Robert M. Morrison (1847 - 1925)

Born 5 May 1847 in Torrance, Campsie Parish, Stirlingshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Annie (McNiven) Morrison — married about 1869 in California, USA [uncertain]

Husband of Leila Salisbury (Perry) Morrison — married 9 Feb 1898 in Monterey, Monterey County, California, USA

Descendants

Died 23 May 1925 at age 78 in Winters, Yolo County, California, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Chase Ashley [send private message]

Biography

Date and Place of Birth; Parentage

Robert M. Morrison, the son of Robert Morrison and Margaret (Brown) Morrison, was born on May 5, 1847 in Torrance, Campsie Parish, Stirlingshire, Scotland.^[1][2] He was baptized in Campsie Parish on May 18, 1847.^[1][2]

Robert's middle name was not spelled out in any records that have been found, but was probably "McKerrow," which was his paternal grandmother's maiden name and also the middle name given to several of his siblings.

Early Life in Campsie Parish

The entry for the household of Robert's family appears to be missing from ancestry.com's database for the 1851 Scotland Census. However, it was found by the researchers in Scotland and shows a household in Campsie headed by Robert Morrison (26, born in Campsie, a master blacksmith, employing 3 men) and containing his wife Margaret (29, born in Kilsyth), daughter Margaret (5), son (this profile's) Robert (3), son John (2), daughter Helen (10), lodger John Graham (20, blacksmith apprentice), lodger William Wilson (19, blacksmith apprentice), and servant Janet Wright (15).^[3]

Robert's mother, Margaret, died in December 1853 (about two months after she gave birth to twins),^[4] when Robert was 8. Robert's father remarried in January 1861.^[5]

The 1861 Scotland Census for Campsie Parish shows a household headed by Robert Morrison (36) and containing his wife Jane (26), daughter Margaret (15), son (this profile's) Robert (13), son John (12), son Hamilton B (7), son William (4), daughter Jane (3), son Andrew (2), daughter Elizabeth (4 months) and boarder William Parker (22). Robert's father was listed as blacksmith who employed three men, and this profile's 13-year-old Robert was an apprentice blacksmith.^[6]

Emigration to America

According to family history, Robert's father had higher aspirations for his son than being a blacksmith and sent him off to Glasgow at the age of 19 to study law with an uncle.^[7] Robert, however, had other plans and ran away to America.^[7] He entered the country at Castle Garden, which was the immigrant station from 1855 to 1890 before Ellis Island. According to Castle Garden immigration records, he arrived in New York on March 26, 1867 on the ship Columbia (see photo) from Glasgow, Scotland, he was 20 years old,^[8] his occupation was blacksmith, and his plans were "unknown."^[9]

First Marriage and Children; Early Life in California

Shortly after his arrival, Robert headed for the West Coast, where his skills as a blacksmith would have been in great demand by the settlers who were flocking there. By 1870, he was living in California and had met and married his first wife, Annie McNiven.^[10] Annie was Robert's age and also originally from Scotland, although they were from different parts of Scotland and there is no evidence that they knew each other before arriving in America.^[11] Robert and Annie had four children:

1. Margaret ("Maggie"), b. about 1870
2. Hamilton Brown, b. August 6, 1872, d. April 12, 1882^[12]
3. Esther ("Effie"), b. about 1877
4. Josephine ("Josie"), b. about 1882

By 1880 (and perhaps as early as 1870), Robert and his family were living in Monticello in Napa County, California and had been joined there by Robert's younger brother, Hamilton (after whom Robert had apparently named his ill-fated son).^[13]

The 1880 US Census for Monticello, California shows a household headed by Robert Morrison (33) and containing his wife Annie (33), daughter Maggie B. (10), son Hamilton (7), daughter Esther (3), and brother Hamilton Morrision (26). Robert's occupation was listed as blacksmith.^[13]

Sometime before 1890, Robert and his family moved about 15 miles east up Putah Creek from Monticello to the growing agricultural community of Winters in Yolo County, California, where Robert originally operated a successful blacksmith, carriage-making and woodworking business.^[14]

In 1892, a severe earthquake hit Winters, destroying many of the buildings in town.^[15] Robert took the opportunity caused by the destruction to expand his business and built a hardware store (see photo).^[14] Sadly, Robert's wife, Annie, was severely injured in the earthquake. She was rendered an invalid, was in poor health ever after, and passed away in December 1895.^[16]

Second Marriage and Child; Later Life

On February 9, 1898, at the age of 50, Robert married his second wife, Leila Perry, who was about 20 years younger than him.^[17][7][18] They were married in Monterey, California.^[17] Robert and Leila had one child:

