Zachariah Morgan Sr. (1776 - 1841)

Born 16 Dec 1776 in Pendleton, Anderson County, South Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Holt) Morgan — married 1795 (to 11 Sep 1841) in South Carolina, United States

Descendants

Died 11 Sep 1841 at age 64 in Clay County, Kentucky, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Connie Wade [send private message] and Tam X [send private message]

Biography

Zachariah Morgan was the illegitimate son of John Benton and Hannah Morgan. They were from the New River area of VA or N.C. Hannah told many people she was the sister of Gen. Daniel Morgan of the Rev. War, although I have not been able to confirm that she actually was.

Zachariah and his mother, Hannah left N.C. sometime before 1800 and moved to SC where Hannah married Jacob West. It is during this time that I believe Zachariah married Mary Polly Holt. Zachariah and Hannah can be found in the 1800 Pendleton SC District census.

Sometime around 1810, Hannah and Jacob West and Zachariah and Mary Polly (Holt) Morgan moved to Harlan Co., Kentucky. They settled on the middle fork of the Kentucky River on 8000 acres of property given to Zachariah for service in the Rev. War. Zachariah and Mary had 15 children.^[1]

Another record refutes the above comment about John Benton being Zachariah's father .. read below:

We know that Hannah Morgan married Jacob West and eventually settled on 23 Mile Creek in the Pendleton District of South Carolina. Hannah had an illegitimate son, Zachariah Morgan by another Morgan male, proven by DNA to have been connected to the NJ or Philadelphia Baptist Morgans. (Contrary to what many have posted online and in family trees, Zachariah’s father was NOT John Benton. DNA and research has also proven that this Hannah Morgan West and her son Zachariah were not genetically tied to Charles Morgan of Chatham Co, NC who left a will.)

We also know that Hannah Morgan West claimed to be the sister of General Daniel Morgan of the Revolutionary War and that he was born in Hunterdon Co., NJ. To have been his sister, Hannah Morgan West would have to have been born in the same area and have other connections to NJ or the Philadelphia area. DNA testing has connected Hannah to the Philadelphia area Morgan families.Here is what I have uncovered:

1780 – A Jacob West is living in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, birthplace of General Daniel Morgan and Hannah Morgan, if she was in fact the General’s sister. By 1790, he is gone.

1790 – Our Jacob West shows up in the census records of Pendleton District of South Carolina for the first time. The household is recorded as:

Free White Females – 3: This is Hannah Morgan West and two daughters, Mary and Rebecca West.

Free White Males 16 and Over – 3: This is Jacob West’s son Charles Morgan West and step-son Zachariah Morgan.

Free White Males Under 16 – We know that one of these boys is Jacob and Hannah’s son, William West. Who is the other young boy? My theory is this: Hannah Morgan was reported to be General Daniel Morgan’s sister. It is known that Daniel Morgan had an illegitimate son, Willoughby Morgan. Daniel sent Willoughby to South Carolina to live with relatives until he sent for him to return to Winchester, Virginia, around 1800. Was this young boy Willoughby Morgan? It is certainly possible. General Morgan would have certainly trusted a sister, particularly if she was his only sister, to care for his son. This boy is gone from the Hannah Morgan West household by 1800 which is when Willoughby is said to have returned to Virginia.

From "What I know About Winchester, Recollections of William Greenway Russell 1800-1891" on page 178 is listed the following information:

"Willoughby Morgan: Natural son of General Daniel Morgan, born in Winchester about 1785; reared in South Carolina and studied law there; returned to Winchester and began practice; raised a company in Winchester in the War of 1812; distinguished himself at Fort George and rose to command of the 12th regiment; remained in regular army after the War; commanded troops in Yellowstone Expedition in 1820; died at Prairie du Chien in 1831."

1800 – The 1800 census record for Pendleton, South Carolina, shows Hannah Morgan West, apparently a widow by this time, living as the head of a household that includes Hannah and her four West children, Charles, William, Rebecca and Mary. Zachariah was married by this time and had set up his own home with Mary Holt, daughter of William Holt, on 23 Mile Creek, near Hannah.

21 March 1797 - Jacob Visage to Z. Morgan for $30 for 90 acres part of tract granted Visage by William Moultrie on 23 Mile Crk. Wit. John Robinson, Elisha Robinson, Jacob (his mark) West. John Robinson made oath to G.W. Earle Doyle. April 1798. Re. 16 April 1798

1800-1810 - Within this time frame, Zachariah Morgan and his sister, Mary “Polly” West, leave South Carolina. They travel north into North Carolina for a period of time. They return after Jacob West dies to help settle part of Jacob West’s estate in 1804.

