The other line belongs to Haton Morris who lived in Anson prior to the formation of Montgomery. Some of those descendants look to have migrated to western North Carolina while others remained in Montgomery County. Both lines have been YDNA tested and are not a match.
The same applies to Davidson County, North Carolina. There were several Morris families in that area as well and YDNA testing will be needed to show which Morris family each one belongs to.
You can visit FTDNA here to see all 60 Morris Groups.
In Davidson County, North Carolina lived a man I
call John Morris of Lick Creek who was born about 1775, perhaps in Rowan
County, North Carolina (those parts that became Davidson County in 1822) but I
have some doubts about that because his father seems to have shown up in the area of
Lick Creek about 1796 and John would have been about 21 years old at that time.
So, I wonder if this family moved from Randolph or Moore County into Davidson
County. Or perhaps from another county altogether.
John of Lick Creek died about 1846 in Davidson County, North Carolina. I am haphazardly related to this line through my 4th great grandmother, Susannah Smart Morgan Henderson. John Morris of Lick Creek is the great-grandfather of the husband of my 2nd cousin 3x removed Euna Henderson who married John's great grandson, Buena Vista Morris. Euna Henderson and I share Susannah Smart Morgan Henderson as a common ancestor. Susannah being Euna’s great grandmother and my 4th great grandmother.
John of Lick Creek is the son of another John Morris (the elder) who died before 1816 in Rowan County. In a deed for that year John Morris (of Lick Creek) and Christian Morris, as heirs of John Morris, sold to Frederick Morris their part of the land inherited from John (the elder) on Lick Creek to Frederick. I believe Frederick is probably the brother of John (of Lick Creek) and Christian.
15 Sep 1816 between John Morris and Christian Morris, heirs of John Morris deceased, of the county of Rowan of the one part and Frederick Morris of the county and state aforesaid...John Morris and Christian Morris for $40 paid by Frederick Morris ... a parcel of land being in the county and state aforesaid on the waters of Lick Creek ... 52 acres ... witness William Ward and Jonathan Ward
John (the elder) looks to have obtained this land from Frederick Low in 1796.
Frederick Low of Rowan County, North Carolina planter for 20 pounds paid by John Morris planter of the same county ... a parcel of land lying in the county of Rowan on the waters of Lick Creek ... 52 acres ... lawfully granted to him (Frederick Low) by patent dated 21 Dec 1796 ... witness Drury Goolsbe and Frederick Morris (probably the son of John the elder).
John (the younger of Lick Creek) married a lady named Eleanor who is sometimes seen as Nelly or Ellen. I do not know her maiden name. She died sometime after John whose estate file is dated Oct 1846. His estate file names heirs as Jesse, Elizabeth Davis, Rebecca Newsom, Mary, Henry, Lindsey, Johnathan, and Sarah.
Jesse Morris was born about 1805. He married Nancy Riley about 1835. Their children are named on the 1850 Census as Nathan b. 1836, Sarah b. 1839, William b. 1840, Jesse b. 1844, James b. 1847, Elizabeth b. 1850 and the 1860 names additional children Edmund b. 1851 and Francis b. 1860.
Elizabeth Morris Davis was born about 1807. She married William Davis about 1828 and their children are shown on the 1850 Census as John b. 1829, Alla b. 1834, and Ellen b. 1835.
Rebecca (also seen as Basheba) Morris Newsom was born about 1810. She married Sampson Newson about 1830. Their children shown on the 1850 Census are Evelyn b. 1832, Margaret b. 1836, Ellen b. 1837, Mary b. 1839, Willia, b. 1841, Jesse b. 1845, and Eliza b. 1848.
Mary Morris was born about 1813. She is living with her brother Lindsey and mother Ellen in 1850.
Lindsey Morris was born about 1818. He married Elizabeth Cox about 1857. Their children are shown on the 1850 Census as Solomon (we later find his middle name is Roby) b. 1858 and Cicero b. 1861.
Henry Morris was born about 1817. In 1850 Henry is living with his brother Lindsey and mother Ellen. He is found on the 1860 Census with 15-year-old Lindsey Morris living in his home who may be his son.
Jonathan Morris was born about 1823. He also is living with Lindsey Morris, his brother and Ellen, his mother in 1850. He looks to have married Sally Smith in 1854.
Sarah Morris was born about 1828. She is not living with brother Lindsey in 1850 so I do not know if she has married by then or has died.
My interest lies in Cicero Morris, the son of Lindsey and Elizbeth Cox Morris. As a side note, Elizabeth’s gravestone has Thompson listed as her maiden name, but her marriage license has Cox listed.
