George Morton, US 1623

Generation One:

George Morton- b. abt. 1585; m. 23 July 1612 Julianna Carpenter; d. June 1624 at Plymouth, Plymouth,MA, aged 39 years.

Their Children:

1. Nathaniel b. abt. 1613 at Leyden Holland; m(1) 25 December 1635 Lydia Cooper at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m(2) 29 April 1674 Anne Pritchard at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; d. 27 June 1685 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, aged 72 years.

2. Patience b. abt 1615 at Leyden, Holland; m(1) 1633 John Faunce at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m(2) aft 9 June 1660 Thomas Whitney at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; d. 16 August 1691 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, aged 76 years.

3. John b. 1616 at Leyden, Holland; m. 1648 Lettice Hanford at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; d. 3 October 1673, aged 57 years.

4. Sarah b. abt 1618 at Leyden, Holland; m. 20 December 1644 George Bonham at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; d. 25 August 1691 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, aged 73 years.

5. Ephraim b. July 1623 aboard the Anne;

George Morton was a merchant from York, England. He is also credited to be the author of Mourt's Relation, the first publication of information about the Pilgrims adventures. First Known Record of George Morton "George Morton, merchant from York in England, accompanied by Thomas Morton, his brother, and Roger Wilson, his acquaintance, with Juliana Carpenter, maid from Bath in England, accompanied by Alexander Carpenter, her father, and Alice Carpenter, her sister, and Anna Robinson, her acquaintance. The bans were published July 6-16, 1612. The marriage took place 23 July- 2 August 1612" Dutch Records Second Known Record of George Morton is found in the Dutch marriage record in Leyden, Holland from December 15-25 1612 of Edward Pickering, "Merchant from London" with Maycken Stuew, with George Morton present as a witness. George came to Plymouth on the Anne in 1623.

Nathaniel Morton, the eldest son, wrote in New England's Memorial:

"About fourteen days after (the fast held about the middle of July) came in the ship, called the Ann, whereof Mr. William Pierce was master. Two of the principal passengers that came in this ship were Mr. Timothy Hatherly and Mr. George Morton...The latter of the two forenamed, viz., Mr. George Morton was a pious, gracious servant of God, and very faithful in whatsoever publick emplyment he was betrusted withal, and an unfeigned well-willer, and according to his sphere and condition a suitable premoter of the common good and growth of the plantation of New Plimouth; labouring to still the discontents that sometimes would arise amongst some spirits by occasion of the difficulties of these new beginnings; but it pleased God to put a period to his days soon after his arrival in New-England, not surviving a full year after his coming ashore. With much comfort and peace he fell asleep in the Lord, in the month of June, Anno. 1624."

In the division of land among those who came in the Ann it is recorded that George Morton and Experience Mitchell (named bracketed together) received eight acres abutting "against the Swampe and Reed Ponde". In the same location Thomas Morton, Jr. was allotted on acre. After George's death his widow married Manasseh Kempton.

Generation Two:

Ephraim Morton- b. July 1623 aboard the Anne; m(1) 18 November 1644 Ann Cooper at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m(2) 18 October 1692 Mary Shelley at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; d. 7 September 1693 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, aged 70 years.

M(1) Children:

1. George b. 1645 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m. 22 December 1664 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; d. 18 February 1731 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, aged 84 years.

2. Ephraim b. 27 January 1647 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m. 1677 Hannah Finney at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; d. 18 February 1731 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, aged 84 years.

3. Rebecca b. 25 May 1648 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m. Samuel Wood; d. 3 February 1718 at Middleboro, Plymouth, MA

4. Josiah b. 1653 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m. 1686 Susanna Wood; d. 29 May 1694 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, aged 41 years.

5. Nathaniel b. 1657 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m. 21 February 1706 Mary Faunce at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; d. 7 July 1709 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, aged 52 years.

6. Eleazer b. 1659 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA

7. Mercy b. abt. 1663 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m. 23 April 1708 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; d. 17 September 1726 at Plympton, Plymouth, MA, aged 59 years.

8. Thomas b. 1667 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m. 28 December 1696 Martha Doty at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; d. bef. 12 September 1748 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, 82 years

9. Patience b. 1667 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m. 4 May 1693 John Nelson at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; d. 3 May 1715 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA, aged 48 years.

Ephraim was born on the ship Anne as it traveled to New Plymouth. Upon his father’s death he was probably adopted by Gov. Bradford. He was made a freeman of the colony 7 Jun 1648, constable for Plymouth 1648, member of the grand inquest 1654, and elected in 1657 a representative to the Plymouth General Court and remained a member for 28 years. In 1691-2 when Plymouth was merged into Massachusetts Ephraim was chosen one of the first representatives to the General Court. He was head of the Board of Selectmen of Plymouth for nearly 25 years, and magistrate of the colony in 1683.

At the time of his death he was a justice of the Court of Common Pleas. He was sergeant of the Plymouth military company, elected lieutenant in 1664, and in 1671 chosen a member of the ‘Council of War,’ in which he was of much service for many years, including the time of King Philip’s War. For many years he was a deacon of the Plymouth Church, having been chosen 1 Aug 1669, and serving until his death.

His will is printed in the Genealogical Advertiser:

"Will of Ephraim Morton, senr. of Plymouth, dated September 27, 1693, proved Nov. 2, 1693, he "being weak of Body through sickess." To wife Mary Morton £10 out of the personal estate;

to son Nathaniel £10;

to daughter Patience, wife of John Nelson, £5;

to daughter Mercy Morton £20;

to son George 30 acres given me by the town of Plymouth on the south side of the Eele River, also the best of my wearing apparell;

to son Josiah one fourth my lands in Sagaquash;

to my two sons Nathaniel and Thomas all my right to a tract of land in Middleboro;

to son Thomas lands;

to son Eliezer lands in Middleboro;

when the legacies are paid, the rest of my personal estate, whether at Plymouth or elsewhere shall be equally divided between my three sons, Nathaniel, Thomas and Elizer, "I having disposed already unto all the Rest of my children such a part to each of them of my estate as I have thought fitt to be their full portion;" son Nathaniel to be sole exexutor.

The will was witnessed by Ephraim Morton, Junior,. Thomas Faunce, and Joseph Faunce, who made oath to said will November 2, 1693. The inventory of the estate of Lieut. Ephraim Morton, Late of Plymouth, taken November 1 1693 by Elizer Churchill and Thomas Faunce, was sworn to in court by Nathaniel Morton, November 2, 1693.

Generation Three:

Eleazer Morton- b. abt. 1659 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m. 11 April 1693 Rebecca Dawes Boston Suffolk, MA;

Their Children:

1. Eleazer b. 8 January 1693 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m. 7 December 1754 Deborah Delano at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA

2. Ann b. 19 May 1694 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m. 15 November 1716 Robert Finney at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA;

3. Nathaniel b. 24 August 1695 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; m. 28 April 1720 April Clark at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA; d. abt. 1727 lost at sea.

4. Rebecca b. 9 April 1703 at Plymouth, Plymouth, MA

Eleazer was married at Boston by the Reverend Samuel Willard.He received from his father's will all the interest in the 16 shilling purchase, so called, in Middleborough, and one-third of his residual personal estate.