1804 - 150 acre tract purchased by Jacob West from John Robinson on 23 Mi Creek of Keowee River. Heirs were: HANNAH WEST and CHARLES WEST of Pendleton District,ZACHARIAH MORGAN and POLLY WEST (she signed Mary West), both citizens of N.C.Dated 28 Jan 1804.”

Wit.: Wm Sims, Wm Passmore, James Grimes. Rec.: 11 July, 1804

By 1810, Zachariah Morgan and his half brother, Charles Morgan West, are in Lee County, Virginia. Mary “Polly” West is back with her mother. Sometime in 1814, Zachariah and Charles cross through the Pennington Gap into Kentucky. In 1815, Zachariah received a land grant in what was then Knox County, Kentucky, for 50 acres along Poor Fork Creek. In 1822, he receives a grant for an additional 150 acres along Poor Fork in what was by then Harlan County, Kentucky.

1810 – By 1810 Hannah Morgan West is gone from the South Carolina census. Her oldest sons had left home to check out the land available by grant in Kentucky. She was a widow living alone with three children: Mary, Rebecca and William West. I believe she left South Carolina and went north, back to the Philadelphia area she grew up in for a period of time. It would have been safer for her and her children to be back in an area where there were likely other family and friends since the older sons were gone from South Carolina. Hannah West appears the 1810 census for Berks County, Pennsylvania, and is listed as a “widow” with her two daughters and her son.

1817 – Hannah Morgan West and her daughters return to South Carolina in order settled more of Jacob West’s estate. We lose track of Mary and Rebecca at this point.

“Heirs…….HANNAH WEST, REBECCA WEST and MARY WEST, heirs of JACOB WEST, dec’d. to Amos Garrett Robinson, 100 acres part of 640 acres on 23 Mile Creek, bounded by Amos Robinson, lands lately owned by Thodam Doyle, Mrs. Elizabeth Morgan, part of the tract sold by John Robinson to Jacob West, other part being sold to Jonathon West by Jacob West in his lifetime. Dated _____, 1817.”

Wit.: Edward Williams, Wm Doyle. Rec.: 5 Aug. 1817.

1820 – William West, Hannah’s youngest son ends up in Clay County, Kentucky with his wife, Rebecca and their children living near Bull Skin.The Dickey Diary says that Hannah West went with William to live on Bull Skin. In the 1898 Dickey Diary interview, Joseph Morgan, great grandson of Hannah confuses William the son with Hannah’s husband but is correct about William dying and leaving a widow,who was actually Rebecca West, not Hannah.

1824 – Rebecca West, widow of William West, receives a land grant of 50 acres on Bull Skin Creek in Clay County, Kentucky.

1840 – Hannah Morgan West is living with daughter-in-law Rebecca West on Bull Skin Creek in Clay County, Kentucky. The census record shows her to be between 90 and 99 years old making her date of birth between 1741 and 1750. These dates make it feasible for her to be Daniel Morgan's sister. He was born in 1736.

1850 – Hannah Morgan West is gone from the historical record. She is said to have died in 1849 making her between 99 and 109 years old depending on the year of her birth. The Dickey Diary interview claimed her to be 118 years old at her death, which is not factual. Nonetheless, she lived a long and eventful life and died a very old woman.

Sources:

“Manuscript Collection, 1680’s – 1970’s, BAH: Legislative Records, 1782-1787 (New Jersey State Archives)”

1790 Pendleton South Carolina Census: “1790 United States Federal Census”

1800 Pendleton South Carolina Census: “1800 United Federal Census”

1810 Berks County Census: “Third Census of the United States, 1810”

1820 Clay County Kentucky Census: “ 1820 United States Federal Census”

The Kentucky Land Grants: “Chapter VI Kentucky Land Warrants (1816-1873)

1840 Clay County Kentucky Census: “ 1840 United States Federal Census”

"Life of General Daniel Morgan of the Virginia Line of the United States" Graham, James; Bloomberg, NY 1856

^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ URL: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/HOLT/2000-09/0969038266
2. ↑ Entered by Tam X.

• Family history as told by family members.

