Samuel Morse (1585-1654) was an original proprietor of

Dedham, Massachusetts Dedham ( ) is a New England town, town in, and the county seat of, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on Boston's southwestern border, the population was 25,364 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. First settled by E ...

who served on the

board of selectmen The select board or board of selectmen is commonly the Executive (government), executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms. Three ...

for two years. He was also a founder of

Medfield, Massachusetts Medfield is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,799 according to the 2020 United States Census. It is a community about southwest of Boston, Massachusetts, which is a 40-minute drive to Downtown Bos ...

when it broke away from Dedham. He was elected a selectman before joining the

First Church and Parish in Dedham The First Church and Parish in Dedham is a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Dedham, Massachusetts. It was the 14th church established in Massachusetts. The current minister, Rev. Rali M. Weaver, was called in March 2007, settled in July, and ...

. He was a signer of the

Dedham Covenant The Dedham Covenant was a covenant that governed the early settlement of Dedham, Massachusetts. It mandated that only those with similar, Puritan, community values could live in the town and set about a method for mediating disputes. It also requ ...

. Morse was born in England in 1585 and came to Dedham from

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. With his wife, Elizabeth, he was the father of Joseph, Abigail, John, Daniel, Samuel, Jeremiah, and Mary. He died in 1654. It was said in 1907 that "no family has ranked higher in eastern Massachusetts for the past two hundred and fifty years than the descendants" of Morse. He was the grandfather of Ezra Morse.

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Works cited

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morse, Samuel Dedham, Massachusetts selectmen Signers of the Dedham Covenant People from London 1585 births 1654 deaths English emigrants to Massachusetts Bay Colony People from colonial Dedham, Massachusetts