Person:Hugh Morrow (5)

Hugh married first the widow Ann (Richey) Wilson, who had two sons and a daughter. She died about 1800, in childbirth or shortly thereafter. He married second Jane Brownlee, who was about 20 years younger than he was. He inherited a great deal of money from the estate of his father-in-law George Brownlee in right of his wife Jane.

Identifying and ordering his children

Based on the estate records listed below, litigation over the estates, and census records, the children of Hugh are identified as:

• Sarah Ann Henderson Morrah, wife of John Richardson (illegitimate)

• Children of widow Ann Wilson (Richey)

• Robert Morrah, b. 1800 [named in the will of his grandfather James Richey]

• Children of Jane Brownlee

• Sarah (Sally) b. 1809, m. Enoch Barmore
• John B. Morrah (likely b. early 1810s, adult by 1838)
• Jane Caroline m. Johnson Sharp [b. 1810s]
• Eleanor [b. 1810s] m. Pinkney Jones
• Samuel R. [b. 1813] m. Nancy A. Scott
• David Brownlee b. 1821, m. Rebecca Jane Bradley
• Mary b. 1823 m. Edward Murray
• George B. b. 1832, m. Lou Pruitt.

Estate

Hugh Morrah has will in Abbeville, No. 445. - HUGH MORROH (Or Morrah) will sg. 2 Feb. 1837 pr. 9 Feb. 1837....Wife, Jane Morroh and to her I will the home plantation on Long Canes ...Children and no surnames & several of the hcildren were minors :

• Eleanor
• Sarah w. of John Richardson
• Jane
• Robert
• Sarah (A second Sarah)
• Mary
• Samuel
• David
• John
• George

Ex : Son, Samuel with Patrick Noble & Aaron Lomax. /Wit. William Hill, Wesley G. Norwood & M.T. Stewart

Mrs. JANE MORRAH will sg. 12 June 1847 pr. date not given...Children:

• Sallie Barmore
• Jane Sharp
• Eleanor Jones
• Mary Murray
• John Morrah
• Samuel P. Morrah

Ex. David Morrah George Morrah

/Wit. William Robinson, George W. Robinson & James S. Robinson. [No Robert or Sally]

List of 96 & Abbeville marriages listes Hugh Morrah & Jane Brownlee “83 B[ef]”

Public records

From http://rosewoodrecording.com/Genealogy/Equity10.05.html:

• In 1838, Samuel B. Morrah suied Eleanor & John Scott, execs of Hugh Morroh, dec. Samuel wanted to buy land. Another record for John Scott calls Samuel his brother in law.
• Another 1838 dispute, Aaron Lomax et al. v. Jas Morrah et al.: “Hugh Morrah, dec. Complicated. Seems he left part of his estate to an illigitimate daughter, while cutting out his wife and two legitimate kids. 6 of his leg. kids inherited: Sarah A. H. Richardson, Sally A. Morrah (wf of Enoch Barbour), Eleanor, John B. Morroah. John B Sharp and wf. Wid: Jane. Robert and George excluded. David Morrah, Sam R., Mary Morrah.”
• An 1844 dispute discusses “Jane Morrah and her son George.”
• Detail from Johnson Sharpe v. Jane Morrah et al, 1844: Jane wf of Johnson Sharpe; Enoch Barsum(?) wife Sarah; Pinckney Jones and wf Eleanor; Hugh Morro dec Jane wid; “life interest to 4 dtrs: Sarah, Jane, Eleanor, Mary;” Jane’s son, David, John B. Will of Hugh has daughters Sarah Jane, Elianor, Mary, Son: Robert, John, Samuel, David, Jane, Elenor, Mary? , George, Sarah, Sarah (wf John Richardson).
• 1838 case: Samuel R., son of Hugh, m. Nancy A. Scott, daughter of John.
• 1838 case Aaron Lomax v. Jane Morrah: “Samuel R. Morrah, Patrick Noble. Hugh Morrah T Feb 1837. wid: Jane. Kids: John B, David, Robert, Samuel R, Jane Caroline, Eleann, Sally Ann, Mary and George. And a NATURAL (out of wedlock) dtr: Sarah Ann Henderson Morrah. Hugh recvd large fortune from will of George Brownlee in right of wife, Jane. Sarah Ann H Morrah (md John Richardson), Sally (md Enoch Barmore), Jane (Johnson Sharp). Slave names. John B and Robert. Estate accounts. Book list. Sales names inc: Taggart, Barmore., Pressly, Sims, Adams, Peter Downey (bought a spinning wheel f 461). Inventories.

Father-in-law's will

In his 1807 will, John Richey (the father of Ann Richey) named his grandson, John Wilson, granddaughter Margaret Wilson, grandson James Wilson, and grandson Robert Morrah (left $25 each).

Census

• 1790 Abbeville Co, SC: 1 rec w/ 1 m 1 f, 1m 2 f other rec.
• 1800 Abbeville Co, SC: Hugh Morrah [idx Honah] 3m u10 [Robert and Wilson boys], 1m 10-16, 1m 16-26, 1m 26-45; 1f u10 [Margaret Wilson], 1f 16-26, 1f 45+ (p. 38)
• 1810 Abbeville Co, SC: Hugh Morrow 1m u10 [Robert], 1m 26-45, 1f u10 [Sarah], 1f 16-26 (p. 100)
• 1820 Abbeville Co, SC: Hugh Marrah 2m u10 [Samuel, John], 1m 45+, 3f u10, 1 26-45 (p. 9)
• 1830 Abbeville Co, SC: Hugh Morrow 1m 5-10 [David], 1m 15-20 [Samuel], 1m 60-70, 1f 5-10, 2f 10-15, 1f 40-50 (p. 31)

Conclusions

• Hugh b. 1765-1770 (under 45 in 1810, over 60 in 1830)
• Jane b. 1784-1790 m. 1800-1810 (under 26 in 1810, over 40 in 1830)
• Jane in her will named 4 sons - Samuel, David, John, George - and excluded those children that were demonstrably not hers - Sallie and Robert. The most logical inference then is that the 4 are her sons, and were thus born after 1800.
• Either Ann is still alive in the 1800 census (even though her tombstone says 1799), or another woman has joined the household to take care of baby Robert. The remainder of the family must consist of the Wilson children, Robert, and two unidentified older children. The Wilson children are gone by 1800.
• Robert is just about 10 in 1810, so must be the lone son in the 1810 census. He is out of the house by 1820.
• Because only Robert, David, Samuel and one other are accounted for by 1830, one must have been born after that. That would be George, living with Samuel in 1850 at age 18. That leaves John as the other son born 1810-1815.

DNA

A descendant of Hugh tested in 2006 and does not match any other North Carolina Morrows. See participant list for relationships that excludes.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Tombstone, in Find A Grave
   Hugh Morahe.

   "Hugh Morahe ... who departed this life the 4th d. of Feb A.D. 1837 Aged 72 years 5 months 26 days"

2.   Family of Hugh Morrah (estate records analysis), in Wilson Family Tree Album Blog.

   Live version Archived version