Lewis Morris (October 15, 1671May 21, 1746) was an American politician from the colonial period, who was chief justice of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and British governor of

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, was the first lord of the manor of

Morrisania Morrisania ( ) is a residential neighborhood in the southwestern Bronx, New York City, New York. Its boundaries are the Cross-Bronx Expressway to the north, Crotona-Prospect Avenue to the east, East 163rd Street to the south, and Webster Avenu ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

(in what is now

the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

Biography

Born on the estate of his parents, Richard Morris (originally from Monmouthshire, Wales) and Sarah (Pole) Morris in 1671, this Lewis Morris was the first in a lengthy string of men with the same name to inherit the prominent estate of Morrisania in the southwest section of today's Bronx. Richard and Sarah moved their estate from Barbados to the Bronx after buying the estate from Samuel Edsall in 1670 when it was still known as Broncksland. As the name suggests, Broncksland was the original settlement of

Jonas Bronck Jonas Bronck (alternatively Jonas Jonsson Brunk, Jonas Jonasson Bronk, or Jonas Jonassen Bronck) (around 1600 – 1643) was a settler in the Dutch colony of New Netherland after whom the Bronx River, and by extension, the county and New York C ...

and his wife, for whom the borough is named. In the fall of 1672, both Richard and Sarah died, leaving only the infant Lewis, barely a year old, as the lord of the manor. Although the manor was left in the trust of five prominent Westchester citizens until Lewis could rightfully inherit the estate,

Matthias Nicoll Matthias Nicoll (1630 – December 22, 1687), a.k.a. Nicolls, was the sixth List of mayors of New York City, mayor of New York City from 1672 to 1673. He is the patriarch of the Nicoll family, which settled and owned much of Long Island, New Yor ...

, secretary of the colony, sent word to Colonel Lewis Morris, the infant's uncle in Barbados. Col. Lewis immediately made plans to move to Morrisania to care for his young nephew and his nephew's estate, which had been somewhat embezzled. Col. Lewis made great pains to secure his nephew's lost property, including a few slaves that had been captured and resold. He was even successful in petitioning for an additional land grant with the help of family friend, Walter Webley. When the childless Col. Lewis and his wife, Mary, died, the now fully-grown Lewis inherited the estate in 1691.

Career

New Jersey

Lewis Morris showed a passion for politics from an early age, and first appears on the political scene in 1692, serving in the

East New Jersey Provincial Council The East New Jersey Provincial Council or Governor's Council was the upper house of the East New Jersey Legislature under proprietary rule until the surrender of the right of government to The Crown, and Queen Anne's acceptance. History The Cou ...

during the administration of Governor Andrew Hamilton.''Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey'', date: various (pre 1950) After the late 1690s the government of East and

West Jersey West Jersey and East Jersey were two distinct parts of the Province of New Jersey. The political division existed for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702. Determination of an exact location for a border between West Jersey and East Jersey was often ...

became increasingly dysfunctional. This ultimately resulted in the surrender by the Proprietors of

East Jersey The Province of East Jersey, along with the Province of West Jersey, between 1674 and 1702 in accordance with the Quintipartite Deed, were two distinct political divisions of the Province of New Jersey, which became the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...

and those of

of the right of government to Queen Anne. Anne's government united the two colonies as the

Province of New Jersey The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial history of the United States, Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1776. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherla ...

, a

royal colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony governed by England, and then Great Britain or the United Kingdom within the English and later British Empire. There was usually a governor to represent the Crown, appointed by the British monarch on ...

, establishing a new system of government. On July 29, 1703, in the instructions to Governor Viscount Cornbury Morris was appointed to the

New Jersey Provincial Council His Majesty's Council for the Province of New Jersey was the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature under colonial rule until it was replaced by the New Jersey Legislative Council under the New Jersey Constitution of 1776. History The Provinc ...

