William Morrison Jr. (1750 - aft. 1822)

Born 1750 in Rowan, North Carolina

Ancestors

Husband of Martha (Miller) Morrison — married 19 Feb 1767 (to 1776) in Rowan, North Carolina, United States

Descendants

Died after 22 Mar 1822 after age 72 in Rowan, North Carolina, United States

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Biography

William Morrison Jr. performed Patriotic Service in North Carolina in the American Revolution.

Birth

William Morrison Jr. was born in 1743 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was the son of William Morrison and his wife Margaret B. Hays.^[1]

Land

To the west of Fourth Creek settlers, along the headwaters of Third Creek and the middle branch of Fourth Creek, his father was in the process of taking up land in 1751 in Rowan (currently Iredell) county. The elder William Morrison built a mill at the headwaters of the Third Creek.^[2]

The younger William lived in western Iredell County at the headwaters of the Third Creek.^[3][4] “By a deed dated July 18, 1770, less than a year before his death, William Morrison [Sr.] transferred the land which had been granted to him by the Earl of Granville, to his son, William Morrison, Jr., for five shillings 'sterling money.' This land was described as being 'in the County of Rowan in the province of North Carolina in America lying on both sides of Third Creek'.^[5] ... Described as a ‘Messunge Tenement Plantation,’ which means simply that it was settled land with a house and the necessary farm buildings, the son had 'rent of one peppercorn at the feast of St. Michael the Arch Angel one if the same be then Demanded to the intent that by these presents and of the Statute for Transferring uses into possession of the said William Morrison, June may be in actual possession of the premises'."^[6]

Occupation

Having inherited the land and mill run by his father, he became a miller himself.^[7]

Marriage

William married Martha Miller on 19 February 1767 in Rowan County, North Carolina Colony.^[8]

Children

William and Martha were parents of:^[9]

Revolutionary War Service

He furnished supplies and transportation to the Army.^[4]

Death

He died in Iredell County, North Carolina, sometime between 22 March and 2 October of 1822. He was buried near Concord Presbyterian Church, Statesville, Iredell County, North Carolina.

Will

The will is dated 22 March 1822,^[21] and makes clear that this William lived on Third Creek (like his father from whom he inherited the land), and owned a mill (also inherited). His wife was named as "Martha". The will was probated on 2 October 1822.

Research Notes

There is more than one William Morrison of similar backgrounds. The first brings extraordinary coincidences. This William, known as "Weaver" Morrison (1744 – 13 May 1810), is the son of Reverend James Morrison (d. 1806) and Frances Brown. He married Elizabeth Mordach (Murdoch), the daughter of James Murdoch, on 4 Jan 1769, also in Rowan County. So the dates of birth and death are almost the same, and the marriage dates are but two years apart (North Carolina, Rowan County, marriage records). FamilySearch confuses this William with our own, but gives both profiles on the same page. "Weaver" William is said to have the following children: Thomas, Agnes, Mary, S____, Martha, Elizabeth, William, Abner, John Franklin, Thomas H., and Andrew W. The DAR, cited below, has also confused them. They incorrectly identify James, the son of our William, as having Elizabeth Mordach as his mother.

Another William (23 July 1756 - 10 Nov 1821) was also born in Pennsylvania (Somerset County). He was known as "Miller" Morrison, and married Abigail McEwen, and their children were: James McEwen, Catherine, Margaret May Kimmons, Sarah Walker, Erixene. The major point of confusion is that he died at almost the same date as our William.

