Thomas Morris was born 20 May 1772 in Virginia or possibly in Pennsylvania and died 20 May 1856 in Campbell County, Kentucky.[1] He was reportedly the son of Thomas Morris, Sr.
Thomas married first Betsy Stephenson ca 1789. He married second Campbell Co KY, 11 Jan 1799, Anna Smith, a daughter of Henry and Winnifred (Holt) Smith.[2]
In the Campbell County KY marriage book I found the following marriages. It is entirely possible these Morris names were all from one family:
· Nancy Morris m Dudley Stephenson 1-22-1817 (Daughter of Thomas)
· Lucy Morris m Stephen Hiatt 12-6-1817 (Daughter of Thomas)
· Anna Morris m Peter Trout 6-21-1818 (Daughter of Thomas)
· Minnie Morris m Wm. Matthews 3-11-1819 (Dau. of Thomas)
· Evaline Morris m Joseph Dawson 3-1-1819 [should read Morin]
· Charlott Morris m David McElroy 8-10-1820
· Benjamin Morris m Elizabeth Thomas 9-17-1823
· Elizabeth Morris m Nelson Frazier 1-10-1825 (poss daughter of Thomas)
Some of these Brown Co OH marriages may also be connected:
· Henry Morris to Christina Crawford on 27 Jul 1820.
· Joseph Morris to Elizabeth Boude on 8 Aug 1821.
· Joshua Morris to Sarah Sutton on 20 Jul 1826. [this is from James Morris’s branch and not this family]
· George Morris to Elizabeth Herd on 3 Sept 1827. (Son of Thomas)
· Joshua McConlley to Mary Morris on 22 Apr 1819.
· William Draper to Pasty Morris on 12 Jun 1826. Oath of Henry Morris.
Thomas was bondsman in Campbell Co KY for this marriage: Jun 21 1831- William Garner to Aurelia Lumis, bm-Thomas MORRIS.[3]
And who was this? On Oct 6 1796-Jesse Lucas to Polly “Moriss” {application signed by John MORRISS attested by Tom MORRIS and John GRANT} bm-James MORRIS. This may be a brother and sister of Thomas’s.
Thomas was on 1800, 1803-1809 tax lists in Campbell Co KY. The Alexandria, Campbell Co KY, Court Order Book 1, page 131, 27 August 1810: Ordered that Lewis Colvin and Thomas Morris be added to the hands of Robert Dickerson Surveyor of the road from Allen’s Mill to Grant’s Salt Works.
Thomas’s census record includes these entries:
1810, Campbell Co KY, Thomas Morris: 20010/30010; the children of a supposed first marriage are not with him.
1820 has not been found.
1830, Boone Co KY, Thomas Morris: 20011001/0210001. This time he was near several Stevenson families. Thomas (10001/10001) and Elijah Morris (201001/201001) are next door to each other in Campbell Co KY.
1840, Boone Co KY, Thomas Morris: 001100001/00020001.
Thomas and his first wife Betsy had these children, according to Shelia Lyon:
1. George MORRIS was born in 1790 in Lexington, Fayette Co KY. George died in Mason Co IL, on 1 Jun 1861. He may have had an unknown first marriage. On 3 Sep 1827 when George was 37, he married Elizabeth HURD, daughter of Caleb HURD & Martha OURSLER, in Brown Co OH. Born in 1807 in Adams Co OH, Elizabeth died in Mason Co IL, ca 1859. They had the following children:
i. Nancy Ann (1829-1891)
ii. Jane (1831-)
iii. William (1833-)
iv. Julia Ann (1834-)
v. David (1835-)
vi. Rose Ann (1839-)
vii. Charles (1841-)
viii. Martin V (1843-1905)
ix. Margaret (1845-1912)
x. Mary Eliza (1847-1917)
xi. John (1849-)
xii. Harriet (1851-)
2. Jeff MORRIS was born ca 1793 in Campbell Co KY.
3. Anna MORRIS was born ca 1795 in Campbell Co KY. On 21 Jun 1818 when Anna was 23, she married Peter TROUT in Campbell Co KY.
4. Elizabeth MORRIS was born ca 1797 in Campbell Co KY.
5. Vina MORRIS was born ca 1798 in Campbell Co KY. On 18 Feb 1819, as “Winnie Morris,” Vina married William MATHEWS in Campbell Co KY.
Thomas and his second wife, Anna Smith, had the following children:
6. Elijah MORRIS was born ca 1800.
7. Thomas MORRIS was born 1800-1810.
8. Nancy Ann MORRIS died in 1865 in Lewis Co MO. On 22 Jan 1817 Nancy Ann married Dudley STEPHENSON, son of James Nathaniel STEPHENSON & Mary COLLEY, in Campbell Co KY. Born on 2 Mar 1798 in KY, Dudley died ca 1850.
9. Lucy MORRIS was born ca 1802 in KY. On 6 Dec 1817 when Lucy was 15, she married Stephen HIATT in Campbell Co KY. Hw was born in 1798 in PA.
10. Minnie MORRIS. This daughter has been confused with Vina, above; one of them was married on 11 Mar 1819 to William MATTHEWS in Campbell Co KY.
11. Lewis MORRIS was born on 21 Nov 1806.
©2008, Kathy Alvis Patterson
[1] “Shelia’s Family” gedcom created Jun 13 2000 by Shelia Cromwell Lyon of Norman, Oklahoma, posted at Ancestry.com, no longer online. She was unable to provide sources for this family, so it is very tentative. slyon68@yahoo.com.
[2] “Shelia’s Family”: A marriage bond was posted 11 Jan 1799 at Campbell Co KY and recorded at Alexandria, Campbell Co KY with consent of her father. Bondsmen were the groom, Thomas (his x mark) MORRIS, and Jesse SMITH. Testes were Jesse SMITH and John COLVIN. Her father wrote this note giving her permission to marry: “I do hereby certify that I Henry Smith of Campbell Co have given my consent and am willing for Thomas Morris to marry my daughter Anney as witness my hand and seal. January 11, 1799. Henry Smith.” From her father’s will dated 1818 & probated 1823, we read: “Daughter Anny’s children that she had by Thomas Morris when they come of age to have 1/4 of my whole estate.”
