Lewis Morris, of ‘Passage Point’

Lewis Morris

• Abt 1655 - Aft 1695
• Born Abt 1655 Barbados or Passage Point, Monmouth County, New Jersey
• Gender Male
• Reference Number 2768
• Died Aft 1694 Passage Point, Monmouth County, New Jersey [2]
• Father Thomas Morris, b. Abt 1618, Monmouthshire, Wales , d. 1690, Barbados or New York
• Mother Sarah, b. Abt 1630, d. 1680, St. Michael, Barbados Family ID F1067 Group Sheet
• Spouse: Elizabeth Almy, b. 29 Sep 1663, Portsmouth, Rhode Island , d. Aft 1712, Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey Married 1679 Monmouth County, New Jersey [2]

Children

• 1. Elizabeth Catherine Morris, b. 1680, d. 1726, Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey
• 2. Lewis Morris, b. 1680, d. Between 1715 and 1771
• 3. Thomas Morris, b. 1685, Monmouth County, New Jersey
• 4. Richard Morris, b. Abt 1690, Monmouth County, New Jersey , d. 1763, Middletown, New Jersey
• 5. William Morris, b. Abt 1690, d. 1777, Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey
• 6. John Morris, b. 12 Jun 1695, d. 02 Mar 1769, Farmingdale, New Jersey
• 7. Rebecca Morris, b. 1697, Monmouth County, New Jersey Family ID F1062 Group Sheet

Biography

Lewis "of Passage Point" Morris was a Court Justice in Monmouth County, NJ. He and his wife, Elizabeth Almy of Rhode Island made New Jersey their home. Passage Point is known today as Black Point, NJ. They lived at "Rumson House", an estate built by early settlers between the years of 1710 and 1711. Among those who once lived at Rumson House was the former President Abraham Lincoln.

The Morris family was originally from Monmouth, Wales. They lived in the village of Tintern near the Wye River.

The MORRIS family trace their descent from a chieftain in Wales who flourished in 933. In later times they had important commands, & fought in the battles of Parliament against Charles I, but after the death of CROMWELL they were obliged to flee from Monmouthshire to escape the vengeance of the royalists, taking refuge on the Island of Barbados. From this island, the grandfather, Lewis MORRIS, sailed for NJ, & settled in that part now called Monmouth Co., where he was one of the first judges.

Lewis Morris, the son of Thomas Morris, also called Lewis of Passage Point, was born in Passage Point, Monmouth, New Jersey in 1655. He was called Lewis of Passage Point to distinguish him from the other early settler of Monmouth, in Middlesex County. He married Elizabeth Almy, daughter of Christopher Almy and wife, Elizabeth Cornell, daughter of Thomas Cornwall. In 1681 he was confirmed as a First Purchaser of Navesink. He held many civil offices and was killed 1695. Lewis and Elizabeth had six children; Lewis Jr., Thomas, Richard, John, Rebecca and Elizabeth.

Thomas Morris, the father of Lewis, was "a relation" of Lewis Morris and Richard Morris of Barbados and Morrisania, The Bronx, New York. His exact relationship is not known, and he died when his son Lewis was young, and young Lewis Morris became a ward of Lewis Morris (b c 1613).

There were three brothers, and possibly a sister. Another (more distant) family member named Thomas Morris of Barbados, who died shortly after 1650 leaving an orphan son, also had a son named Lewis Morris (my ancestor), who later was known as "Lewis Morris of Passage Point."

From "Lewis Morris Anglo-American Statesman, ca 1613-1691" copyright 1983, by Sam Stelle Smith.

In 1670, young Lewis Morris, son of Thomas Morris of Barbados, with the aid of Colonel Lewis Morris, bought a parcel of land in Monmouth County, New Jersey from the Indians for a barrel of cider. He moved onto the land shortly before the Dutch occumpation, whereupon all of the Indians on the property moved back to Crosswicks and Cranberry execpt one "Indian Will," who was allowed to stay and dwell in a wigwam between Tinton Falls and Swimming River. One day, sometime after the Dutch had left, Indian Will, while eating breakfast of suppawn (mush) and milk, was observed using a silver spoon. Mr. Thomas Eaton, of what is now Eatontown, New Jersey, told Indian WIll, his friend, that he would give him a red cloak and a cocked hat if he would tell where he found the spoon. It seems that Indian Will was soon wearing the red cloak and cocked hat and Mr. Eaton suddenly became rich.

