Augusta, Virginia Court Record for Morris vs Morris, 1805

Court Cases

The following info found in Chalkley, Vol 2, pg 150:

George W. Morris vs. Morris' heirs--O. S. 180; N. S. 64--In spring of 1805 orator's father, Richard Morris, died, owning land on Jackson's River, without devising it, and leaving heirs and children, viz: Orator, James, John, William, Isabella (married to William Elliott), Edward, Frances (married to Archibald Armstrong), Robert, Archibald, Benjamin.

William has since died, leaving widow Jean and Children, viz: Jean (married to Edward Jackson and now living in Ohio), William, Richard, Nancy, John, Margaret, Elizabeth, Ann, Benjamin (last 8 being infants).

James Morris has removed from commonwealth and lives in Tennessee. John Morris, Benjamin Morris, orators' brother and William Elliott and Isabella have removed to Ohio.

Bond 19th October, 1805, by James Morris of Roone County, Tenn.
Bond 19th October, 1805, by John Morris of Champaign County, Ohio.

Patent to Richard Morris, 18th October, 1787, 46 acres by survey, 1771, on Jackson River.

Patent to Richard Morris, 14th July, 1769, 93 acres on Jackson's River in Augusta.

Survey by Thomas Lewis, 26th April, 1764, 270 acres (patent of grant, 29th October, 1743, to John Robinson, James Wood and Henry Robinson and John Lewis), now in possession of Arthur Dunlap on Jackson River.

Patent by Fauquier, 1760. to William McCutchan, 169 acres in Augusta on mouth of Cedar Creek on Jackson's River.

Patent by Thomas Lee to William Jackson, 270 acres on Jackson's River in Augusta, 1750.

Patent by Dunmore to Richard Morris, 1772, 110 acres in Botetourt joining William Jackson.

Patent by Brooke to Richard Morris by survey, 19th May, 1794, in Bath on Jackson's River.

Patent by Randolph to Richard Morris, assignee of Joseph Walker, assignee of Peter Miller, assignee of Joshua Phipps, assignee of Nicholas Pryor, 141 acres by survey, 28th January, 1786, on Jackson River in Botetourt, 17th April, 1788.

Bond 6th October, 1788, by James Risk of Rockbridge to Richard Morris, warrants a tract at mouth of Cedar Creek and Jackson River, formerly belonging to Wm. McCutchan and James Risk, whose heir-at-law James Risk is. (sic)

Deed 7th November, 1772, by William Jackson of Orange County, No. Ca., to Richard Morris of Botetourt, tract on Jackson's River in Botetourt, formerly Augusta, on Jackson's River. Recorded in Botetourt, 10th November, 1772.

The following is found in Chalkley, Vol 2, pg 196:Morris vs. Morris' administrator--O. S. 256; N. S. 90--Bill, 1811.

Richard Morris of Bath died about 180_, intestate, leaving widow and ten children (besides orator John Morris), viz: Widow Jane, two sons, Edward and William, and widow, qualified administrators. William is dead, testate.

Jane answers: Her daughter, Frances Armstrong, wife of Archibald (?); her daughter, Isabella Elliott (wife of William Elliott). Richard's heirs are, viz: James, John, William (dead), Edward, Isabella, wife of W. Elliott (out of State); Archibald Armstrong and Frances, Robert, Archibald and Benjamin Morris, Edward Jackson and Jean, late Morris, widow of W. Morris (in Ohio); William, Richard, Nancy, Ned, Margaret, Elizabeth, Ann and Benj. Morris, infants of Wm. Morris.

I interpret this 'answer of Jane', widow of Richard Morris, to be a list of Richard's heirs which agree with the first paragraph in the court case but Jane goes on to say that Richard's son William has died (by 1811) so his widow Jean and her children will be inheriting her husband William's share. The widow Jean has since remarried to Edward Jackson. Some charts have interpreted Jean to be William's daughter but I don't see it that way. If Jean had been a daughter of William's she would have been listed among his children, not before the phrase 'widow of W. Morris'.