James Morgan (1793 - 1869)

Born 23 Jan 1793 in Allegany, Maryland, United States

Husband of Susannah (Lovitt) Morgan — married 22 Aug 1815 in Muskingum County, Ohio

Descendants

Died 7 Dec 1869 at age 76 in Cass Township, Muskingum, Ohio, United States

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Biography

James was born in 1793. James was one of the first settlers of Jackson Township, Muskingum County, Ohio (supposedly locating there in 1805), and he became one of the area's substantial farmers. He owned 600 acres of land in that county and 240 acres in Indiana, and gave his children all good farms.

James Morgan was married in Muskingum Co., Ohio (Marriage Book I, page 29) on 22 August 1815 (by Henry Butler, J.P.) to Susannah Lovett.

He lived during the time (1816) of the "year without a summer" due to the cold summer weather caused by the eruption of Mount Tambora volcano the previous year. "On June 25, 1816, The Franklin Repository in Pennsylvania reported that snow blanketed the area. Around the same time, The Evening Post in New York described freezing temperatures and nearly a foot of snow. Farm animals in Vermont succumbed to the freezing temperatures as long-time residents said they’d never seen anything like it!" "As fall approached, the Hartford Courant noted that 1816 would go down in history because there had been frost every month of the year. European papers complained that constant rains had ruined crops and created a famine."

They would presumably have awakened to witness the great Leonid Meteor Storm of 12 November 1833 (https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2020/09/how-newspapers-helped-crowdsource-a-scientific-discovery-the-1833-leonid-meteor-storm/)

James Morgan died on 07 December 1869, Cass Township, Muskingum County, Ohio, at the age of 76 years, 10 months, and 15 days. He was buried in Shannon Cemetery. His will (Will Book C-41; case 6965) was dated 06 October 1865 and proved on 18 December 1869. He left his entire estate to his wife Susannah.

James Morgan was not only a farmer, but in 1822 he was also a school teacher. Like his wife, he was a Baptist. They appear in Jefferson Township, Muskingum County, Ohio, in the Censuses of 1820 (page 138), 1830 (page 229), 1840 (page 258), and 1850 (page 157). The 1850 Census reports the value of his land at $4000. They appear in Cass Township (formed 1853, presumably from Jefferson Township), Muskingum County, Ohio, in the 1860 Census (page 519), reporting the value of his real estate at $2875 and personal property at $664. The location of his farm in Cass Township is shown on page 12 of the 1866 Atlas of Muskingum County. It was just west of Dresden, his farm being most of Section 3 and his farmhouse was exactly in the center of that section. This farm is now split between the farms of Arnold Hutson and Gary Border (need to write to them about the farm). He not only owned land in Muskingum County, but is said to have owned 240 acres of land in the state of Indiana.

The Grantee Index to Muskingum County Deeds shows five deeds of land to James Morgan: (1) 14 January 1836, from the state of Ohio, 159 acres, Range 8, Twp. 3, 3rd Quarter, Lot 8; (2) 03 April 1836, from the state of Ohio, 77 acres, 8-3-3rd, Lot 2; (3) 20 January 1837, from Chas. C. Gilbert, 77 acres, 9-3-1st, Lot 10; (4) 25 February 18376, from Chas. H. Baker, 160 acres, Range 8,Twp. 3, 4th Quarter, Lot 3; and (5) 08 March 1837, another 160 acres from Chas. H. Baker, 8-3-4th, Lot 6. The Grantor Index to Muskingum County Deeds has many more entries. Two late ones are from Susannah Morgan: (1) 10 April 1871, to Daniel D. McGinnis (son-in-law), 14 acres, 8-3-4th, Lot 3; and (2) 20 December 1880, to Silas Morgan, 1/5 acre in Section 13NW, Range 8, Township 3. James Morgan made a large number of deeds of land to various relatives and non-relatives from 1826 to 1865.

1830 Census

James Morgan Home in 1830 (City, County, State): Jefferson Township, Muskingum Co., Ohio Free White Persons - Males - Under 5: 1 Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9: 2 Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19: 1 Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39: 1 Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: 2 Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9: 1 Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14: 1 Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: 1 Free White Persons - Under 20: 8 Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2 Total Free White Persons: 10 Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 10

Sources

• Muskingum County, Ohio (Marriage Book I, page 29).

• 1850 Census: https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1850usfedcenancestry&indiv=try&h=14322827

• 1860 Census: https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1860usfedcenancestry&indiv=try&h=41846413

• http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/MORGAN/2001-02/0982010247

• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=57800584

• Marriage: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2QHJ-GDN