If you have ever purchased a house before you are familiar with the term "location, location, location." The same applies to genealogy, only the term we use is "connection, connection, connection" because tying family lines (connections) together is the best way to solve tough mysteries. By building out collateral lines (brothers, sisters, and cousins of ancestors) and cross-referencing DNA matches, you can find hidden ancestors and break through stubborn brick walls. And my 3rd great grandparents, John and Amelia Morris are the stubbornest I have come across in my family tree!
I discovered Thomas Morris of Halls Branch and Three Creeks, Meherrin Parish, Brunswick (later Greensville) County, Virginia while investigating two DNA matches. Both descend from Wyatt Morris who was born in 1794 and lived his life in the newly formed county of Greensville, Virginia (formed 1781 from Brunswick). Wyatt is most likely the grandson of Thomas Morris through his son, John Morris.
Wyatt was the son of John Morris and Lucy Wilkinson (sometimes seen as Wilkerson). John died in 1803. Lucy and Wyatt are shown on the Personal Property Tax Records, 1813 and 1814, Greensville County, Virginia living in the same house. Wyatt is shown in his own house in 1815. In 1817, Wyatt married Mary Seward Moore, their marriage license shows Jabez Morris, his cousin and son of his great uncle, Jabez Morris Sr, signing as bondsman.
Mary Seward Moore is the daughter of Edward Moore and Catherine Seward. I do not yet know who Edward Moore’s parents are, but Catherine Seward is the daughter of John Seward and Elizabeth Malone. Catherine’s brother, James Seward, married Martha Gregory, whom I think (hope) has some connections to the Gregory family in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. If she does, this may pull together DNA connections to the Vowell, Stone, Hendrick, Malone, Jones, and Winn families in Mecklenburg, Virginia and could be a major clue to where John Morris, who, in 1795, was bound out to Mourning Winn, came from. It also would explain all these DNA matches my Uncle has to these family lines.
Read more about my DNA discoveries:
From strands of DNA - part 1
From strands of DNA - part 2
Catherine Seward’s aunt was Martha Malone (a sister to Catherine’s mother, Elizabeth) and she (Martha) married Samuel Holmes Jr, the son of Samuel Holmes Sr and Ann Pennington of Mecklenburg, Virginia. Samuel Holmes Jr was the brother of William Holmes who married Sarah Marriott, the daughter of Thomas Marriott and Elizabeth Warren. Several descendants of this Marriott / Warren family made their way to Granville and Orange counties, North Carolina and later generations made their way to Anson, Montgomery, and Stanly counties, North Carolina.
These old family names and connections become important because Hannah Marriott, the sister of Sarah who married William Holmes, married Randolph Davis and they (Randolph and Hannah) had a son named Henry Davis who may have married Alice Morris, the sister of Wyatt Morris who married Mary Seward Moore. If this is true, it ties together this Morris family of Brunswick (later Greensville) County, Virginia with the Davis family of Mecklenburg, Virginia.
Back to the Morris family
Thomas Morris, who, as far as I can tell, was the progenitor of this Morris line, was born between 1700-1720, probably in Virginia. Where in Virginia is the question. I first found him in the deed records of Brunswick County, Virginia purchasing land in 1741 from Henry and Mary Cooke. If he were 21 years old at that time, he would have been born about 1720. Future records, as shown below, seem to indicate that his sons, John and Thomas Jr, were born about 1742 because Thomas gave them both land in 1763. Most likely as they came of age.
If John and Thomas Jr were about 21 years old in 1763 when their father, Thomas, gave them land, that puts Thomas Sr born 1720 or earlier. It just seems odd that Thomas Sr, a man with wife and children, would have no land or court records in Prince George County where the 1741 Cooke deed makes it known he is from. Prince George County was formed 1703 from Charles City County (south of James River).
The 1741 Brunswick County deed record states, “Thomas Morris late of Prince George County,” so, if Thomas Sr was born around 1700 he may have been born in Charles City County, those parts that later, in 1703, became Prince George County, but if so, there is no mention of him there either that I can find, though there were Morris families present in Prince George County at that time, specifically John, James, William, Sampson, Henry, and Travis Morris and Travis’ sister, Mary Morris who lived in neighboring Surry County with her husband, Thomas Griffis, but no Thomas Morris can be found in online records for this area.
Thomas Morris Sr paid twenty-five pounds for a 215-acre tract of land located on the west side of “Oconecha Swamp” joining Francis Steed’s line. This wording has led me to a merry chase where this land could possibly be located. More on that below.
