William Alexander Morrison (1727 - 1761)

Born 13 Mar 1727 in Kinross-shire, Scotland

Husband of Rachel (Higginbotham) Ayers — married 27 Nov 1749 in Amherst County, Colony of Virginia

Descendants

Died 12 Mar 1761 at age 33 in Amherst, Amherst, Virginia

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Biography

When William was 22 he married Rachel Higginbotham on 27 November 1749 in Amherst County, Virginia. The couple had 4 children: Joseph Higginbotham Morrison, Ezra Morrison, Tirzah Morrison and Eve Morrison.^[1]

William died at the age of about 33 in 1761 at an unknown location.^[2]

From "Some Pioneer Irishmen of Virginia and North Carolina By William M. Sweeny" [Note: In this book, the father of William Morrison is Thomas Morrison, an Irishman - not William Morrison as attached to this profile.]^[3]

"Thomas Morrison and William Morrison ( his son) were among the founders ( about the year 1746 ) of the first Presbyterian church located in the forks of Rockfish River, Goochland County.
On July 20, 1748 , a patent for the above 2,460 acres of land was granted to William Morrison, showing that his father (Thomas Morrison ) died about that date. ( Book 26, p. 218, Land Register's Office, Richmond, Virginia .)
On November 13, 1746 , William Morrison ( my great, great, great, grandfather ) was licensed to keep an Ordinary in the Rockfish Valley, Goochland County, Virginia. ( See Woods' “ Albemarle County in Virginia ,” p. 10. )
William Morrison died in the year 1761 , and his will probated March 12 1761, is of record in the Circuit Court of Albemarle County, Virginia. ( Will Book 2, p. 98. ) He left surviving him a widow, Rachel Morrison, and four children :
Joseph Higginbotham Morrison ( my great, great grandfather) , who died in Amherst County, Virginia, in 1802 ;
Ezra Morrison, born 1756 ; died in Lincoln County, Kentucky, November 1 , 1844 ;
Eve, who married William Lackey, who died in Amherst County, Virginia, in 1772 ;
and Tirzah, who married ( 1st ) , Davis ; ( 2nd) , Thomas Stuart.

Court Cases

Chancery Court Case - Rachael Ayers etc versus John Duncan etc (1804-020) ^[4]

....Rachael Ayers, widow of Samuel Ayers, formerly Rachael Morrison Widow of William Morrison...
Ezra Morrison, Eve Lackey formerly Eve Morrison, Thomas Stewart and Terza his wife formerly Terza Morrison....
The said Ezra, Eve and Terza being children of the said Rachel Ayers by her former husband William Morrison......
Thomas Stewart administrator of Joseph Higginbotham Morrison, who was also a child of the said Rachel Ayers and her former husband William Morrison....

Chancery Court Case -Thomas Stuart versus Heir(s) of John Duncan (1813-054) ^[5]

Notes
Deed 6th June, 1774, by Samuel Ayres and Rachel, his wife, late Rachel Morrison, and Joseph Higginbotham Morrison, oldest son and heir-at-law of Rachel by her first husband, Wm. Morrison, deceased, of Parish and County of Amherst to John Dillard of same place.
Before his marriage, Samuel by writing dated 14th November, 1772, executed marriage contract, conveys 250 acres on Beaver Creek in Amherst, part of 2,700 acres patented to Wm. Cabell, Jr. Recorded in Amherst, 4th July, 1774.
Will of Samuel Ayres of Amherst. Devisee, William Ayres, son of Thomas Ayres, deceased, and Mary, his wife, of Essex County, 30 sh. to keep him from being heir to Samuel. Wife, Rachel; legatees, Eve Lackey, Joseph Higginbotham Morrison, Ezra Morrison, Tizza Davis, John Lackey, son of Eve Lackey. Dated 10th February, 1784. Recorded in Amherst, 3d May, 1784.
Answer by William Duncan, son of John Duncan, deceased. Answer by Charles Duncan. Orator is Thomas Stuart and Terza, his wife, late Davis, and formerly Terza Morrison; John Lackey, only son and heir of Eve Lackey, deceased, formerly Eve Morrison, and Ezra Morrison. Terza, Eve and Ezra were heirs of William Morrison, deceased, by late Rachel Ayres, formerly Rachel Morrison; Rachel died in winter of 1808-9 intestate. Samuel and Rachel entered into a marriage contract by which Samuel agreed to convey all his estate to heirs of himself and Rachel, and if they have none, then to the children of Morrison and Rachel. Samuel and Rachel had no children. Orators claim all Samuel's property in spite of Samuel's will. One tract Samuel deeded to Dillard, which came by transfers to John Duncan, who died intestate and is now held by Sarah or Sally Duncan, his widow. William and George Duncan, Elizabeth Goode (formerly Elizabeth Duncan) and Campbell Goode, her husband; Claiborne and Charles Duncan; Nancy Camden (formerly Duncan), wife of Washington Camden; Lavinia Sale (late Duncan), wife of William Sale; Wiatt, Elizabeth, Wortley, Polly, John, Spicey and Patsy Duncan, who are the children and heirs of John Duncan (last seven being infants).