Indian Will was also a friend of Derrick Longstreet and one time showed Longstreet some silver money. Longstreet asked Will to give it to him, but Will refused. Will did, however, give Longstreet some yellow money he had found, which the Indian thought worthless. This made Longstreet rich.

Lewis Morris, Anglo-American Statesman, 1983, Samuel Stelle Smith

EXERPT FROM ‘ANCESTRY.COM’ re: Lewis (John Lewis) Morris, Sr.

‘LEWIS MORRIS OF PASSAGE POINT’ According to the county inventory, several notable people have owned the property over the centuries, starting with Lewis Morris of Passage Point (an earlier name for the area now known as Black Point).

Morris was, according to the inventory, the nephew of Col. Lewis Morris, owner of the Titan Falls iron works, and a cousin of Lewis Morris, who became governor of New Jersey in 1738.

‘Although the 17th-century house does not survive,’ according to the county inventory, ‘the association with one of New Jersey’s most prominent colonial families is of significance. Lewis Morris of Passage Point was murdered by one of his slaves in 1696, and his widow, the former Elizabeth Almy, and four sons deeded the property to Gabrielle Stelle in 1722, who deeded it to Richard Saltar, Jr. in 1737.’ The slaves who killed them were punished by cutting off their hands and then burning them aliveuntil dead.

I found this on familytreeproject.org

Notes

In 1670, young Lewis Morris, son of Thomas Morris of Barbados, with the aid of Colonel Lewis Morris, bought a parcel of land in Monmouth Co., NJ, from the Indians for a barrel of cider. He moved onto the land shortly before the Dutch occupation, whereupon all of the Indians on the property moved back to Crosswicks and Cranberry except one "Indian Will," who was allowed to stay and dwell in a wigwam between Tinto Falls and Swimming River. One day, sometime after the Dutch had left, Indian Will, while eating breakfast of suppawn (mush) and milk, was observed using a silver spoon. Mr. Thomas Eaton, of what is now Eatontown, NJ, told Indian Will, his friend, that he would give him a red cloak and a cocked hat if he would tell where he found the spoon. It seems that Indian Will was soon wearing the red cloak and cocked hat and Mr. Eaton suddenly became rich.

Indian Will was also a friend of Derrick Longstreet and one time showed Longstreet some silver money. Longstreet asked Will to give it to him, but Will refused. Will did, however, give Longstreet some yellow money he had found, which the Indians thought worthless. This made Longstreet rich.

Source: Lewis Morris, Anglo-American Statesman, 1983, Samuel Stelle Smith

Lewis Morris "of Passage Point" was shot and killed by a black slave for mistreating a woman slave. He is known to be a son of Thomas Morris, who is not a brother of Richard, Ann and Lewis Morris.

BIOGRAPHY: The following is takennfrom the Barnett Family Tree notes that provide the references.

“Monette, Orra, Eugene, First Settlers of Ye Plantations of Piscataway and Woodsridge Olde East New Jersey; part 4, The Leroy Carman Press California, 1931."

This reference traces the family origins of Lewis Morris and his father Thomas. Lewis's father Thomas died b4 Lewis was of age, so Lewis was a ward of Lewis Morris, son of Col Richard Morris. The relationship is not known but he was likely a cousin.

The majority of Lewis’s real estate descended to his eldest son, Lewis. The New York estate was erected into a manor, called Morrisania in 1697.

Here is another citing that shows what happened to the slave who killed Lewis: From book " Story of Shrewsbury" page 26-27

Lewis Morris, son of Thomas Morris, nephew of Col Lewis Morris was murdered by one of his slaves in 1696. The slave received the customary sentence for murder -

"Thy right hand shall be cut off and burned before thy eyes; then shall thou be hanged by the neck until dead, dead, dead; then thy body shall be cut down and thrown into the fire and burnt to ashes."

References

• "Historical and Genealogical Miscellany: Data Relating to the Settlement and Settlers of New York and New Jersey Vo. 4" by Stillwell, John E. (John Edwin), 1853-1930. Relevant pages: 34-41. < Archive.Org >
• Lewis Morris, of Passage Point (1655) is the father of Richard Morris (circa 1690)
• Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jun 17 2017, 22:01:59 UTC
• http://deb-wood.tripod.com/morrisandhook/
• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/68047010/person/32...
• Sources [S148] LongIslandGenealogy.com, http://longislandgenealogy.com/morris/gp607.htm
• Person ID I2768 new Last Modified 12 Sep 2009 [S148] LongIslandGenealogy.com.