Sidetrack – the Steed family
I previously wrote about brothers Moses and Nathaniel Steed who may have some connection to Francis Steed who was a neighbor of Thomas Morris Sr. The brothers were early residents of Anson County, North Carolina (those parts that became Montgomery County, North Carolina). While some of the descendants of Moses and Nathaniel remained in Montgomery County and spread to Randolph County, some migrated to Georgia and Texas which is curious because some of the descendants of Thomas Morris Sr did too. However, I do not know if there is any relationship between these two families and it may be merely coincidence.
Thomas Morris is recorded as living in the District for Colonel Wall, so it is no surprise to find witnesses for his deed being Michael Wall, John Wall Jr., Mary Wall and Agnes Wall.
Two Thomas Morris’s were recorded in this area of Brunswick County; one in Colonel Wall’s district and one in Colonel Edward’s district. I believe they were most likely father and son.
“Oconecha Swamp" listed as the location of the land Thomas bought in 1741 is most accurately spelled Occoneechee or Occaneechi and refers to a historically significant area linked to the Saponi Reservation established in 1714 when then Virginia Governor Alexander Spotswood signed a treaty establishing a 36-square-mile reservation in what is now Brunswick County for the Occaneechi, Saponi, Totaro, Stukanoe, and Mawseeuntkey tribes for trade, protection and schooling. At the center of this reservation was Fort Christanna.
Capt. Robert Hicks was named captain of Fort Christanna and relocated his family to the area on his homestead called Hicks's Ford. The fort continued for three years as the westernmost outpost of the British Empire at that time. It was closed by the House of Burgesses in 1718. The Saponi, Tutelo, and other tribes continued to live on the allotted land for some years, but they integrated with other tribes as colonists begun moving to the lands around the fort in such numbers that in 1720, Brunswick County was formed.
This land is in present day Greensville County, Virginia, which was formed in 1781 from Brunswick.
In 1751, Robert Hynds (Hinds) sold to Thomas Morris (Sr or Jr?) for two thousand pounds inspected tobacco, a tract of land on the north side of the great swamp in the county of Brunswick, 75-acres granted to Francis Steed in 1726, on Halls Branch joining Simon Lane and Robert Hynds (Hinds) and Francis Steed. George Wyche, James Lanier, Joshua Clark, and John Rosser witnessed the deed.
The decade of the 1750s saw Thomas Morris and/or his son, Thomas, in a variety of Court Order books as they went about their daily lives serving on juries, attending to Road orders, buying items at estate sales, registering the deed from Hinds in 1751, and again in 1751 signed as witness to a deed between Daniel Hicks Jr. of North Carolina and Robert Jones Jr., attorney at law, of Virginia.
Thomas made his mark “TM” when Daniel Hicks Jr. sold the land he inherited from his father, Daniel Hicks Sr. from his 1749 will, located south of Meherrin River and west of a swamp, bounded on the east by the lands of Robert Jones Sr. and by Nathaniel Edward’s dividing line. The person who wrote Thomas’ last name spelled it “Morrice.”
Thomas also made his mark “TM” on his will dated 1782 (probated in Mar 1784). Thomas Camp Morris was named as son and executor of that will.
The will named Gracey as the wife of Thomas “TM” Morris and a later deed record dated 1786 shows Thomas Camp Morris and his mother, Gracey, selling 365-acres of land to Frederick Hobbs.
In 1754 Thomas signed as witness by his mark “MT” (transposing the letters, could this be a later translation error?) on a deed between Simon Lane and Mary his wife of Meherrin Parish who sold land on the north side of the Great Swamp on Hall’s Branch, formerly granted to Francis Steed in 1726, to John Rosser. Christopher Mason and George Wyche also witnessed that deed.
Nov Court 1756 shows Elizabeth Morris, orphan of William Morris, made choice of Thomas Morris for her guardian.
Aug Court 1758 the Court ordered that Thomas Morris be summoned to appear at the next Court to return an account of the Estate of Betty Morris, orphan.
Aberdonie Morris is very confused in family trees. I have also seen the name in records as Aberdona and Aberdoney. Regardless of the spelling, most trees I found listed Aberdonie as the wife of William Morris. However, in Order Book 7, Brunswick, Virginia, April Court 1759, Aberdona is clearly the son of William and brother to Elizabeth, Milly, Mary, and Thomas, whose wife is listed as Rebecca.
Feb Court 1759, William Ballard and wife, Elizabeth against Milly Morris, Mary Morris and Thomas Morris and his wife. To be continued to next court.
