James Morgan Sr. (abt. 1640 - 1691)

Born about 1640 in Vainor, Nantmell, Radnorshire, Wales

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 14 Nov 1691 at about age 51 in Bohemia Village, Cecil County, Maryland

Problems/Questions Profile manager: N Gauthier [send private message]

Biography

This is the profile of the James Morgan who emigrated from Wales to Pennsylvania in 1691.

From Glenn, page 132^[1]
"James Morgan, born in Vainor, parish of Nantmell, Radnorshire, circa 1645. He married Jane ___. They removed with their children to the Province of Pennsyl-vania, in 1691. She died on shipboard 9 Sept., 1691. He died on their arrival, 14 Nov., 1691, and was buried at the head of Bohemia Bay, Bohemia Manor, on the Chesapeak, Maryland. [Morgan Family Bible, copy by the late Mr. Bruner, 1897.]

ISSUE:

i. Margaret, born 1 March, 1666.

ii. John, born 22 Nov., 1669; of whom presently.

iii. Evan, born 29 Nov., 1672.

iv. James, born 1 May, 1675; of Bristol; d.s.p."

James Morgan was born about 1625 in Vainor, Nantmell, Radnorshire, Wales and his parents were Emma Jane (Snider) and Morgan Lewis Morgan. ^{[citation needed]}

James Morgan married Jane Evans about 1645 at Nantmell Parish, Vaynor (Faenor), Wales, Great Britian.^{[citation needed]}

While still in Wales, he purchased 450 acres of land in Pennsylvania from William Penn of the Thomas and Jones Company in England. The Welsh Section known as Radnor Township was located on the west side of Philadelphia, south side of the Schuylkill River, and east side of the Delaware River in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

In 1681, a Welshman, Richard Davies, purchased 1000 acres of land from William Penn in England, lying chiefly in the southern part of Radnor, which he soon sold to various purchasers, there being no record of his ever visiting this county. Friends Radnor Meeting in what is the tri-corner of Montgomery, Chester and Delaware Counties. The highway, Radnor Street or Road, was laid out in 1683, and divides the township into nearly equal parts, the road running almost north and south through the township. Radnor occupies the extreme northern part of Delaware county, bordering both Montgomery and Chester counties. From its extreme southern point to the Chester county line it borders Newtown township, and from the same point to the Montgomery county line borders Marple and Haverford townships. Its first settlers were natives of Radnorshire, Wales, members of the Society of Friends, Radnor being included in the “Welsh Tract.” In neighboring Newtown was also a Thomas Morgan and brother George.

In 1691 he and his wife Jane, along with several of their adult children (Margaret, John, Evan, and James), emigrated from Wales aboard the ship, "The Morning Star" to North America. His wife Jane died on 08 Nov 1691 aboard ship and was buried at sea.^[2]

Upon their arrival in America, James Sr., died in Bohemia Village, Cecil County, Maryland and was buried on 14 Nov 1691 at Bohemia Manor in Cayots, Cecil County, Maryland. ^[3] (The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal [C&D Canal] was completed in 1824 and afterward Bohemia Village was renamed Chesapeake City in 1839.)

A Will has not been located, but the 450 acres in Radnor, Pennsylvania went to his son, John Morgan. By 1703 John Warren owned most of this land. (See Research Note regarding Land and Bible.)

Excerpt ^[4]

These first two generations of this Morgan line are difficult to prove concretely. The more definitely known story of this Morgan family really begins with Thomas Morgan, the grandson of this James.

The link from that Thomas to this James was suggested in 1996 by family researcher Phebe Morgan. Her conclusions about these early generations are presented herein.

The following narrative was written by Phebe Morgan for the First Families of Tennessee project ...

The history of the Morgan family has been well documented in "Welsh Founders of Pennsylvania". This publication traces the lineage of the Morgan family back many centuries. It is unclear why James and his family chose to migrate to America. His son Cadwaller Morgan had emigrated in 1683, from Wales because of persecution of the Quakers. James Morgan is listed in the records of Wales as a Gentleman and a property owner.

Prior to his arrival in America he purchased 450 acres in Radnor from the Thomas and Jones Company. During the passage, his wife Jane died aboard ship and was buried at sea. Upon arrival, he died; records do not indicate if he left a Will; but the property in Radnor went to his eldest son John Morgan. Records in the Library of Congress indicate there was a Morgan bible, owned by a descendant in Maryland in 1897. However, the whereabouts of that Bible today are unknown.