• Will of Zachariah Morgan, Clay County-Kentucky, Apr 10, 1841:

In the name of the Lord - Amen: I first give my soul to God & my body to be laid in the earth, and being in sound mind but feeble in body, do make this my last will and testament - To wit: First I give all my landed Estate to three of my sons, To wit: David Morgan, Elisha Morgan, and Washington Morgan, to equally divided between them; Secondly I give to my wife, Mary/\Morgan, all my household & kitchen furniture, one horse, all my stock of sheep & hogs-& 2 cows. Thirdly I wish all the rest of my property to be sold and from the proceeds to pay all my just debts and the balance to be equally divided among all my children, To wit: Rachel Pendleton, Betsey Lewis, William Morgan, Louisa Parsons, Jesse Morgan, Joseph Morgan, Nancy Sergeant, Cressy Sergeant, Abel Morgan, John Morgan, to heirs of Zachariah Morgan-decd, Luicinda Morgan [N.B. Morgan has a line drawn through it and Combs is written above it.] Combs, David, & Elisha Morgan and Washington Morgan, and I hereby appoint John Gilbert Sr. my executor - All wills or assertions coming in contact with this my last will is hereby declared to be null & void; the foregoing will being read & well understood by me, I have caused my name to be assigned and my seal affixed this day & date first above written. John Gilbert Senr Zachariah hisXmark Morgan William Mattingly

Will of Zachariah Morgan, b 1770/1775, transcribed by Jack Martin 5/24/05 from copy of will received from Clay County Clerk.

State of Kentucky - Clay County - to wit: I - William Williams, Clerk of the Clay County Court, do certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the will of Zachariah Morgan, which will was produced in open Court at the September Term of said Court - 1841. and proved by John Gilbert Senr. or of the attesting witnesses, and ordered to be recorded which is duly done.

Given under my hand this 11th September, 1841- William Williams, Clk

Transcribed by Jack Martin 5/24/05 from copy of received from Clay County Clerk. URL: http://home.southwind.net/~crowther/Morgan/Ancestors.html

One interesting clue to the ancestry of Daniel Morgan comes from Dr. John J. Dickey, who kept a diary of his interview of Joseph G. Morgan of Laurel Creek, KY on 9 Apr 1898. In this interview, Morgan claims to be a descendant of Hannah Morgan, a sister of General Daniel Morgan. In addition, he claims that she had other brothers: John, James, William and David. He claims that the Morgans of Whitley County are descendants of James Morgan. This suggests that Daniel and William might have been the sons of James Morgan, Sr., the father of James Morgan, Jr. who lived in Knox County, KY.

Here is what the Diary says:{KY. Genealogy from the Diary of Dr. John J. Dickey.}

Joseph G. MORGAN, Laurel Creek, KY., 9 April 1898

I was born in HARLAN CO. 23 March 1827. My father was Jesse MORGAN, born in 1806. He was the son of Zachariah MORGAN, who came from New River, VA. to Harlan Co., perhaps around 1810. My grandfather was the son of Hannah MORGAN, a sister of General Daniel MORGAN. His father was John BENTON. John Benton later moved to Estill Co. and raised a family. My Great Grandmother, Hannah MORGAN, married a man from VA. named William WEST. They came to Harlan Co. with my Grandfather, Zachariah MORGAN, where WEST died. They had two children, William and Polly. William and his mother moved to Clay Co., where it was told that his mother died at the age of 118. I was a married man with a family, when she died.

My father and grandfather moved from Harlan, to what is now Leslie Co., when I was a small boy. My father settled at Bunt Camp Creek and my grandfather, below the mouth of John's Creek, on and that he bought from David GARRARD. We bought our land from the LACEYS. We went west and lived on Bull Skin. Hannah MORGAN WEST is buried there. She told me she was the sister of General Daniel MORGAN, of the Rev. War. She had other brothers, viz; John, James, William, and David. I once met William MORGAN'S grandson, Nathan, of Lee County, VA., near Jonesville. The MORGANS of WHITLEY CO. are descendants of James MORGAN. I have talked with John MORGAN of Lexington, and he told me he was a descendant of the MORGAN family mentioned above. During a conversation between him and my father, they decided that they were second cousins. I also have talked with Daniel WHITE'S wife, and she said that her father, General Daniel MORGAN of Fleming Co., was a lineal descendant of General Daniel MORGAN of Rev. War fame. There are MORGANS in PULASKI, Garrard, Lincoln, and other counties. Old Si COCKERILL of Breathitt Co., told me that his mother was a daughter of one of General Daniel MORGAN'S brothers.{Provided by Carol Wyatt 3 Dec 1997, transcribed from another source.}

To summarize, this appears to be the family tree for Joseph G. Morgan:

Joseph G. Morgan, born 23 Mar 1827 Harlan Co., KY, son of

Jesse Morgan, born 9 Jun 1804 Lee Co., VA, son of

Zachariah Morgan (grandfather), born 1772, son of

Hannah Morgan (great grandmother) and John Benton. Hannah later married William West. Hannah said she had brothers John, James, William and David. The Morgans of Whitley County are supposedly descendants of her brother James.