In 1763, Thomas sold to his son, Thomas Jr., for natural love and affection, 100 acres of land on the south side of the Great Swamp, at the mouth of Hinds Branch, called Bushy Neck. Witnesses were William Elliott, John Brewer, and Boice Brewer. If Thomas Jr. is about 21 years old, this puts his birth year to be about 1742.
Again, in 1763, Thomas, for natural love and affection sold to son, John Morris, on the North side of Halls Branch, 108-acres where the said Thomas Morris now lives, which land was bought from Henry Cook. Witnesses were George Wyche, James Wall Jr, and William Edwards.
If John is about 21 years old, that puts his birth year about 1742.
In 1767, Thomas Morris Jr. sold to Arthur Bass of Sussex County, Virginia the same tract of land his father, Thomas Morris Sr had sold to him for love and affection. Arthur Bass married Agnes Morris, the daughter of Thomas Morris Sr and sister of Thomas Jr.
William Morris owned land on Three Creeks in Brunswick County, Virginia and that land descended to his daughters, Elizabeth Ballard, wife of William Ballard, Mary Denton, wife of James Denton, and Mildred House, wife of James House who sold the land in 1768.
If you are researching the Ballard family of Montgomery County, North Carolina, you may have the same question as me. Is William Ballard who married Elizabeth Morris, daughter of William Morris, related to the Ballard family of Montgomery County, North Carolina.
If William was 21 years old at the time of this grant in 1745, Thomas Morris Sr’s date of birth was before 1724.
Elizabeth Morris was born about 1745 and looks to be the oldest child of William Morris. She married William Ballard and moved to Orange County, North Carolina after 1773.
Children of Elizabeth Morris and William Ballard:
Lewis Ballard, born about 1766 and died 1817 in Kershaw County, South Carolina. He married Rebecca whose maiden name is not known to me. Lewis Ballard had a huge estate and most of his siblings and his father, William Ballard, are confirmed in his estate file as living in Orange County, North Carolina.
William Ballard, born about 1768
Wyatt Ballard, born about 1770, married Sara
Etheldred Ballard, born about 1772
Amelia Ballard, born about 1774, married Benjamin Beckham who probably has ties to John “Jack” Beckham (perhaps an uncle) who married into the Henderson family of Granville (Warren) County, North Carolina. Judge, Colonel, and land speculator, Richard Henderson, the brother of Elizabeth Henderson who married John “Jack” Beckham, started the Transylvania Land Company in 1774 and traded wagon loads of guns and ammunition for a massive swath of land in Kentucky and Tennessee from the Cherokee Nation. He spearheaded the Boonesborough settlement and hired Daniel Boone to establish a fort to serve as the capital of his proposed 14th colony, Transylvania. The Virginia legislature voided the treaty.
Elizabeth Ballard, born about 1776
Edmond Ballard, born about 1778
Mary Morris, daughter of William Morris, was born about 1747, married James Denton.
Mildred Morris, daughter of William Morris, was born about 1748, married James House (who is confused with another James House in Brunswick, Virginia who married Mary Merritt). Mildred and James House had children: Elizabeth, Sarah, Isaac, Littleton, Claiborne, Penelope (married Bridges Parr/Pair), Henry, Patty, Anderson, Jenny (married John Pendergrass).
Thomas Morris, son of William Morris, was born about 1751, married Rebecca.
Thomas Morris Sr. wrote his will in Feb 1782 in Greensville County, Virginia. He names the following people in his will:
Chislon Morris, son, all land lying in the fork of the great and miry swamp containing 156 acres. A slave named Peter, provided he Chislon should have a lawful heir at his death.
Henry Morris, son, two slaves named Mingo and Sharper provided Henry produces a lawful heir.
Bethiah Brewer, daughter, a slave named Nolice and at the death of Bethiah the slave to granddaughter Ann Brewer. Note: Bethiah Morris married John Brewer (also mentioned in Thomas’s will). John is the son of George Brewer and Abigal Wyche. John Brewer’s first cousin, Edward Cannon Brewer (I), the son of Oliver Brewer, had a son named Edward Cannon Brewer (II) after him and he had a son, Edward Cannon Brewer (III) as a namesake. It was Edward Cannon Brewer (III) that married Milly Frances Morris, my 1C3R, and daughter of George Washington Morris, the son of John Jacky Morris.
Agga (Agnes) Bass, daughter, a slave named Peggy and after death of Agga the slave to grandson Thomas Bass.
John Brewer, son-in-law, 15 pounds hard money.