Sources

Footnotes

1. ↑ The Heritage of Iredell County, 421b. Harvey Morrison, 4.
2. ↑ #Keever
3. ↑ Tombstone
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} DAR Record
5. ↑ "This 'in America' is unique among the old land records on file in the Rowan County court house." Powell, 10d.
6. ↑ "This rent was merely a token rent paid each year to the people holding grants of the larger territory from the King to show that the land was settled.” Powell, 10d.
7. ↑ The 1790 census (p. 392) lists two William Morrisons living in close proximity to one another, the first of which is said explicitly to be a miller. The second William, often confused with him, is "Weaver" Morrison.
8. ↑ North Carolina, County Marriages, p. 322. Hiram Morrison (p. 4) says that prior to this he had married Jane Tucker ca. 1763. She must have died that year or the next, perhaps in childbirth. No surviving issue is recorded for her. Martha Miller, the mother of his children, ceased to have further issue after 1776, but is mentioned in his will, so she must have lived past March of 1822.
9. ↑ Hiram Morrison; Geneanet, William Morrison.
10. ↑ Hiram Morrison; FamilySearch, Martha Morrison, LQRZ-VKR; abt. 1774, Geneanet, Martha Morrison;
11. ↑ North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, Image 988-9900.
12. ↑ Geneanet, James "Blacksmith Jimmie" Morrison.
13. ↑ Geneanet, Andrew Morrison; Hiram Morrison: listed, but no information; FamilySearch: unlisted.
14. ↑ Geneanet, William Morrison; Hiram Morrison: listed, but no information; FamilySearch: not listed.
15. ↑ North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, p. 134, #95 (Image 91 of 364).
16. ↑ Geneanet, Hugh Morrison; Hiram Morrison: listed, but no information; FamilySearch: not listed.
17. ↑ Hiram Morrison; ca. 1768, Geneanet, Margaret Morrison; ca. 1768 given in FamilySearch, Margaret Morrison, 24ZL-4CB.
18. ↑ FamilySearch, John H. I., 248S-D49. This person is unlisted by Geneanet.
19. ↑ FamilySearch, John H. I., 248S-D49  igves a death date of 1798, which can't be true since John is mentioned in his father's will of 1822.
20. ↑ Hiram Morrison; same by FamilySearch, Nancy Morrison, 248S-D9S; ca. 1775, Geneanet, Nancy Morrison;
21. ↑ North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, Image 988-9900.

Bibliography

• 1790 United States Federal Census. The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC; First Census of the United States, 1790.; Date: 2 August 1790; Census Place: Iredell, North Carolina; Series: M637; Roll: 7; Page: 392; Family History Library Film: 0568147.

• "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q285-YYBH : 21 July 2021), William Morrison and Martha Miller, 19 Feb 1767; citing Rowan, North Carolina, United States, p. 322, North Carolina State Archives Division of Archives and History; FHL microfilm 418,150, Image 360 of 636.

• North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998, Wills and Estate Papers (Iredell County), 1663-1978; Author: North Carolina. Division of Archives and History; Probate Place: Iredell, North Carolina. Original Wills, Kilpatrick, Andrew - Tharpe, William. For William Morrison, Image 988, 989, 990.

• "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, #450, The Thomas Morrison Family, pp. 421-422 (Image 429 of 652); Pam Morrison, #443, The Ephraim Morrison Family, pp. 417-418 (Image 425 of 652).

• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 27 June 2023), memorial page for William Morrison (1743–12 Dec 1821), Find a Grave Memorial ID 133137725, citing Concord Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Statesville, Iredell County, North Carolina, USA; Maintained by Anonymous (contributor 46960440).</span>

• December 23, 1821, Western Carolinian (Salisbury, North Carolina), January 1, 1822, p. 3.

• Geneanet, James "Blacksmith Jimmie" Morrison.

• Harvey Morrison, The Morrisons of Montgomery County Family Tree (Morrisville, North Carolina: Lulu Press, Inc., 28 Dec 2013).

• Marsha C. Hui, "The Morrison Family of Mrs. Robert McCorkle (1770-1848) of Rowan/Iredell County, North Carolina, and finally of Dyer County, Tennessee."

• See Space:Iredell, Piedmont County by Homer M. Keever, William Morrison, pages 37, 42, 44, 48, 50, 54, 59, 77, 148, 149

• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed date), "Record of William Morrison", Ancestor # A081236.

• See also Space:Iredell County Revolutionary Soldiers for a comprehensive list of Iredell Revolutionary War Veterans.

Relevant Children's Records:

• North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998. Iredell Wills, 1790-1868, for Sarah Ireland, p. 134, #95 (Image 91 of 364).