Anthony Morris (March 1682September 23, 1763) was a brewer, merchant, judge, assemblyman, and

mayor of Philadelphia The mayor of Philadelphia is the chief executive of the government of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Philadelphia. The current mayor of Philadelphia is Cherelle Parker, who is the first woman to hold the ...

Early life and education

Morris was born in

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, the son of Anthony Morris, Jr. He emigrated with his family to colonial-era

British America British America collectively refers to various British colonization of the Americas, colonies of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and its predecessors states in the Americas prior to the conclusion of the American Revolutionary War in 1 ...

, where they settled in

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shortly after his birth. At age three, the family moved to

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, where Morris spent the rest of his life. Like his father, Morris was a prominent member of the

Religious Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

in Philadelphia.

Career

Philadelphia brewing

In 1696, Morris' father paid fellow brewer Henry Babcock 20 pounds (equal to £ today) to place the younger Anthony in a seven-year indentured

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulat ...

. Morris later founded the Morris Brewery, which emerged as one of the most highly regarded among colonial Philadelphia's many breweries.

Philadelphia politics

In 1737, Morris served as an associate justice of the city court. He sat for several sessions as a member of the assembly. The following year, in 1738, like his father before him, he served as

. He was re-elected the following year in 1739, but chose not to serve. In 1747, he was again elected, but fled the city to

Bucks County Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...

to avoid having to serve. After three days of searching for Morris, a new election for mayor was scheduled.

Death

On September 23, 1763, Morris died in

, at age 81.

Legacy

Morris's grandson,

Samuel Samuel is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the biblical judges to the United Kingdom of Israel under Saul, and again in the monarchy's transition from Saul to David. He is venera ...

, was Captain of the

First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, also known as the First City Troop, is a unit of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. It is one of the oldest military units in the United States still in active service and is among the most decor ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, which served with distinction as General

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

's bodyguard during 1776 and 1777.

Sources

* Stanley Baron, ''Brewed in America: A History of Beer and Ale in the United States'' (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1962) Attribution *

References

External links

First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry history
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Anthony Ii 1682 births 1763 deaths 18th-century mayors of places in Pennsylvania American Quakers English emigrants Mayors of Philadelphia Merchants from colonial Pennsylvania 18th-century American merchants