Thomas Epps, grandson, 15 pounds hard money if he shall arrive to the age of 21 and marries.
Sarah Rives, granddaughter, one feather bed, two sheets and one blanket.
Rebecca Davis, granddaughter, slave named Fred if she arrives at the age of 21 or marries. If she dies, divided between all the children of daughter, Sarah Davis.
Boyce, wife, lends during her natural life or widowhood two slaves Judy and Nan, one feather bed and furniture, choice in my house and the liberty of one room, a cow to milk yearly, sufficient provision of household and kitchen furniture, horse, saddle not to make away with.
Jabez Morris, son, land lying on the north side of the great swamp provided he lives to 21 years or married, slaves George, Milly, and Member, the residue of the estate, including what his mother has been given at her death.
Lewis Brewer, John Allsbrooke (he is the son of Agness Bass by her first marriage), Robert Morris, John Morris, Nathaniel Morris, and Rebecca Walton, grandchildren, to inherit if sons Chislon, Henry, and Jabez all die without an heir.
Witnesses: Sally Bass, Elizabeth Read, Elizabeth Morris, David Rosser
What I do know is that Nathaniel Morris of Greensville County, Virginia, in 1803, received a power of attorney from Thomas Morris of Wake County, North Carolina appointing him his attorney to claim from the estate of Henry Howard deceased late of the county of Isle of Wight, state of Virginia, in right of his wife, Rachel Morris (formerly Howard) who was one of the heirs and legatees of Henry.
While I cannot find the will of Henry, I did find his mother, Jane Howard’s, 1774 will. Jane informs us that Henry is the son of John Howard who died in Brunswick County, Virginia. She left her entire estate to son, Henry and daughter, Elizabeth Davis, and niece Elizabeth Webb, the daughter of Richard Webb.
Jane’s maiden name may be Webb if she is the sister of Richard. She could be the sister of his wife.
Sure wish he would have named all his children!
In Order Book 13, Brunswick County, Virginia, I learned the names of Henry’s other siblings, Catherine, Mary, and Rachel, the wife of Thomas Morris.
In 1778, John Howard’s estate was divided, showing that Rachel was probably born before 1760 as she was married to Thomas Morris in 1778 when her father’s estate was settled.
In Order Book 13 dated 1776 we find that Rachel Howard, orphan of John Howard, chose Thomas Morris as her guardian. So, we can conclude that Rachel married Thomas between 1776 when she chose him as her guardian and 1778 when her father’s estate was settled and she was, at that time, listed as the wife of Thomas Morris.
In 1788, Thomas signed as witness to a deed between Samuel Stancel (Stancil) of the County of Wilkes and the State of North Carolina and William Sebastian of Wake County, North Carolina a tract of Land in the County of Wake on the North side of Crabtree Creek and on the Branches of Sycamore Creek.
Thomas Morris died about Oct 1806. He wrote his will on 17 Sep 1806, and it was probated in Nov 1806. He names sons, Thomas, one hundred acres of land where he lived, James, oats and wheat, a spider and an ax, Jesse, a bay colt, one hundred acres of land, part of the Rod tract, Miles, a gray colt, to his beloved wife Rachel, the remainder of the estate, Jeremy (Jeremiah) a cow and Soril mare at his mother’s death. Any other property to be sold and divided between Miles, Becky, and Jerry Morris at mother’s death. Executors, Rachel and Thomas. Witnesses: William Stone (?), Isaac Smith, John Wetherspoon.
In 1809, Jesse Morris and his mother, Rachel, sold to Hardy Weatherspoon 53 acres of land in Wake County, North Carolina on the North side of Sorrels Branch. Witnesses: Dempsey Blake, Thomas Morris (Jr).
In 1819, James Morris sold to Daniel Greene both of Wake County, 100 acres on Gibsons Creek joining Rachel Morris. Witnesses, Thomas (?), Jeremiah Morris.
Evidently, the town of Morrisville, North Carolina was named for Jeremiah Morris, the son of Thomas and Rachel Howard Morris.
The News and Observer Raleigh, North Carolina, Thu, Aug 25, 1988 · Page 118
Rachel Morris was still alive in 1822 when Asa Blake sold to Samuel Green 100 acres of land that joined Rachel’s.
Asa Blake mentioned in the above deed may be the son of Dempsey Blake. Most family trees show Dempsey as the son of Joseph Blake, but I have not been able to find proof of that. Joseph Blake is the son of William Blake and Mary Sessums (Sessoms) who lived in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. Joseph is mentioned in the will of his father, William, who died about 1742 in Isle of Wight, Virginia.