The narrative does not explain why Zachariah Morgan was given his mother's last name.

My research indicates that Hannah Morgan was the daughter of Charles Morgan of Chatham County, NC. The 1787 Will of Charles Morgan mentions Hannah West and sons John and William Morgan, but not James or David.

Charles Morgan Will, dated Nov. 12, 1787, no probate date, Chatham Co., NC Record of Estates, Vol. 1, pps 32(b), 33, NC State Archives film # C.022.50002

In the name of god amen I Charles Morgan of the County of Chatham being thro the abundant mercy and goodness of god tho weak in body yet of a sound and perfect understanding and memory do Constitute this my last Will & Testament and desire it to be received by all as such imprimis I most humbly bequeath my soule to god my maker beseeching his most acceptance of it thro the all sufficiant merits and mediation of my most compassionate redeemer Jesus Christ who gave him himself to an attonement for my sins and is able to save to the utmost all that come unto god by him seeing he ever liveth to make intersession for them and who I trust will not reject me a returning penitent sinner when I come to him for mercy in this life and confidence I render up my soule with comfort humbly beseeching the most blesd and glorious trinity one god most holy most merciful and gracious to prepare me for this time of my dessolution and then to take me to himself unto that peace and rest and incomparable felicity which he has prepared for those that love and pr his hold name amen blessed be god imprimis I give my Body to the Earth from whence it was taken in full assurance of its resurection from thence at the last day as for my Burial I desire it may be desant without pomp or State at the discretion of my executors heareafter mentioned who I doubt not will manage it with all requisite prudence, as to my wourdly Estate I Will and order that all my just debts be paid, Item, I give to my six son name Joseph Morgan, & Charles Morgan Jr, Edward Morgan & John Morgan & Zachariah Morgan & William Morgan and my two Daughters Hanna West and Rachel Stewart this house and Land and Mill wherein I no live and all the residues and remander of my wourldly Estate of what kind or quality so ever it be only the Beds and furniture thereunto belonging that I now ly on to be Equally divided amongst my six sons & two Daughters above named to them their heirs and assigns forever the Bed and furniture above mentioned I give to my grand daughter Jean Stewart to her her heirs and assigns forever lastly I do Constitute and appoint my son Charles Morgan and Joseph Morgan executors of this my Last Will and Testament In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand the 12th day of November in the year of our Lord 1787

Witness

John Stewart

James Smith

I Charles Morgan here I take off my seal and declar this to be my Last Will and Testament

A Copy Test. John Ramsey C. C.{URL: http://genconnect.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/NC/ChathamWill/17}

If Charles is her father, she does not appear to be connected to the Morgans of Whitley County through a brother James. However, it does suggest that the Morgans of Whitley County were descendants of a James Morgan, for what that is worth.

Debate on the Father of Zachariah Morgan

URL: http://genforum.genealogy.com/morgan/messages/14373.html

Zachariah and Polly Holt Morgan came to Harlan Ky around 1810. Prior to this they can be found in the Pendleton Dist. SC Census of 1800. They settled in the John's Creek area. My father was born close to there. Zachariah's beginings are somewhat of a mystery. Many, including Joseph G. Morgan who gave an interview to John J. Dickey in the 1890's, thought Zachariah was the illegitimate son of Hannah Morgan West and a man named John Benton. I have recently taken a DNA test and have found that Zachariah's father was definitely a Morgan not a Benton. I do beleive that Hannah Morgan West was his mother, which means that she had Zachariah by another Morgan, possibly a cousin. Hannah Morgan West, Zachariah's mother claimed to be the sister of General Daniel Morgan of the Rev. War. This has been neither proven nor disproven to this point.

I have a lot of documented information. Tell me what you are looking for and I will be glad to help. Zachariah's 15 children all had large families of their own and so did their children and so on. So you see, this is a huge family with literally hundreds of us or more scattered across the country.

FYI the results of my DNA test show that I and therefore Zachariah had a common male Morgan ancestor with the following people:

David R. Morgan b. abt 1750 in Wales and settled in New York in the 1770's. :: His son Ezra Randall Morgan was born in 1782 in Connecticut.

William Morgan b. 1821 in South Carolina ( I believe this man was Zachariah's nephew)

Thomas Morgan (aka Freeman) born 1800-1820. Thomas had a son born in IN or IL in 1840 named John Henry Freeman.

Nathaniel Morgan b. 1778 in NC d. 1864. Married Mary Ann Ellis. I believe this man to be Zachariah's brother or cousin.

Terry Morgan

Beginning info [1]

Footnotes

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Tam X for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Tam and others.