Gov. Thomas Mifflin of PA
Morris Morris Jr. was the son of Morris Morris Sr. and Susanna Heath (Robert & Susanna Woolrich), with Susanna's ancestral family and siblings part of my direct descent.Morris Sr. was very involved with the early affairs of the Abington Monthly Meeting (now in Montgomery Co, PA), Germantown and Philadelphia itself.In extending the Morris Morris family line, the following would better serve the numerous conversations on the Mifflin surname forum regarding Gov. Thomas Mifflin.
In Gilbert Cope's 1876 transcription of the Philadelphia Friends' record is the following:
"Jonathan Morris, b 11-7-1744/5 [7d 11m (Jan) 1744-5], s of Morris Jr. & Susanna
Sarah Morris, b 4-5-1747 [5d 4m (Jun) 1747], dau of (ditto marks)
Susannah Morris, b 4-3-1749 [3d 4m (Jun) 1749], dau of (ditto marks)
Rebecca Morris, b 7-13-1754 [13d 7m (Jul) 1754], dau of (ditto marks)"
These four lines are incorrect as to the name of the mother.Cope's transcription was word for word, page by page and without alteration to actual written dates in the Friends' record.Thus, all dates in the Cope transcription were in original numerical "Quaker-esse" [month-day-year sequence], which prior to 1752 require conversion to the modern calendar.
More importantly, while most genealogies repeat a "Susanna" as the mother of the four children of Morris Morris, Jr, researchers have failed to read Cope's typed notation at the very beginning of his hand written transcription:
"Some differences found by comparing 'Some Old records of Births & Marriages' as there is a list on record in the Fireproof [safe at] 302 Arch St., with the Birth, Death & Marriage book kept by John Greenleaf, recorder...[of which one correction is:]
Morris, Morris & [underlined]Elizabeth[underlined] (Mifflin), not Susanna."
Morris and Elizabeth married on March 22, 1743/4 confirmed by the following partial transcription of the original certificate recorded in the Philadelphia Friends' record:
"Whereas Morris Morris of Upper Dublin in the County of Philadelphia, Province of Pennsylvania, son of Morris Morris of Richland in the County of Bucks. And Elizabeth Mifflin daughter of Jonathan Mifflin of the City of Philada...this twenty second day of the first month in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred forty three four [22d 1m (Mar) 1733/4]..."
Following are the witnesses at the marriage shown in column list from top to bottom [this is the best that can be done for purposes of this forum]:
Col. 1 - Samuel Hopwood, Michael Lightfoot, Christopher Wilson, Eleazar Sheldon, George Dunkan, Anthony Morris, Robert Strettle, Israel Pemberton, John Bringhurst, Daniel Mifflin.
Col. 2 - William Collender, Owen Jones, Joseph Noble, Edward Cathrell, Richard Waln, Richard Armitt, Samuel Hurford, Rachel Pemberton, Hannah Parrock, Deborah Claypole.
Col. 3 - Hannah Logan, Ann Emlen, Oswald Peel, James Paul, Patience Mifflin, Sarah Mifflin, Mary Waln, Elizabeth Harmer, Rebecca Evans, Rachel Emlen.
Col. 4 - Sarah Paul, Thomas Fletcher, John Armitt, George Emlen, Jr., Hannah Hurford, Mary Emlen, Esther Mifflin, Lidya Peel, Hannah Evans, Susanna Fletcher, Sarah Mifflin, Jr.
Col 5 - Morris Morris (Groom), Elizabeth Morris (Bride), Morris Morris, Sr., Jonathan Mifflin, Susanna Morris, George Mifflin, Samuel Morris, Sarah Mifflin, Joshua Morris, Daniel Morris, Samuel Mifflin.
In various printed genealogies, the elder Morris had a son Morris Jr. born 3 May 1715, but then is said to have "died young."This is an obvious error; but whether the living Morris Morris Jr. was born 3 May 1715 or perhaps in 1717, immediately following the death of a deceased namesake brother, is unclear.
Morris Morris Jr. was residing in Philadelphia in 1745 when he was one of many signers to a petition concerning the dangerous condition and location of a powder house, and the need for a convenient market.In context, the extensive list of signers included the following in the order shown in various transcriptions:
...William Coats, Jun.
/skip two/
Antho. Morris
Jona. Mifflin
Morris Morris, Jun
Benja. Mifflin
/skip one/
George Emlen...
Morris Morris, Jr. died about 1758, as reflected by the "History of Hope Lodge," owned and operated by Morris' brother Samuel:
"...in the final years of his life Samuel continued to be active in both business and religious affairs. In 1758 he was involved in a dispute with his sister-in-law Elizabeth Morris, daughter of Jonathan Mifflin, over an unpaid debt, left by Elizabeth’s husband, Morris Morris, Jr. Samuel Morris was executor of the estate. The Gwynedd Monthly Meeting minutes recorded the investigation of the claim and the final vindication of Samuel in 1760 by the Quarterly Meeting."
