Copywrite Susan Taylor Aldridge
At first I made the same mistakes as everyone else. The information about Gen Morgan -who his father? It was not James Morgan of Durham. Also James Morgan of Durham's father was not Edward of Gwynedd who was a Quaker, rather Thomas Morgan and his wife Jennet of Providence, Philadelphia, PA - see evidence below. I have heard from Terry Morgan that this pair Thomas and Jannet Morgan is mentioned in Appletons book.
The incorrect information about James Morgan of Durham and Providence Township, Phil. stems from a book of Bucks county history written in 1876. I am talking about the claim that James of Durham was Daniel's father which was complete misinformation from jumped-to conclusions and hearsay, not based on fact or deed research. The actual correct deed work was done by Warren Ely, an old researcher who found out that Thomas Morgan and Jennet were the parents of James, Ironmonger of Durham. Deeds name all three of them in Providence, Philadelphia. [Now Montgomery Co. PA].
According to 2 independant sources, who are historians in NJ and direct descendants of Isaac Morgan, Daniel's father was probably Isaac Morgan, a charcoal burner, not an ironmonger. Isaac came from Massachusetts. to work along the Musconetcong River which flows into the Delaware River across from the area where Durham Furnace lies. Isaac Morgan came with other families from new England to work in the limestone business, burning charcoal for the extraction, as well as farming on the side. He may even have floated on a barge down to Durham Furnace and may have worked there when he first came- there are claims Daniel worked there for awhile too. It was probably the major employer on both sides of the river at that time.
There is evidence Daniel also spent time in Gloucester Co NJ where other Morgan families lived. George Morgan of Gloucester was born ca 1708. Isaac Morgan of Hunterdon was born about 1706-1708 and this name was also used down in Gloucester NJ. David Morgan born ca 1730 (Gen. Daniel Morgan visited him after the War in Northern NJ in Hunterdon Co.)
The incorrect information about James Morgan of Durham and Providence Township, Phil. stems from a book of Bucks county history written in 1876. I am talking about the claim that James of Durham was Daniel's father which was complete misinformation from jumped-to conclusions and hearsay, not based on fact or deed research. The actual correct deed work was done by Warren Ely, an old researcher who found out that Thomas Morgan and Jennet were the parents of James, Ironmonger of Durham. Deeds name all three of them in Providence, Philadelphia. [Now Montgomery Co. PA].
According to 2 independant sources, who are historians in NJ and direct descendants of Isaac Morgan, Daniel's father was probably Isaac Morgan, a charcoal burner, not an ironmonger. Isaac came from Massachusetts. to work along the Musconetcong River which flows into the Delaware River across from the area where Durham Furnace lies. Isaac Morgan came with other families from new England to work in the limestone business, burning charcoal for the extraction, as well as farming on the side. He may even have floated on a barge down to Durham Furnace and may have worked there when he first came- there are claims Daniel worked there for awhile too. It was probably the major employer on both sides of the river at that time.
There is evidence Daniel also spent time in Gloucester Co NJ where other Morgan families lived. George Morgan of Gloucester was born ca 1708. Isaac Morgan of Hunterdon was born about 1706-1708 and this name was also used down in Gloucester NJ. David Morgan born ca 1730 (Gen. Daniel Morgan visited him after the War in Northern NJ in Hunterdon Co.)
There are stories started by Appleton that George Morgan 1708 was a son of Edward Morgan. I believe NOT. His sons have no names which match the Edward Morgan line. Also I was of the impression that the George Morgan whose DNA matched that of Randall Morgan had evidence that George was a son of Edward. I was wrong. He has no evidence. He took this from Appleton as far as I can discern.
There are too many accounts that Sarah Morgan Boone was the aunt to General Daniel Morgan to ignore it completely. But did anyone ever think it could be thru a sister who married another Morgan line? The Quakers never approved cousin marriages as in the southern genealogies. After looking thru old census material and early documents on line, I have come to the conclusion that Daniel Morgan was probably born in Hunterdon County NJ as he said on several occasions and that he may or may not have been related to Sarah Morgan Boone. One thing is CERTAIN. More people claimed to be related to him than actually were.
