John Morton (abt. 1616 - 1673)

Born about 1616 in Leyden, Holland, Nederland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 3 Oct 1673 at about age 57 in Middleborough, Plymouth Colony

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Carolyn Adams [send private message] and Allan Morton [send private message]

Biography

John Morton immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

John Morton was born circa 1616 or 17, a son of George Morton (of "Mourt's Relation" fame) and Juliana (Carpenter) Morton Kempton, who were married and lived in Leiden before migrating to Plymouth on the Anne in 1623. John's uncle by marriage was Governor Bradford, who helped raise John and his siblings due to the death of their father in 1624^{[1] [2]}

Circa 1649, John married Lettuce, whose LNAB and DOB are not provided in these sources^{[3] [1] [4] [5] [2]}. Their children included:

• John, born December 11, 1649^[1], who died December 20, 1649 ^[2]
• John Jr, born December 21, 1650^[6], who married first Phebe Shaw, daughter of Jonathan, and second married Mary Ring, daughter of Andrew and Deborah (Hopkins) Ring^[2]
• Deborah (Morton) Coombs, who married Francis Coombs, son of John and Sarah Coombs in 1687^{[4] [2]}
• Mary (Morton) Bosworth^[4][2], who was the second wife of Nathaniel Bosworth Jr.^[7][8]
• Martha^{[4] [2]}
• Hannah (Morton) Fuller Lathrop^{[4] [2]}, who married John Fuller^[9] and John Lathrop
• Esther^{[4] [2]}
• Manasseh, a twin, born June 7, 1653^[2]
• Ephraim, a twin, born June 7, 1653^[2]

John Morton Sr. was a constable in Plymouth in 1654, and a collector of taxes in 1668 (among other roles). He relocated his family to Middleborough circa 1670, where he represented the town in the General Court until his death^{[6] [2]}

John Morton, Sr died October 3, 1673, in Middleborough^[10]. His death notice states: John Morton seni^r: of Middleberry Died on the third of October 1673. Hee was a Godly man and much lamented by sundry of the inhabitants of that place It pleased God notwithstanding to put a period to his life after a longe sickness and som (worn off or trimmed off in binding). His will cleared probate on October 29^[4], and mentioned his son john Morton Jr, his daughter Deborah the wife of Francis Coombs; four daughters Mary, Martha, Hannah and Esther; and his widow Lettuce Morton^[2].

His inventory was exhibited to the Plymouth court on 11 October 1673 on the oath of Lettis Morton, widow.^[11]

After his death, Lettuce married Andrew Ring, father of her son John's wife Mary Ring^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, page 1297. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995).
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13} George Morton of Plymouth Colony and Some of His Descendants by Allen, John Kermott, (Chicago: J. K. Allen, 1908) see page 11 for John Sr, page 13 for John Jr
3. ↑ Torrey's New England Marriages Volume 2, page 1605 found in New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015, which states: MORTON, John (-1673) & Lettice ____, m/2 Andrew RING; by 1649, aft 1642/3?; Plymouth/Middleborough {MD 18:70, 24:135, 25:123; NYGBR 52:197; Middleborough Hist. 48; Morton 18, 26; Morton (1908) 11; Drown (ms) 76; Tingley-Meyers 56; Bosworth 195}
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6} Plymouth Colony Wills and Inventories found in Volume 24, page 135 of the Mayflower Descendant: A Magazine of Pilgrim Genealogy and History. Boston, MA: Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1899- . (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010)
5. ↑ (Obituary of) Levi Parsons Morton by John Totten, found in Volume 52, page 197 of the The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. New York, NY: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1870-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.)
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} History of the Town of Middleboro, Mass by Weston, Thomas (Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1906). See page 48 for John and Lettuce
7. ↑ Some Ancestral Lines; Being a Record of Some of the Ancestors of Guilford: Solon Tingley and His Wife, Martha Pamelia Meyers, Collected by Their Son, Raymon Meyers Tingley by Tingley, Raymon Meyers, (Tuttle, Rutland, Vt, 1935), see page 56 for Nathaniel
8. ↑ Bosworth Genealogy: A History of the Descendants of Edward Bosworth Who Arrived in America in the Year 1634; with an Appendix Containing Other Lines of American Bosworths by Clarke, Mary (Bosworth), (San Francisco, 1926), see page 195 for Nathaniel
9. ↑ Ancient Landmarks of Plymouth, Part II (repr. 1975 as General Register of Plymouth Families) by Davis, William T. (Boston, 1899), see page 189 of Part II
10. ↑ Plymouth Colony Vital Records found in Volume 18, page 70 of Mayflower Descendant: A Magazine of Pilgrim Genealogy and History. Boston, MA: Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1899- . (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010)
11. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G97D-V3G8 : 9 March 2023), Wills 1633-1686 vol 1-4 > image 357 of 616; State Archives, Boston.

See also:

• Great Migration, Anderson
• U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm, 508 rolls.
• Wikipedia: The_Anne_and_the_Little_James
• The Will of John Morton, Sr., The Mayflower Descendant (Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, Boston, 1922) Vol. 24, Page 135.