Person:James Morgan (56)

Notes of Caution

• There is much conflicting information to be found in published genealogies of this family in books and on the internet. Proceed carefully and cite primary sources whenever possible.

Notes on the Parents of James Morgan

• THEORY A: Parents = William Morgan (s/o William and Cwladis (Unknown) Morgan) and Elizabeth Morgan (d/o William and Elizabeth (Winters) Morgan).
  • Source: Does anyone know where this information originated?
  • STATUS: GENERALLY ACCEPTED.

• THEORY B: Parents = Unknown (pos William) Morgan and Unknown.
  • Source: (1869) N.H. Morgan ¹ stated,"name of the father is unknown, but there is some traditionary evidence that it was William". He includes a footnote pointing the reader to William Morgan No. 46, who was a grandson of James Morgan (5th son overall of Capt. John Morgan being the 2nd son by his 2nd wife Elizabeth). Perhaps the author was indicating that a naming pattern provided evidence, but I am not sure about that. --Cos1776 22:41, 21 May 2014 (UTC)
  • STATUS: POSSIBLE, but "evidence" is not very strong.

• THEORY C: Parents = William Morgan of Llanfabon, Wales and Unknown.
  • Source: (1902) Appleton Morgan ²
  • STATUS: UNLIKELY. There is something amiss about this family entry in Appleton Morgan's 1902 book. He claims that father William was b. 1571, which could be true as a father of this James, but is much too early to be the father of the other claimed children who are documented as living in the late 1770s-early 1800s.

For Further Review

• Records from previous versions of this page which should/could be investigated/added include:
  • 1668 Conn. Census
  • Families of Ancient New Haven., page 1549

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Morgan, Nathaniel H. (Nathaniel Harris), and Titus Morgan. Morgan Genealogy: A History of James Morgan of New London, Conn., and His Descendants from 1607 to 1869. With an Appendix, Containing the History of His Brother, Miles Morgan, of Springfield, Mass., and Some of His Descendants. (Hartford, Conn.: Press of Case, Lockwood & Brainard, 1869)
   p 16-22.

   ... James Morgan ... was born in Wales, in 1607, but in what precise locality ... is uncertain, though probably in Llandaff, Glamorgan Co. The family appears to have removed from Llandaff to Bristol, Eng. ... prior to 1636. The name of his father is unknown, but there is some traditionary evidence that it was William.* [*See William, No. 46.]
   That year, 1636, in the month of March, he and two younger brothers, John and Miles, sailed from Bristol and arrived at Boston, Mass. in April following. ...
   ... James Morgan, the elder brother, and our lineal ancestor, may have settled first at Plymouth according to doubtful family tradition, but when he removed there, if at all, or how long he remained, or of his history while there, I have no account.
   Wherever he settled at first, he is found in Roxbury, near Boston, before 1640. That year, Aug. 6, 1640, he married there, Margery Hill, of Roxbury. His eldest daughter, Hannah, was born there 18 May, 1642, and all his 5 other children, except perhaps the youngest, who d. in infancy, were also probably born there. He was made a freeman there 10 May, 1643. He is named as a resident there in the inventory of John Graves, 1646, and was a freeholder there as late as 1650, the same year that he removed to Pequot, (now N. London,) and had a houselot assigned him there. ...
   -----
   [Here the author gives reasons why James Morgan was never a resident of Gloucester and was not part of Rev. Richard Bliman's "Cape Ann Company" emigrants who came to New London from Gloucester, Cape Ann, MA.]
   -----
   Early in that year [1650] he had lands granted him at Pequot, as the N. London records show, which were soon after occupied by him as a homestead, "on the path to New street," (now Ashcraft street;) and a further entry upon the records shows that "James Morgan hath given him about 6 acres of upland, where the wigwams were, in the path that goes from his house towards Culvers, among the rocky hills." These tracts were located near the present third burial ground, in the western suburbs of the city of New London ; a location sterile and dreary, and which in a few years was abandoned by its occupants for homes and broader lands of fairer promise, on the east side of the river Thames.
   ... On the 25 day of Dec. 1656, he sold his homestead ...
   ... It was upon the east side, as we have seen, that James Morgan early settled, and in a rude log cabin, with his wife and family of three sons and a daughter ; and this territory, made the separate town of Groton, May, 1705, ...
   ... He was one of the "townsmen" or selectmen of N. London for several years, and was one of the first "Deputy's" sent from N. London plantations to the General Court at Hartford, May, session, 1657, (at which date he deposed his age to be "about 50 years;") and was nine times afterwards chosen a member of that grave and important assembly, the last time in 1670. ...
   ... He was an active and useful member of the church under Rev. Richard Blinman's ministry, and his name is prominent in every important movement or proceeding.
   "James Morgan, Mr. Tinker and Obadiah Brown, are chosen to seat the people in the meeting house, which they doing so, the inhabitants are to rest silent." ...
   ... In 1661, he was one of a committee of the General Court to lay out the bounds of N. London," on the east side of the Great River."
   In 1662, he was one of a committee to contract "for building a house for the ministry," at New London.
   From about this time he signs his name "James Morgan senior of New London," - his oldest son James, afterwards Capt. James, being then near 21 years of age.
   This year, 1662, his list on the town assessment, stands the third highest in amount ; and among the tax payers of that year, about one hundred in number, only seven had a list exceeding L200. James Morgan's list was only L250, but this was a large estate in those primitive days.
   ... He died in 1685, aged 78 years, and his estate was divided soon after his death among his four surviving children. ...
   -----
   [Note: This is just some excerpts of this article - interested researchers are encouraged to read it for themselves.]