, and would serve, with several suspensions, through the administrations of seven governors. During much of this time Morris was President of Council. Morris and Cornbury soon found themselves at opposition, and Cornbury responded by suspending Morris from the upper house. The first time, in September 1704, Morris apologized to the governor and was reinstated, but in December 1704 Cornbury suspended him.''The Path to Freedom: The Struggle for Self-Government in Colonial New Jersey 1703-1776''; Donald L. Kemmerer; Princeton University Press; Princeton, 1940; p. 358 Morris was elected to a seat in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

in 1707, representing an at-large constituency within the Eastern Division of New Jersey. After the recall of Cornbury by the Crown, Lewis Morris was reinstated to the Council in the June 27, 1708, instructions to

Baron Lovelace Baron Lovelace, of Hurley, Berkshire, Hurley in the Berkshire, County of Berks, was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created on 31 May 1627 for Richard Lovelace, 1st Baron Lovelace, Sir Richard Lovelace, who had earlier represented Berk ...

; Lovelace died eleven months later, and Morris was again suspended, this time by Lt. Gov. Richard Ingoldesby. Morris was again reinstated to the Council in the instructions to Governor Robert Hunter, with whom he had a good relationship. Sir

William Cosby Brigadier-General William Cosby (1690 – 10 March 1736) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of New York from 1732 to 1736. During his short tenure as governor, Cosby was portrayed as one of the mos ...

, who served as governor of New York and New Jersey (as did all governors beginning with Viscount Cornbury), showed little interest in New Jersey politics, started a

feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...

with Morris because of a decision of the New York Supreme Court. Morris was Chief Justice, and wrote a dissenting minority opinion which Cosby found deeply offensive. Cosby recommended Morris' removal from the New Jersey Council on February 5, 1735. In 1738, New Jersey petitioned the crown for a distinct administration from New York, and Lewis Morris served as

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...

until his death in 1746.

New York

On March 16, 1715, Morris was appointed Chief Justice of

. When William Cosby was appointed Governor of New York and New Jersey in 1732, his opponents were called "Morrisites" as Lewis Morris was a prominent critic. In 1733 Morris presided over the case of Cosby v.

Van Dam Van Dam ("of the dam" or "of the water") is a Dutch toponymic surname. van is akin to the German nobility von and English House of, while Dam derives its name from the dam in Amsterdam, Netherlands' capital and most populated city. In some cases ...

. Although the case was decided in favor of Gov. Cosby, Morris wrote the minority opinion, which infuriated Cosby. Cosby demanded the written opinion from Morris. Morris complied with the Governor, but also had the opinion printed for public distribution, along with an explanatory letter stating, This even further angered Cosby, who removed Morris from the court. His dismissal led directly to the

John Peter Zenger John Peter Zenger (October 26, 1697 – July 28, 1746) was a German printer and journalist in New York City. Zenger printed ''The New York Weekly Journal''. He was accused of Defamation, libel in 1734 by William Cosby, the royal governor of Pro ...

trial affirming

freedom of speech in the United States In the United States, freedom of speech and expression is strongly protected from government restrictions by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, many state constitutions, and state and federal laws. Freedom of speech, also calle ...

Personal life

On November 3, 1691, Morris was married to Isabella Graham (1673–1752), the eldest daughter of James Graham, who served as

Speaker of the New York General Assembly The Speaker of the New York General Assembly was the highest official in the New York General Assembly, the first representative governing body in Province of New York, New York from 1683 to 1775 when the assembly disbanded after the outbreak of ...

and

Recorder of New York City The recorder of New York City was a municipal officer of New York City from 1683 until 1907. He was at times a judge of the Court of General Sessions, the Court of Special Sessions, and the New York Court of Common Pleas; Vice-President of the Boa ...

. Together, they were the parents of: * Mary Morris (1695–), who married Capt. Vincent Pearse, commander of . * Sarah Morris (1697–1736), who married Michael Kearney (1667–1741), the treasurer of the Province of East New Jersey. * Lewis Morris Jr. (1698–1762), who married Katrintje "Catherine" Staats (1697–1731). After her death, he married Sarah Gouverneur (1714–1786). *

Robert Hunter Morris Robert Hunter Morris ( – 27 January 1764), was a prominent governmental figure in Colonial Pennsylvania, serving as governor of Pennsylvania and Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. Early life and education Morris was born in ...

