Marcus Morton

Marcus Morton (February 19, 1784Note 1 – February 6, 1864) was a lawyer, jurist, and politician from Taunton, Massachusetts. He represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and served two terms as 16th and 18th Governor of Massachusetts, as well as a portion of an unexpired term in 1825, as Acting Governor.

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Morton

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US Congressman, Massachusetts Governor. Elected to represent Massachusetts's 10th District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1817 to 1821. Also served as Governor of Massachusetts in 1825, 1840 to 1841, and 1843 to 1844, and State Court Judge.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=morton&GSfn=m...

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http://www.mass.gov/statehouse/massgovs/mmorton.htm Governors of Massachusetts

Marcus Morton (1784-1864)

Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Acting 1825, 1840-1841, 1843-1844

Marcus Morton traced his heritage to the Pilgrims, when George Morton of the Plymouth Colony married Ann Southworth, who had come over on the Mayflower. Marcus served in Congress and as a long-time Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court. His son, also Marcus Morton, went on to be Chief Justice of Massachusetts Supreme Judicial court, and his grandson, James Madison Morton would also be an Associate Justice of the High Court, 1890-1913.

After serving in Congress (1817-1821) and the Commonwealth's Executive Council (1823-1824), Morton became Lieutenant Governor in 1824. After the death of William Eustis he served between February and May in 1825.

Following his brief experience as acting Governor, Morton served on the Massachusetts Superior Court between 1825 and 1840. During this time he mounted twelve unsuccessful candidacies for Governor, finally gaining election in November of 1839. He secured a majority by a margin of a single vote to defeat Edward Everett in the popular election.

The Whig party's John Davis handily defeated him in 1840, who he challenged and lost to in 1841. Morton received a plurality of votes in 1842, which threw the election into the Senate, which elected him. The next year he lost to Whig candidate, George Briggs, who achieved a plurality and victory in the Senate. After leaving the Governor's office, Mr. Briggs served as Collector of Customs in Boston from 1845-1849 and served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1858, as a member of the Free Soil party.
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wikipedia, Nov 2006: Marcus Morton (December 19, 1784 – February 6, 1864) was a lawyer, jurist, and politician from Taunton, Massachusetts. He represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and served two terms as Governor of Massachusetts, as well as a portion of an unexpired term in 1825.

Morton was born in East Freetown, Massachusetts and graduated from Brown University in 1804. He read law in Litchfield, Connecticut before moving to Taunton and beginning its practice in 1807. He received his LL. D. from Brown in 1826, and again (as an honorary degree) from Harvard University in 1840.

After serving as clerk of the Massachusetts Senate, Morton was elected as a Jeffersonian Republican to the House of Representatives in 1816 and served from 1817 until 1821. He lost his seat in the election of 1820.

In 1823 Morton served on the state's Executive Council and became Lieutenant-Governor. He served briefly as acting Governor after William Eustis died in office in 1825. Later that year he was named as associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and served there until 1840. Morton was elected Governor twice and served in 1840-1841 and 1843-1844.

Morton died at home in Taunton in 1864 and was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery there. His home in Taunton later became the original building of Morton Hospital and Medical Center. The Morton House in Taunton was demolished in the 1960s during hospital expansion. The Morton House of East Freetown was moved to Newport, Rhode Island sometime during the 20th century. His son, also named Marcus, was also a lawyer and would follow him on the state's supreme court.

US Congress biography: MORTON, Marcus, a Representative from Massachusetts; born in Freetown, Mass., December 19, 1784; pursued classical studies and was graduated from Brown University, Providence, R.I., in 1804; studied law; was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of his profession in Taunton, Mass.; clerk of the State senate in 1811; elected as a Republican to the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Congresses (March 4, 1817-March 3, 1821); chairman, Committee on Revisal and Unfinished Business (Sixteenth Congress); unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Seventeenth Congress; executive councilor in 1823; elected Lieutenant Governor in 1823; judge of the supreme court 1825-1840; Governor of Massachusetts 1840-1841 and 1843-1844; appointed by President Polk collector of customs in Boston and served from 1845 to 1849; delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1853; member of the State house of representatives in 1858; died in Taunton, Bristol County, Mass., February 6, 1864; interment in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

http://capecodhistory.us/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I11350&tr...