At that time Daniel Morgan was born, Hunterdon NJ was a vast territory including several counties of today. The New Jersey Hist Soc have determined his birth must have been a Lebanon Township near Hampton, Hunterdon Co. -- across the river from Bucks Co. PA. They decided Daniel's father was Isaac Morgan. It has also been determined his parents were poor, and not necessarily Welsh, but at least descended from Welsh. There were lots of charcoal burners in NJ. Today they still exist in Europe, but there are few of them left. A charcoal burner is not the same thing as an iron monger. That is where the confusion may have come in as to who Daniel Morgan's father was. There were probably at the very least least two Morgans at Durham Furnace at the same time because it was a VERY common name. One was James Morgan, Iron Monger, a rather well off fellow, who came from Philadelphia, now Montgomery Co. out of Providence Township in Philadelphia Co.. (Daniel's father was poor). James Morgan, iron monger, owned property in Durham and in Philadelphia (now Montgomery Co. PA).
Warren E. Ely, Doylestown, Bucks Co PA saying on the subject of James Morgan of Durham Furnace:
"Deeds of record in Philadelphia for land in Providence township, Philadelphia county, now Montgomery, prove conclusively that James Morgan, of Durham, Ironmaster, was the son of Thomas and Jennet Morgan, of Providence township, the former of whom died about 1750. These deeds further show that the first wife of James Morgan, of Durham, was Elinor, who died about 1762. His second wife, Sarah, whom he married about 1766, survived him. James Morgan, "Ironmonger," was a resident of Providence (Montgomery Co) as late as 1765. James Morgan conveyed land in Providence township, 1771, while a resident of Durham, and the claim of title recited in the deed, clearly prove his identity with the James Morgan, of Providence, son of Thomas and Jennet."
I found Thomas Morgan on the Landholders of Philadelphia in 1734. In Providence Township, as above stated. Montgomery County was created by an Act of the Pennsylvania Assembly on September 10, 1784, out of part of Philadelphia County. Providence, Montgomery Co. would have been the area Thomas Morgan and Jennet lived.
Another point is that 3 of the sons of James Morgan, Ironmonger, were Samuel Morgan and his brothers James and Mordecai who all three moved to Wayne Co PA and purchased large tracts of land (in the 1000s of acres), as they were lumbermen.
There are too many accounts that Sarah Morgan Boone was the aunt to General Daniel Morgan to ignore it completely. But did anyone ever think it could be thru a sister who married another Morgan line? The Quakers never approved cousin marriages as in the southern genealogies. After looking thru old census material and early documents on line, I have come to the conclusion that Daniel Morgan was probably born in Hunterdon County NJ as he said on several occasions and that he may or may not have been related to Sarah Morgan Boone. One thing is CERTAIN. More people claimed to be related to him than actually were.
At that time Daniel Morgan was born, Hunterdon NJ was a vast territory including several counties of today. The New Jersey Hist Soc have determined his birth must have been a Lebanon Township near Hampton, Hunterdon Co. -- across the river from Bucks Co. PA. They decided Daniel's father was Isaac Morgan. It has also been determined his parents were poor, and not necessarily Welsh, but at least descended from Welsh. There were lots of charcoal burners in NJ. Today they still exist in Europe, but there are few of them left. A charcoal burner is not the same thing as an iron monger. That is where the confusion may have come in as to who Daniel Morgan's father was. There were probably at the very least least two Morgans at Durham Furnace at the same time because it was a VERY common name. One was James Morgan, Iron Monger, a rather well off fellow, who came from Philadelphia, now Montgomery Co. out of Providence Township in Philadelphia Co.. (Daniel's father was poor). James Morgan, iron monger, owned property in Durham and in Philadelphia (now Montgomery Co. PA).