Cicero Fisher Morris was born 5 Jun 1861 and died 13 Nov 1952 according to his gravestone.
Cicero is found on the 1870 Census for Healing Springs, Davidson County, North Carolina living with his parents, Lindsy and Elizabeth and his brother Solomon. He is listed as 7 years old.
Ancestry's AI has mis-transcribed Morris to Monis.
Of interest, living next door is Abigail Morris, age 90, making her born about 1780 and I wonder who she is. She would have been old enough to be the sister of John Morris of Lick Creek, the father of Lindsey. There are also younger Abigail Morris’s found in the area, so I wonder if this Abigail was their namesake. Certainly, more research is needed here.
1880 shows Cicero still living at home with his parents and brother, who is going by his middle name Roby. On either side of Lindsey lives a brother, Jesse and Henry.
On 4 Aug 1886, Cicero married Sarah E. Newsom in Davidson County, North Carolina. Her parents are Sampson Newsom and Elizabeth Riley. I do believe that Cicero and Sarah were related but have not figured out her parent’s lines yet to be sure of what relatedness, if any, they were. I do know that Cicero’s aunt Rebecca (Basheba) was the first wife of Sampson Newsom. Elizabeth Riley was his second wife and mother of Sarah who married Cicero. Another complicated family by intermarriage.
In 1884 Solomon Roby (S. R.) Morris who was “temporarily residing in Red River County, Texas” provided a power of attorney to Cicero Fisher (C. F.) Morris of Davidson County, North Carolina to sell land in Davidson County on Lick Creek that he inherited from his mother, Elizabeth Morris. This is Solomon Roby Morris, the brother of Cicero, what he was doing in Red River, Texas is anyone’s guess, but I feel sure he had family there.
There is another Solomon Roby Morris born 1861 in Randolph County, North Carolina and died 1937 in Pawnee County, Oklahoma. His father is listed on Find A Grave as William Nelson Morris born 1833 in Davidson County, North Carolina. The line is shown to go back to Benjamin Morris of Pasquotank County, North Carolina.
More research is required on my part to figure out if there is a Morris family connection between Davidson / Pasquotank / Randolph counties, North Carolina and Texas and Oklahoma.
The year 1900 shows the Cicero Morris family living in Emmons, Davidson County, North Carolina, located on the border with Randolph County.
Fredia Morris, the eldest, at age 22 died from measles on 3 Mar 1910.
Carlie Morris in 1889 would grow up to marry Julia Hughes, daughter of Felix and Rebecca Hughes. Carlie died in 1977 in Davidson County, North Carolina.
Buena Vista Morris, called Bunie, was born in 1892 and died 1978. He married Euna Henderson, the great granddaughter of Joel Henderson and Susannah Smart (my 4th great grandmother). This is how I am related to the Morris family of Davidson County, through the marriage of Euna, my distant cousin.
Moody Morris was born in 1895 and died in 1969 in Guilford County. He married Eunice Snider who looks to be the daughter of William Snider and Mary Bean.
Ernest Morris was born 1898 and died 1989. He married Lillian Parks, daughter of Perry Parks and Dora Presnell.
Lola was born in 1899 and died in 1991. She married Jay Smith.
In 1910 the family was still living in Emmons. Two additional children have been added to the family.
Vera, born 1901. She married William Henry Henderson about 1930. She died in 1983. I can find no relationship between this Henderson family and Euna Henderson.
Val Kerney Morris was born in 1904. He died at the age of 52, when he was struck by a Trailway bus in front of Denton Marble Works. Val operated the Sunset Flower Shop in Denton with his sister. He never married.
Beulah Lee Morris is the last child born of Cicero and Sarah Newsom Morris. She was born in 1907. She married Carma Rosevelt Smith in 1934. Beulah died in 1972.
In 1920 Cicero and family were living in Healing Springs, Davidson County, North Carolina. Sallie was still living at that time, shown as age 54. Buena, Lola, Vera, and Beulah were still in the home. Living next door is son Ernest and his wife Lillian.
1930 shows only Beulah is still living with her parents, Cicero and Sallie. She will marry in 1934 (as noted above). Just a few doors downs lives son, Moody and his family.
In 1940, son Val, is shown as head of house with his parents living with him. Cicero is 78 and Sallie is 73. She died 5 years later, 20 Jul 1945.
I am not able to find Val or Cicero on the 1950 Census. According to his obituary, Cicero died on 13 Nov 1952 at the age of 91. Both he and Sallie are buried at the Denton Town Cemetery in Davidson County, North Carolina.
No comments:
Post a Comment