1. Katharine, b. January 23, 1899.

The 1900 US Census for Winters, California shows a household headed by Robert Morrison (53) and containing wife Leila Morrison (33), daughter Katherine (1), son-in-law Fred W. Wilson (43), daughter Margarette Wilson (31), daughter Esther B. (23), and daughter Josie B. (18). Robert's occupation was listed as hardware merchant.^[18]

Robert's businesses in Winters thrived and he bought fruit ranches and rental property.^[7] In 1906, he sold the hardware business and subsequently became the charter president of the Citizens Bank of Winters organized in 1907 (later sold to Bank of Italy, now Bank of America).^[14][7]

Sometime between 1900 and 1910, Fred and Margaret Wilson, Esther and Josie moved out of the Winter's house. The 1910 US Census for Winters, California shows a household headed by Robert Morrison (62) and containing wife Leila S. (42), daughter Catharine V. (11), and boarder Beatrice Heedham (26). Robert's occupation was listed as "own income."^[19]

The 1920 US Census for Winters, California shows a household headed by Robert Morrison (72) and containing his wife Leila S. (52) and daughter Katharine V. (20).^[20]

Death

Robert M. Morrison died in Winters, Yolo County, California on March 23, 1925,^[21] at about the age of 79. He is buried in the Winters Cemetery.^[22]

^{[1] [2] [3] [6] [7] [9] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Scots Ancestry Research Society, "Report on research for the paternal ancestry of Robert Morrison son of Robert Morrison and Margaret Brown," October 22, 1996, p 1
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY4X-2QH : 2 January 2015), Robert Morrison in entry for Robert Morrison, 05 May 1847; citing , reference 2:17B6GZR; FHL microfilm 1,041,974.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Scots Ancestry Research Society, "Report on research for the paternal ancestry of Robert Morrison son of Robert Morrison and Margaret Brown," October 22, 1996, p 2
4. ↑ See profile for Margaret Brown.
5. ↑ See profile for Robert Morrison.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Scotland. 1881 Scotland Census. Reels 1-338. General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. Partick; ED: 11; Page: 25; Line: 3; Roll: cssct1881_257
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5} Family Information as written by Katharine M. McClinton
8. ↑ Robert must have rounded up his age when he gave it to the immigration officials.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} CastleGarden.org search under "Robert Morrison, Scotland 1865-1869"
10. ↑ Based on approximate date of birth of their first child and fact that the child was born in California.
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} findagrave.com "Annie McNiven Morrison"
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} findagrave.com "Hamilton Brown Morrison"
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2} "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6P9-BXG : 14 July 2016), Robert Morrison, Monticello, Napa, California, United States; citing enumeration district ED 75, sheet 386B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0069; FHL microfilm 1,254,069.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3} "Historic Main Street Walking Tour," discoverwinters.com
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} John H. Bennett, "Vacaville-Winters Earthquakes . . .1892," California Geology, April 1987, Vol. 40, No. 4.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} The following obituary was quoted on the Find-A-Grave page for Annie McNiven Morrison: December 9, 1895 Woodland Daily Democrat, Monday evening edition: Mrs. Robert Morrison, an old and respected resident of Winters, passed peacefully away at 11 o'clock Sunday night, after a lingering illness. The deceased was injured in the earthquake of 1892 and rendered an invalid, and has been in bad health ever since. She leaves a husband and three daughters, Mrs. Fred Wilson and Effie, and Josie Morrison, all of whom live here and were at their dear one's bedside during her last hours. The deceased was a good woman and her death is deeply regretted by all. The funeral will take place at the Presbyterian church Tuesday at 10 o'clock. findagrave.com "Annie McNiven Morrison"
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1 17.2} "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ3F-G2J : 28 November 2014), Robert Morrison and Leila S. Perry, 09 Feb 1898; citing Monterey, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 1,290,900.
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1 18.2} "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9GY-158 : accessed 13 January 2017), Robert Morrison, Winters Township Winters town, Yolo, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 203, sheet 1B, family 20, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,116.
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVPS-9Z2 : accessed 8 January 2017), Lillia S Morrison in household of Robert Morrison, Winters, Yolo, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 184, sheet 1A, family 9, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 110; FHL microfilm 1,374,123.
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHW7-B6L : accessed 14 January 2017), Salia S Morrison in household of Head Robert M Morrison, Winters, Yolo, California, United States; citing ED 230, sheet 8, line 29, family 10, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 128; FHL microfilm 1,820,128.
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1} Ancestry.com. California, Death Index, 1905-1939 (database on-line). Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
22. ↑ ^{22.0 22.1} findagrave.com "Robert Morrison"