Warren E. Ely, Doylestown, Bucks Co PA saying on the subject of James Morgan of Durham Furnace:
"Deeds of record in Philadelphia for land in Providence township, Philadelphia county, now Montgomery, prove conclusively that James Morgan, of Durham, Ironmaster, was the son of Thomas and Jennet Morgan, of Providence township, the former of whom died about 1750. These deeds further show that the first wife of James Morgan, of Durham, was Elinor, who died about 1762. His second wife, Sarah, whom he married about 1766, survived him. James Morgan, "Ironmonger," was a resident of Providence (Montgomery Co) as late as 1765. James Morgan conveyed land in Providence township, 1771, while a resident of Durham, and the claim of title recited in the deed, clearly prove his identity with the James Morgan, of Providence, son of Thomas and Jennet."
I found Thomas Morgan on the Landholders of Philadelphia in 1734. In Providence Township, as above stated. Montgomery County was created by an Act of the Pennsylvania Assembly on September 10, 1784, out of part of Philadelphia County. Providence, Montgomery Co. would have been the area Thomas Morgan and Jennet lived.
Another point is that 3 of the sons of James Morgan, Ironmonger, were Samuel Morgan and his brothers James and Mordecai who all three moved to Wayne Co PA and purchased large tracts of land (in the 1000s of acres), as they were lumbermen.
I Gen Daniel Morgan left home in about 1752 and traveled over Pennsylvania down to Virginia, seeking employment on the way, because of his dislike for his stepmother, then who was she? The 2nd wife of James Morgan, Sarah Hannlein, did not arrive in PA till 1765 and married James Morgan about 1766. In 1752, Daniel's father was still having babies with Daniel's "stepmother", presumably. Daniel Morgan may have even worked at Durham Furnace on his way across PA. I believe Daniel's father was over in NJ and not in PA. Later in life, Gen Morgan visited his poor brother David in NJ. http://books.google.com/books?id=52g9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq=daniel+Morgan+brother+visit+poor&source=bl&ots=dVMRY2PPE5&sig=YkmBnD0VdD80vVXcW9dTbvq6EHM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=U1UMT8P7NMTy0gGnitHzBQ&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
I have come to the conclusion that though Daniel Morgan may have been born in Durham Township, it was not to the family of James Morgan- rather to Isaac Morgan who then moved over to New Jersey to farm and to make charcoal.
Quote:
During the last couple of years of his life, Daniel Morgan found religion.
His minister was Rev. William Hill. Rev Hill kept very good notes regarding
the conversations he and the General had. Rev Hill's testimony should be
considered reliable based on his character. He would have no reason to
fabricate these stories and gained nothing from them. Daniel Morgan and Rev.
Hill were so close that Hill composed and delivered Morgan's eulogy. It is
well documented that General Daniel Morgan told Hill that he was Welsh and
that his parents emigrated from Wales between 1720 and 1730 and first
settled in Pennsylvania before moving across the Delaware River into New
Jersey. The following is a direct quote from James Graham who was married to
Daniel Morgan's great granddaughter:
"General Morgan was of Welsh extraction. Between the years of 1720 and 1730,
many emigrants from Wales arrived at Philadelphia, and, proceeding thence up
the Delaware, settled on its banks. Among those emigrants were his parents.
He was frequently heard to declare that his father and mother were Welsh and
that they had emigrated to this country about the above mentioned period. It
appears that after residing on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware for a
year or two, they removed to the opposite shore, in New Jersey, where they
lived in a small clearing, cultivated by the father, until all trace of them
is lost........."
Michael Fackenthal, who served with General Morgan, told his grandson B.F.
Fackenthal that:
"Morgan told him he was born in Durham, and described the house as standing
in the corner of a field where the road from Easton crosses Durham Creek and
where a small stream empties into this creek."
