James Morrison Sr. (abt. 1677 - bef. 1750)

Born about 1677 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 1750 before about age 73 in Nantmeal Village, Chester, Pennsylvania

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Jo Gessford [send private message] and Marty Vestal [send private message]

Biography

Birth

James Morrison was born around 1677 probably in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Migration

"About the year 1700 James Morrison left his native Scotland and immigrated to Northern Ireland, probably Londonderry or Fermanagh. Around 1730 he came with his family to America, settling in Lancaster County, Pa. Four of his sons, William (1704-1771), Thomas, James, Andrew (1718-1770) moved south to Iredell (then Rowan) County in early 1750's, settling along Third Creek, south and west of Loray."^[1]

Another account from the same source has this to say: "James Morrison I left the county of Londonderry or Fermough, Ireland and came to America in 1730. He settled near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. James the I had three sons, William, Andrew, and James, who came to North Carolina in 1750. They settled in Iredell, then known as Rowan."^[2]

Children

The name of James' wife is unknown. They were parents of:

There are grounds for some scepticism about the story of James and his four sons, although this has been allayed substantially by Y-DNA analysis. The Q-Morrison project asserts that "it is doubtful we will ever have conclusive proof that the father of our four possible Morrison brothers was named James, came with his sons to America, and died in Lancaster County, Pa in about 1745."^[3]

There is one theory as to why no primary evidence of an Immigrant James Morrison has come to light. If we are to believe the family tradition as stated above, then Immigrant James would have been approximately 50 years old by 1730, the date it is said that he and his four sons arrived in America. It is doubtful that a person of that age would have bought land for himself (at that time 50 was considered old) and since at least three of his four sons were of age, it is more likely that he went to live with one of them. Also, since it is assumed they were free men, not indentured servants, it probably cost their father a good part of his wealth to pay for passage of himself and his four sons to America. Next if he was living with one of his four sons, and had no land of his own – what few possessions he had likely went to that son, therefore no will.^[4]

Death

James is often said to have passed away around 1760, but since his eldest son Thomas had died in 1747, the remaining brothers were their father's only support in his old age. So it hardly seems plausible that they all left for North Carolina in 1750 unless their father had died sometime prior to that date.^[5]

DNA

The Y-DNA haplotype for James Sr. has been determined:

• Group Q - North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Northern Ireland > Kit #32434, James Morrison, b. 1702 (PA 1730 > NC 1750) country of origin: Scotland. Y-DNA: R-FT20095.^[6]

Research Notes

Two James Morrison's (at least) are known to have migrated to North America in the first half of the 1700's. The James Morrison, known as the "Jacobite," is much better documented. He was the husband of Janet Gilchrist and the son of John Samuel Morrison and Jeanette Steele. He arrived in New England.

Not much is known of the other that arrived in Pennsylvania with his four sons (William, Thomas, Andrew, and James). His wife is not known. His death date is not known.

The wife of his son, Thomas, is not known. Thomas died in 1748 and left a will in Pennsylvania. In the will, his wife is mentioned, but not by name. Around 1750, the surviving sons moved to Rowan County, North Carolina. Thomas' son, John followed a few years later with the Henry Potts family.

The Biographies above belong to this family.

The Morrison-Q Y-DNA project has identified many of James' descendants.^[7] Y-DNA has shown that the James Morrison that landed in New England is a different family. — Marty Vestal

Sources

Footnotes

1. ↑ The Heritage of Iredell County, The Morrison Family, #442, pp. 416-417.
2. ↑ The Heritage of Iredell County, The James Amos Morrison Family, #446, pp. 418-419.
3. ↑ 'Morrison-Q Genealogical Association Inc > "FAQ – When did our family first come to America, who were they, and how were they related?"
4. ↑ 'Morrison-Q Genealogical Association Inc > "FAQ – When did our family first come to America, who were they, and how were they related?"
5. ↑ 'Morrison-Q Genealogical Association Inc > FAQ – Is the death year of 1760 correct for our Immigrant James Morrison?; cf. "FAQ – When did our family first come to America, who were they, and how were they related?"
6. ↑ Morrison-Q Genealogical Association Inc > FamilyTreeDNA > Morrison Surname DNA Project - Y-DNA Colorized Chart.
7. ↑ Morrison-Q Genealogical Association Inc.

Bibliography

• "The Heritage of Iredell County" by The Genealogical Society of Iredell County, Vol. 1. First Edition, first Printing edition (Statesville, North Carolina: The Genealogical Society of Iredell County, 1980) ISBN-13: 978-0894590870.
  • Harriet Rumple Schroeder, #442, The Morrison Family, pp. 416-417;
  • Joe Payne, #446, James Amos Morrison Family, 418-419; and
  • James Philip Walker, #453, William Elias Morrison Family, p. 423c.

• The Morrison-Williams Register; William Mann Morrison; 1977.

• Morrison-Q Genealogical Association Inc — Lancaster Co, PA … Rowan, Iredell, Burke Co, NC … Regions Beyond … Jame Morrison Sr: James Morrison Jr, William Morrison, Andrew Morrison, Thomas Morrison.

• FamilyTreeDNA > > Morrison Surname DNA Project - Y-DNA Colorized Chart.

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Morrison-1087 created through the import of HAYER.GED on May 29, 2011.