Mary Elizabeth Morton

John Morton and Elizabeth Anderson lived at Morton Hall, which was located on "the back road" from Farmville to Hampden-Sidney. There they raised fifteen children, many of whom were prominent in their respective communities. Nathaniel Morton, the great-grandfather of Samuel Packwood Morton, Jr., moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where he was a member of the --PAGE 123 Ð

The shipping and coffee-importing firm of Bedford and Morton.,Nathaniel and his descendants were active in this trade for nearly a century, during which time fast-sailing clipper ships brought their cargoes from Rio de Janeiro. Major James Morton, whose home "Willington" was the site of many social gatherings in Prince Edward County, served with distinction in the revolution. George Washington dubbed James "Old Solid Column," because his troops could always be counted on to hold their positions in battle. Captain Hezekiah Morton, the surety for Carter Thompson and Nancy Morton's marriage, was another of John Morton's six sons who served in the Revolutionary War. John Archer Morton, born November 18, 1772, was too young to take part in the war; in later life, however, he served his country as United States minister to Bordeaux, France. Called "French John" by his relatives at home, John Archer Morton is said to have married Cora Henri, a daughter of the governor of Haiti. French John's son W. J. Morton, of Bordeaux, France, was a student at the preparatory school at Hampden Sidney College in 1824. Alfred Morton, of the great wine firm of Bordeaux, was a descendant of John Archer Morton. . .

Biography

Mary Elizabeth Anderson was born on November 9, 1736 in Hanover County, Virginia. Her parents were Charles Anderson and Elizabeth Anderson.

Mary married Capt. John Morton on September 15, 1750 in Farmville, Prince Edward County, Virginia, Colonial America. Together they had the following children:

• Charles Morton;
• Elizabeth Morton;
• Lt. James Blythe Morton;
• Josiah Morton;
• Nathaniel Morton;
• Nancy Thompson;
• Benjamin Morton;
• Sarah 'Sally' Fuqua (Morton);
• Obediah Morton;
• Mary 'Polly' Fuqua (Morton);
• Hezekiah Morton.

She died on November 20, 1822, in Prince Edward County, Virginia.