His son John married Sarah Evans, daughter of John Evans, of Nantmell, Radnorshire "Gentleman". His kinsman, John's nephew, Thomas (1702-1774) also married an Evans, but no relationship has been proven. ^[5]

Research Notes

As a result of DNA studies, Hugh Morgan was detached in Feb 2021 as a child of James Morgan, Sr. and his wife Jane (Evans) Morgan.

Land Ownership: On 4 Feb 1690/91, Edward Jones sold 250 acres in Radnor to James Morgan, who in 1701 had altogether 450 acres in Radnor Township. Records do not indicate if he left a will; but the 450 acres of property in Radnor went to his eldest son John. By 1703 John Worrall owned most of this land. On 12 October 1687, Ellis Jones assigned his 100 acres to William David who sold the same to John Morgan by deed 15 October 1702. John Morgan sold 80 acres to Henry Lewis of Haverford. (Welsh Settlement in Pennsylvania, p.221) Comment: This land may have been owned by the son James who lived in Radnor and had a son John who married Sara Evans.

Bible: The bible referred to by Phebe Morgan (see Excerpt) may have been referring to the son James who lived in Radnor, Chester County, Pennsylvania, after immigrating with his parents, James Morgan and Jane Evans. The son James had a son named John.

Library of Congress had on file the names of four children's birthdays copied from a family Bible which ended up in Maryland in 1897. There are three brothers with exact birthdays - John, James, Evan and a sister Margaret. But others have been thought to be brothers as well (Cadwalader and Lewis). So why would 2 or more children be left out of a Bible? One possibility is that a page could have been torn out for proof of birth for one of the Morgans and was never replaced. (There are many reports of men bringing in torn out pages of Bibles to prove who they were in order to get Revolutionary War pensions. Some brought the whole Bible, others did not.) The Bible did not have the "aps" except for one son. If they were really Welsh, they would have all had "aps." It should have read something like this ...

Bible owner: James ap Morgan, son of Morgan ap Lewis Children ...

Margaret ap James

John ap James

Evan ap James

James ap James.

These children later using the last name of their father, but that would not have been recorded in a Welsh Bible in 1669. The location of the bible at the Library of Congress is currently unknown.

Sources

1. ↑ "Welsh Founders of Pennsylvania" by Thomas Allen Glenn Vol. I, Oxford, PA in 1911; (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/115311/?offset=1#page=159&viewer=picture&o=search&n=0&q=Morgan)
2. ↑ Passenger and Immigration Lists Index 1502-1900s citing "Welsh Founders of Pennsylvania" by Thomas Allen Glenn in 1911 & reprinted by Clearfield Co. of Baltimore, MD; v1 p132; immig: 1691 Pennsylvania; for James Morgan & children, Margaret, John, Evan, James.
3. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #83587918 for James Morgan, Sr., b: 1620 Gwynedd, Wales; d: 14 Nov 1691 Maryland, USA; buried: Bohemia Manor Cemetery, Chesapeake City, Cecil County, Maryland, USA
4. ↑ Rootsweb Family Tree by Dennis Nicklaus
5. ↑ Tennessee Bicentennial First Families of Tennessee Project - Morgan Family by Phebe Morgan

• "Welsh Founders of Pennsylvania" v1 by Thomas Allen Glenn of Oxford, PA in 1913; 250 copies privately printed and the type distributed; p196; for James Morgan, d: 1691; m: Jane (unknown) with son John b: 1669

• "Welsh Founders of Pennsylvania" v2 by Thomas Allen Glenn of Oxford, PA in 1913; special edition of 100 copies privately printed at the request of Mrs. Charles Robert, of Haverford, PA]; v2 embodies, in a condensed form, with other data, a portion of the genealogy notes of the late Charles Roberts of Philadelphia, PA

• "Welsh settlement of Pennsylvania" by Charles Henry Browning

• "Merion in the Welsh tract" with sketches of the townships of Haverford and Radnor; historical and genealogical collections concerning the Welsh barony in the province of Pennsylvania, settled by the Cymric Quakers in 1682

• Family Tree on FamilySearch.org contributed by various users; entry for James Morgan

• Defrees Franks lineage on Geneanet

• http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=22815142&pid=475 Ancestry Family Tree submitted by ancestry.com member