Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-19
ROBERT NORRIS GRAVE
DID FINANCIER OF AMERICAN
REVOLUTION DIE IN PRISON.
Evidence That He Expired Not in a
Debtors Jail in Philadelphia,
but on q Farm
B. ]. cigrand In Chicago Record Herald,

| out on Earm.
B. j. Cigrand In Chicago Record Herald,
| The large number of personal letters re-
| ceived since my last communication reia-
tive to the location of the grave of Robert
Morris and my references indicating the
| historians reconsideration OF this great
revolutionary character has impelled me to
| make acknowledgements of gratefulness
! Most of the letters came from teachers and
| few from librarians. and they entertained
| the Idea that Morris was buried at White
| marsh. Maryland. A few OF the writer's
were OF the opinion that he was buried in
| Virginia. the exact spot not known to them
| 1t Afforded me pleasure to learn Of the deep
| interest manifested and all seem to indicate
| desire to assist in awakening thought re-
garding the sacrificing element in the ma
| ture Of Norris. Three of the writer's d.
| rect descendants of Morris and stated that
| for years they have sought the grave OF
| their ancestor; one of these gentlemen has
| kindly sent me records indicating the char
| acter of his search, and 1t Is surprising how
| very little is recorded concerning the last
days and death of the venerable colonial.
Another kinsman generously forwarded
| copy of the New York Herald dated Sat
urday, June p, 1891. This sheet contains
a most interesting account of the effort
| made by the paper to locate the grave and
|
| Illustrations. to this interesting theme and
| introduces the fact that his real place of
| burial is a matter Of doubt.
Death Place is in Doubt.
| Permit this extract:
| -Four years ago or about that time a law
| was passed by Congress to reimburse to the
heirs of Robert Morris the $1,500.OOO which
was due him. with interest now amounting
| in the neighborhood OF SS0O0.0OO The heirs
have been active, and some interesting dis
| coveries have been made, among the facts
| established beyond controversy being the
| following:
Robert Morris was born in England in
| 1874, but did not die. as related by history,
| in debtors prison in Philadelphia. but on
| small farm in the neighborhood of Farm
| tngdale. n. j.. in 1926. twenty years later
| than recorded in history. During the last
| years of his life he was cared for and de-
votedly nursed by a granddaughter named
| Mary Hurley, now QS91 living with her
own granddaughter at Toms River, n. ].
His history just previous to coming to
Farmingdale no one Is able to give. The
fact of his reticence concerning those pre-
vious years and the entire ignorance of the
family on the point may suggest the prob
ability of collision from some quarter while
he was In prison. The fact that Robert
Morris grave cannot be found in Christ
Church. Philadelphia. and that there have
never been any heirs coming forward to
claim him. would all go to favor the theory
that some one in prison permitted him to
escape and allowed him to live in seclusion
at Farmingdale This is enough to account
for the family ignorance and great discrep-
ancy in historical accounts of his DEATH
Signature as Evidence.
The same article says that Morris signed
his name in a family Bible-the Bible hav-
ing been published in lS10-four years after
his supposed death. The New York Herald
then goes on to relate:
/ THE signature from the Bible is from a
tracing. as Mrs. Hurley positively refuses
to let the Bible go out of her hands, guard
ing 1t with jealous care
| DR.. Daniel Morris Woolley. a dstin-
guished relative. said: when I take into
consideration that Robert Morris was born
in the same year as recorded in history:
that the granddaughter has the Bible. from
| which l made the comparison of the sigma
ture on the original Declaration of indie
pendence. and found them unmistakab bly,
similar in every particular: that an impress
has been taken upon oiled paper and shown
| to the cashier of the National Bank at
Long Branch. who said he would be willing
to take an affidavit that one and the same
person wrote on the Declaration and in the
Bible and that he and all of his descend
ants were intellectual people, all conspire
to make me firm believer that Robert
Morris. my great-grandfather, was the
original signer of the Declaration of indie
pendence."
This matter goes to prove that the life
and affairs of the "financier Of the revolu-
ton are not clearly registered in history.
Another gentleman wrote: MY knowl-
edge of Morris comes from The Lives of
the Signers Of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence.' issued in 1870 by John Sander
son of Philadelphia and finished by Robert
Vain. and as do not see the names of
these among those you quote l have taken
the liberty to send to you the words Of Mr..
Vain. which bear upon his (Morris) DEATH
together with the reference in a foot note
to Gardens Anecdotes, page 337 and reads
as follows:
Historic Documents.
The great and good man is sunk into
the tomb on the Sth of May 1905, In the
seventy-third year of his age. The MEM
DRY OF a man of such distinguished utility
cannot be lost and while the recollection
Of his multiplied services are deeply en-
craven in the tablets of our hearts, let us
hope that the day Is. not distant when
some public monument recording the most
momentous occurrence of his life and char
acteristic of national feeling and gratitude
may mark the spot where rests the body Of
Robert Norris
A historic gudebook of Christ Church,
containing a splendid lecture on Christ
Church in Our Revolution" delivered by w.
Stevens Perry, DID, chaplain general Of
the Society of Cincinnati delivered at
Christ Church in February. 1892 before
patriotic assemblage of people, does not
mention his resting spot. The discourse
proceeds to dwell on the many events which
| have contributed to the historic fame and
eloquently describes the numerous patriotic
| gatherings held there during the revolu-
tionary period: it gives a stirring account
| of the interest manifested by members of
| this great church in the times that tried
| mems souls;' it portrays the funeral serv-
ices of the eminent men who were carried
| from its sanctuary, but 1t does not locate
| the grave of Robert Morris, though 1t
speaks of the graves of Franklin, Mercer,
| Hewes, Rush and others.
| In the nations literature the career of
| Robert Morris is disregarded and his grave
| forgotten. AS nation we have shown no
| special fostering care for the memory of
| him who. next to Washington, should claim
our heartiest gratitude This does not re-
fleet our highest national sense of patriot
| ism. The re-establishment of Morris in
our hearts and books would proclaim to the
living descendants of this great man our
| gratitude for him who in the darkest days
| OF the revolution was the keeper of our
| destiny.