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 James Morgan, in Morgan, Appleton. A history of the family of Morgan, from the year 1089 to present times. (New York: Published for subscribers only, 1902)
   p 102.

   P 100 -
   ... I. WILLIAM MORGAN, of Llanvabon [sic], born 1571 ... Issue: ... 4. James. ...
   
   p 101 -
   ... I. JAMES MORGAN (4 of I [William] above), sailed from Bristol, in the ship Mary, with a kinsman, ROBERT MORGAN (see line of ROBERT, post.), in the summer of the year 1636, and landed in Boston, Massachusetts Bay. Settled first at Sandy Bay, near Gloucester, on Cape Ann, but found the coast bleak and the Indians troublesome. He married in Roxbury, where his first child was born, May 18, 1642. Finding fertile and desirable plantations at the mouth of the river Thames, at New London, in Connecticut, he, with the Sandy Bay colony, headed by its pastor, Rev. Richard Bliman, removed and settled there in 1649. Here he was assigned, February 10, 1650, lands granted him, "on the path to New street, being six acres of upland where the wigwams are, in the path that goes from his house toward Culvers, among the Rocky Hills," (New street is now Ashcroft street, in the city of New London, but it was called "Cape Ann street," in honor of the Cape Ann colony, for more than a century). In 1661 he was one of a committee "to lay out the bounds of N. London on the east side of the Great River." In 1662 it is recorded that "James Morgan, Mr. Tinker and Obiadiah Brown are chosen to seat the people in the meeting house, which they doing the inhabitants are to rest silent." In 1662 he is appointed one of a committee to contract to build a house for the ministry at New London, and signs himself "James Morgan, Senior, of New London." In this year, 1662, he stands third highest in amount among the taxpayers, he certifying to a holding of L250. He died in his homestead, about three miles from Groton, (occupied as late as 1869 by Elijah S. Morgan, a descendant), on the road to Poquonoc Bridge, about three miles from Groton, in 1685, aged seventy-eight years.
   
   He married Margery Hill, of Roxbury, August 6, 1640. Issue: ...
   -----
   [cos1776 Note of Caution: This 1902 book was published 33 years after N.H. Morgan's 1869 book. Some of the information agrees and some does not. For example, N.H. Morgan made an argument against a Gloucester residency for James Morgan. Also, the dates do not support William Morgan of Llanfabon as the father (see notes).]

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} James Morgan, in Find A Grave.

   [Includes photo of possible grave marker and of a dedication plaque for the cemetery. Plaque Inscription (from 1924): ... GRAVES ARE NEAR THIS SITE ... JAMES MORGAN. 1607-1685. HIS WIFE. MARGERY HILL.]