In 1788, Asa Blake (maybe a brother or cousin of Dempsey?) of York County, Virginia sold a slave to Dempsey Blake of Wake County, North Carolina.
As seen in the above snapshot of William Blake’s 1742 will, another son, Thomas, is mentioned. Thomas had sons Etheldred, Thomas Jr., Samuel, Benjamin, John, and James. Most of these men can be found in the records of the southern Virginia counties around Greensville, as well as, Wake County, North Carolina.
Thomas Blake Jr. served in the Revolutionary War and made his pension claim from Montgomery County, North Carolina in Sep 1832. At that time, Thomas was about 86 years old, making his birth year about 1746. He lived in Southampton County, Virginia at the time of his service. He could not remember the exact year but recalled that he was called on several occasions to serve. He named his nephew, Isham Blake, who lived in Fayetteville, North Carolina as someone who could prove his service as Isham lived in Virginia near him when he served. Isham provided an affidavit for his uncle’s service.
Isham Blake is the son of Samuel Blake and Amy Reddick.
Thomas Blake Jr provided his own affidavit for his brother, James’s, children who were applying for their father’s military pension after their mother, Sarah’s death in Orange County, North Carolina. In 1844, Thomas appeared before the court in Montgomery County, North Carolina and answered questions pertaining to his brother, James’s Revolutionary War service. Thomas tells the court that James was his brother, that James was married to Sally Clifton in 1778/9, that he saw them married, that James died shortly after leaving Virginia, some 50 years before (1844 – 50 = 1794), that Sally made her home in the Village of Chapel Hill in Orange County, North Carolina.
Thomas Blake Jr.’s son, Etheldred Blake, married at least twice and had several children whose descendants married into my Morris and Dennis lines in Montgomery County, North Carolina.
James Robert Blake, son of Etheldred, born about 1810, had a daughter named Julia who married Hugh Bridges, the son of James Bridges and Sarah Dunn. James Bridges is the son of William Bridges and Nancy Dennis. I wrote about their “Alice in Wonderland” marriage here.
William Bridges seems to have shown up in Montgomery County, North Carolina in 1845 for no other reason than to marry Nancy Dennis and produce two children. By 1860, Nancy Bridges is living next door to Nelson Dennis (probably her brother), the son of Jesse Dennis and Frances Blalock. Her two sons, John and James, are living with her. She is listed as a widow. Nothing else can be found on William Bridges, although I suspect he may be related to the Bridges family in Moore County, North Carolina.
John Morris and G. W. Morris signed as bondsmen to the 1845 marriage. This John Morris may be my 3rd great grandfather, John Jacky Morris or it could be his son, John Jr. G. W. is George Washington Morris, the son of John Jacky Morris. I still have the same questions I had back in 2023, who is William Bridges and how did my Morris family know him?
James Dennis was the brother of Jesse Dennis who is probably the father of Nancy Dennis who married William Bridges.
William John "Bill" Blake’s sister, Eliza, married Benjamin Haywood in 1878. Their daughter, Mary Etta Haywood, was born in 1897. Mary Etta married Benjamin Jerome Jenkins, and they had daughter Mary Jenkins in 1923. Mary Jenkins married my 1C1R, John Louis Morris. Most family trees have John Louis Morris as the son of John Coon Morris and Flora Dennis, and they did raise him. However, John Louis Morris’s mother was Pearl Morris, the daughter of John Coon and Flora Dennis, making John Louis their grandson and not their son. John Louis Morris’s father is not known but DNA testing on his descendants might be able to find out who his biological father was.
In a Chancery file in Virginia and estate file in Northampton, North Carolina I found that Byrd Lundy married second to Phebe Claud, daughter of Joshua Claud and Hannah Blake, and they had several children, one being Elizabeth Lundy who married Jabez Morris Sr, the son of Thomas Morris Sr and the father of Jabez Morris who signed the marriage license of Wyatt Morris and Mary Seward Moore, whom my two DNA matches descend.
After Byrd Lundy died in 1771, Phebe Claud Lundy married Henry Morris, the brother of Jabez Morris Sr. As far as I know they had no children together.
Henry Morris is also the same man found in the 1783 court record with brothers, James, Benjamin, and Etheldred Blake who owed him a debt.
I cannot help but wonder if I may have finally stumbled across my Morris family in Greensville County, Virginia.
Y-DNA testing on these Morris descendants is in prompt order, and I must find a male descendant of this Morris family to test!