Chancery Court Case -Dev(s) Of Samuel Ayres & Heir(s) Of Eve Lackey & Admr Of Joseph Morrison & Heir(s) Of William Morrison versus James Franklin ( 1818-100) ^[6]

Thomas Stuart Administrator of Joseph H Morrison dec'd as well as in the right of his wife Terza, late Davis, formerly Terza Morrison, Ezra Morrison and John Lackey only son and heir of Eve Lackey dec'd, which said Terza, Ezra, Joseph and Eve are the only children of Rachel Ayres dec'd by her former husband William Morrison....
...on the 14th day of November 1772, the said Samuel Ayres made an accounting as Instrument, purporting to be a marriage settlement, which the said Rachael agreed to that if Samuel & Rachel had no heirs, then the whole of Samuel's estate and his six Negro slaves and all moveable effects would pass to the heirs of William Morrison....
...sometime in the year 1795 when Joseph Higginbotham Morrison, one of the parties aforesaid, died intestate.......
....your orator further states that said Rachael departed this life intestate, some time around the 1st of January 1809.......

Chancery Court Case - ADMR OF Rachael Harrison ETC v Thomas Stewart & WIFE ETC 1820-020^{[7] [8]}
Bedford County, VA
Heirs of Richard Davis suing for property given to Tirzah Davis after the death of her first husband, Richard Davis.

Property

Deed
22 November 1793
Amherst County, Virginia
John Lackey & wife Ann, Rachel Ayers and Eve Lackey sold to Samuel Lackey 208 acres on a branch of the Rutledge for 208 pounds.
This land was part of a grant of Moses Higginbotham who sold to William Morrison and was then devised by William Morrison to Eve Lackey.
Lines: Joseph Higginbotham, William Chappell, Benjamin Stone and John Higginbotham
Witnesses: James Brooks, Joseph Higginbotham, John Clark and Terzah Davis.^[9]

Probate

Will of William Morrison^[10]
Written: 14 March 1760
Probated: 12 March 1761
Albemarle County, Virginia
Wife Rachel - plantation for her lifetime or until remarriage
Son Ezra Morrison - plantation after death/remarriage of wife Rachel
Son Joseph Morrison
Daughter Eve Morrison (at age or marriage)
Daughter Tirzah Morrison (at age or marriage)
Executors: wife Rachel, Moses Higginbotham and James Higginbotham

Sources

1. ↑ Marriage: Abbreviation: Higginbotham Descendants Title: Earl & Nena Higginbotham, Higginbotham Descendants of Moses and Frances Kyle Higginbotham (LDS Microfilm #1697905). Citing: Page: p.17 (accessed before 10 October 2011)
2. ↑ Will: Abbreviation: Higginbotham-William and Mary Quarterly Title: William Montgomery Sweeney, William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine. Series of Articles on the Higginbotham Family of Virginia; Jan 1918, Apr 1918, July 1918, Oct 1918, Apr 1919, Article on Colonel James Higginbotham, Surveyor of Amherst Co VA, Jan 1931, by Mrs. Sweeney. Page: Vol 27, Issue 1; Jul 1918 pp.45-56. Citing: Page: Vol. 27, Issue 2, p.128 (accessed before 10 October 2011)
3. ↑ American-Irish Historical Society. 1901. The Recorder - Some Pioneer Irishmen of Virginia and North Carolina By William M. Sweeny. New York: American Irish Historical Society.
4. ↑ Amherst County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1779-1912. Rachael Ayers etc versus John Duncan etc, 1804-020. Local Government Records Collection, Amherst Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
5. ↑ Augusta County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1779-1912. Thomas Stuart versus Heir(s) of John Duncan (1813-054). Local Government Records Collection, Augusta Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
6. ↑ Augusta County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1779-1912. Dev(s) Of Samuel Ayres & Heir(s) Of Eve Lackey & Admr Of Joseph Morrison & Heir(s) Of William Morrison versus James Franklin (1818-100). Local Government Records Collection, Augusta Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
7. ↑ Bedford County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1755-1912. ADMR OF Rachael Harrison ETC v Thomas Stewart & WIFE ETC, 1820-020. Local Government Records Collection, Bedford Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
8. ↑ Jefferson, Thomas, George Wythe, Bushrod Washington, Francis Walker Gilmer, and Thomas Johnson Michie. 1903.'' Virginia reports: Jefferson--33 Grattan, 1730-1880. Charlottesville, Va: Michie. Page 374
9. ↑ Davis, Bailey Fulton. 1900. The deeds of Amherst County, Virginia, 1761-1807, and Albemarle County, Virginia, 1748-1763. Easley SC: Southern Historical Press.
10. ↑ Bedford County (Va.) Chancery Causes, 1755-1912. ADMR OF Rachael Harrison ETC v Thomas Stewart & WIFE ETC, 1820-020. Local Government Records Collection, Bedford Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.