Smyrna times., 1931-05-06
MORRIS FAMILY GENEALOGY
Colonel Edwin Wilmer Writes In
teresting Story About Them and
Recalls Smyrna Families


series of articles of 100 years ago
$50 as published in our issue of
1880 and 1881 has another interest
ing letter published in our issue of
May 4, 1881, concerning the Morris
family in which Smyrna families,
(related by marriage), are more or
less brought into prominent men
tion. We re-publish this letter as
follows:
''The first member of the family
of whom have any record, was
Anthony Morris, mariner of Lon
don.
''He was lost at sea, leaving a
widow Elizabeth, nee Senior Nor
ris and one d-Anthony-Wh
was born in London on the 23rd
or August, 1854. According to the
Parish record of St. Dunstans,
IStepney, of London in the King
dom of Great. Britain. Young An
thony t2nd) was taken to the Par
ish Church and baptized when he
was but two days old. He contin-
uel to reside in London until 1858,
when he emigrated to America. He
married 1st, Mary Jones, on the
Both of January, 1876. His second
wife was Agnes Boomer, the third
was Mary Coddington and the
; fourth, E. Watson. Children We're
the fruit of each marriage. He
. was a man of large means, and
soon after his arrival in this coun-
try, purchased tract of land in
) New Jersey and settled in the vi
cinity of what is now Morristown.
He did not attain to gerat age,
but died on the oath of October,
1721, in his 68th year
His children migrated to differ
=. ent sections, some of them settled
in Philadelphia and were promin-
ent in Revolutionary times and his
tory I propose in this article to
trace but one Of his children,
y namely: James and his descend
:, ants. He was the son of Anthony
! and his first wife Mary nee Jones
, Morris.
James Morris settled in Della
, ware on lands lying between Duck
2 Creek Cross Roads and Bombay
Hook. A portion of this land since
! divided into several farms, now
belongs to George w. Cummins,
and have been by him brought to
high state of cultivation.
Whether the Morris were orig
inally of the Society of Friends, or
= their descendants became Friends
through confinement or intermar-
riage, do not know; but all of
the Delaware Morris of whom
! have any knowledge, were mem
bers of that society.
James Morris married Margaret
!, Cook. Of their children, their son
! James married Ann Tilton and left
! descendants, of whom Mary mar
Z ried Isaac Griffin, Margaret mar
ried Henry Peterson, James mar
ried Elizabeth Berry. Of the chill
dren Of James and Elizabeth nee
{ Berry Morris married Thorn
! as Rothwell, Rebecca married
! James Rigby Corse and left sons
: and daughters, Debora married
first, William Darrah, second, Sam
!. uel Groome,, and left children by
: both unions The Rothwell's
Corse's, Darrah's and Groome' S
have many representatives still
living.
"Phebe Morris, daughter of James
and Margaret nee Cook Morris
married Robert Holiday. Of their
children, Mary married first Cor
nelius Empson, second, Benjamin
Jones. Their children intermarried
with Wilson's, Wilds', Weldon's
Hills, and Miller's.
Susan, the eldest daughter of
Robert and Phebe nee Morris Holli-
day, married George Wilson. OF
their children, Phebe married Phil
ip F. Raison and left a large fam
lily of children, of whom Henry
Holiday Rasin is the only surviv-
or Robert married, first. Eliza
beth Peterson, and second, Mary
Davis; their children died in in
fancy. George William married
William Ann Ringgold and left q
large family of whom Mrs. Maria
Deborah Dunlop of Galena, Kent
County, Md, is the sole survivor
Millicent married, first, Jarvis
Spencer, second, William Redding
and third, DR.. Dunbar. She left
children by her first and second
marriages of whom George w
Spencer of Kent County, Md, is
sole survivor Susan married John
Cummins, the most of whose living
children reside in and near Smyr-
ma. Rachel married Edward Price
Wilmer and left children of whom
Edwin Wilmer of Baltimore, Md
is the only survivor. Margaret
married John @. Lowger and left
a large family. Their daughter
Ellen married DR.. William Cum
minis and Kate married the late
IT, (,o,,ox..os xIv;1I;o,,, r-ox,1Ia