(1700–1764), who served as New Jersey Chief Justice. * Anne Morris (1706–1781), who married Edward Antrill (1701–1770). They were the parents of Lt. Col. Edward Antill. * Arabella Morris (b. 1708), who married her first cousin, James Graham III (1704–1767). * Isabella Morris (b. ), who married Richard Ashfield (1695–1742). * Euphemia Morris (–1756), who married Capt. Matthew Norris, son of Sir John Norris, and grandson of

Matthew Aylmer, 1st Baron Aylmer Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), Admiral of the Fleet Matthew Aylmer, 1st Baron Aylmer ( – 18 August 1720), of Covent Garden, Westminster, and Westcliffe, near Dover, was an Anglo-Irish Royal Navy officer and Whig politician who sat in the E ...

. * Margaret Morris (b. ), who married Isaac Willett (1706–1774). * Elizabeth Morris (1712–1784), who married Col. Anthony White III (1717–1787). They were the parents of Brig. Gen.

Anthony Walton White Anthony Walton White (July 7, 1750 – February 10, 1803) was a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War who had previously served as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington. Early life He was born ...

. * John Morris (-1737), a Surrogate of Monmouth County NJ in 1733. Father of Lieut. John Morris and Ann Morris. Who died young. * Nancy Morris, who died young. *James Morris *Daniel Morris(1702-1784) Gov. Lewis Morris died on May 21, 1746, in

Kingsbury Kingsbury may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Kingsbury, London, a district of northwest London in the borough of Brent ** Kingsbury tube station, London Underground station * Kingsbury, Warwickshire, a village and civil parish in Warwickshi ...

(near Trenton). His remains are in the Morris family crypt at St. Ann's Church in the

Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

Legacy and descendants

Through his children, he was the grandfather of many prominent Americans, including

Lewis Morris Lewis Morris (April 8, 1726 – January 22, 1798) was an American Founding Father, landowner, and developer from Morrisania, New York, presently part of Bronx County. He signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a delegate to the Conti ...

(1726–1798), a signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...

; Gen.

Staats Long Morris General Staats Long Morris (27 August 1728 – 28 January 1800) was a British Army officer and politician who represented Elgin Burghs in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1774 to 1784. He also served as governor of Quebec from 1797 ...

(1728–1800); New York Chief Justice Richard Morris; New Jersey Chief Justice

Robert Morris Robert or Bob Morris may refer to: :''Ordered chronologically within each section.'' Politics and the law * Robert Hunter Morris (1700–1764), lieutenant governor of Colonial Pennsylvania * Robert Morris (financier) (1734–1806), one of the Foun ...

(1745-1815); and U.S. Senator and

Founding Father The following is a list of national founders of sovereign states who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e., political system ...

Gouverneur Morris Gouverneur Morris ( ; January 31, 1752 – November 6, 1816) was an American statesman, a Founding Father of the United States, and a signatory to the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution. He wrote the Preamble to the ...

(1752–1816).

Places Named after Morris

Morris County, New Jersey Morris County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county was the state's List of counties in New Jersey, tenth- ...

Morristown, New Jersey Morristown () is a Town (New Jersey), town in and the county seat of Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

Morris Township, New Jersey Morris Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 22,974, an increase of 668 (+3.0%) from the 201 ...

Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 194. Accessed October 29, 2012. *

Morris Plains, New Jersey Morris Plains is a borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,153, an increase of 621 (+11.2%) from the 2010 census count of 5,532, which in turn reflected a ...

* Lewis Morris County Park, New JerseyTHE MORRIS COUNTY PARK COMMISSION DISTRIBUTION OF PARK COMMISSION JUNE 28, 2021 MEETING MINUTES
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References

External links

Manuscript Group 16, Lewis Morris (1671-1746), Royal Governor of New Jersey Papers, 1704-1750
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Lewis 1671 births 1746 deaths Morris family (Morrisania and New Jersey) Colonial governors of New Jersey Members of the New Jersey Provincial Council Members of the New Jersey General Assembly American people of Welsh descent Members of the East New Jersey Provincial Council Politicians from the Bronx People from colonial New York Slave owners from the Thirteen Colonies