Where Morris Jr's estate was located is not immediately understood.Brother Samuel never married, but had extensive business interests in lead mining, shipping, grist mills, in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and possible Virginia.Perhaps Morris worked for his brother.There is no known will that I can find and brother Samuel's involvement may have been through administration versus execution.
In the 1736 will of Richard Robinson, Elizabeth (Mifflin) Morris' maternal grandfather, one of Richard's named granddaughters is Elizabeth Mifflin.Elizabeth (Mifflin) Morris is stated by most sources as having died in 1759.Who took care of the orphaned children is unknown.However, it would appear that by late 1774 Morris and Elizabeth's son Jonathan was deceased.Of the three remaining known children, apparently only daughter Sarah would marry and have a family.
The abstract of Elizabeth (Mifflin) Morris' father Jonathan's will of 1774, with 1780 codicil, follows:
MIFFLIN, JONATHAN. City of Phila. Gentleman.
Will dated October 13, 1774. Proved October 23, 1781. Book S.26.
Wife: Sarah [3rd wife, not Robinson].
Child: Samuel.
Grandchildren: Jonathan Mifflin [Son of Son Samuel],
Sarah Mifflin, Susanna and Rebecca Morris [Children of Daughter Elizabeth, decd.],
Jonathan and Sarah Jones [Children of Daughter Sarah, decd.],
Samuel and Charles Jones, Elizabeth Jones, John Jones,
Sarah Paschall and Children of Daughter Patience [decd.].
Wife's Daughters: Ann Powell, Martha Powell.
Monthly Meeting of People called Quakers.
Exec: Son Samuel Mifflin, Grandson-in-Law: Thomas Mifflin and Thomas Fisher.
Wit: L. Weiss, Richard Whitehead.
Codicil: Signed 7 mo. 14, 1780.
Grandchildren: Sarah Mifflin, Susan and Rebecca Morris.
Wit: Robert Worrell, Joseph Budd.
Jonathan's granddaughter Sarah Mifflin in the body of the will and then again in the codicil, was Sarah nee Morris, the elder sister of Susan [aka Susanna] and Rebecca Morris.Reportedly on 4 Mar 1767 in Philadelphia, Sarah married her 2nd cousin Thomas Mifflin, at the time a prominent businessman in Philadelphia. Their individual Mifflin descent was:
Mifflin, John1 + Eleanor
Mifflin, John2 + Elizabeth Hardy
Mifflin, Jonathan3 + Sarah Robinson
Mifflin, Elizabeth4 + Morris Morris Jr.
Morris, Sarah5
Mifflin, John1 + Eleanor
Mifflin, John2 + Elizabeth Hardy
Mifflin, George3 + Esther Cordery
Mifflin, John4 + Elizabeth Bagnell
Mifflin, Thomas5
There is an extensive biography regarding Thomas, his career in the military during the Revolutionary War, as a Gov. of Pennsylvania as well as the famous portrait of "Mr. and Mrs Thomas Mifflin" that does not require repeating here.I assume anyone knowingly descending from Thomas and Sarah is well-aware of the foregoing items.However, in the 1797 will of Thomas Mifflin, wife Sarah is not mentioned.Thomas does acknowledge his "sister-in-law Susanna Morris", who was now nearing 50 years of age and apparently still unmarried:
MIFFLIN, THOMAS. Falls of Schuylkill. County of Philadelphia.
Will dated November 29, 1797. Proved January 25, 1800. Book Y.274.
To Children of Emily [Wife of Joseph Hopkinson].
To Two Children of Frances [Wife of Jonathan Mifflin].
To [daughter] Maria La Grange, Thomas Brown La Grange [State of New York].
Sister-in-law: Susannah Morris.
To Emily Hopkinson.
Nephews and Nieces: Thomas and Elizabeth Mifflin [children of brother George and Martha Morris].
Exec: General William Irvine [of Carlisle], Caleb Carmalt, Joseph Reed [Son of Late Governor Reed].
Wit: Fras. Johnston, Jno. Hall.
From the above will, Thomas and Sarah (Morris) Mifflin had at least three children: Emily (Mifflin) Hopkinson, Frances (Mifflin) Mifflin, and Maria (Mifflin) La Grange.After Thomas was appointed a Major in the Continental Army, the Friends' disowned him in about May 1775, consistent with the Friends' policy of those having had direct military involvement in the American Revolution.That Thomas was ultimately buried in a Lutheran Church Cemetery in Lancaster Co, PA indicates he was not a reunited Quaker at his death.Unfortunately, I can not readily find Thomas and Sarah's marriage (or authorization), the birth date of their children, or their individual deaths in any Friends' record.