Anthony T. Morris

     Anthony T. Morris was born circa 1820 in Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.¹ He was the son of Enos Morris and Elizabeth (—?—) (Hough-Morris). He of the firm of Gilmer & Morris, Hayneville, formerly of Bucks County, married Margaret Harris, late of Charlotte, North Carolina, on 5 November 1844 at Hayneville, Lowndes County, Alabama.^1,2 His estate was probated on 13 May 1882 in Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas.³
     
     Anthony was about twelve years old when his father died, and he may have, at that time, gone to live with an older sibling, perhaps Theodore or Amanda. From his registration to practice medicine in Brazoria County, Texas, we know that he graduated from the University of the City of New York, now New York University, in 1843. His brother Lucien was a New York City merchant, and it is likely that Anthony lived with him and his family while attending the university. He is next located in 1850 in Lowndes County, Alabama where he was practicing medicine. In 1853, he purchased a plantation of 600 acres in Brazoria County, Texas, from the widow of William B. Aldridge, but he lived in West Columbia, Brazoria County, for several years before moving there. The Morris Plantation, near Old Ocean, adjoined the John Sweeny, Jr., Plantation on the northwest. (The John Sweeny, Jr. Plantation was located on the Polley and Chance grant and extended across Linville Creek into Matagorda County). Anthony sold the 600 acres to Abram Kennedy on credit in 1867, and after Kennedy defaulted several times, Anthony sued him. Kennedy won in district court by claiming he relinquished the property in 1868 to Morris, who in turn entered into an oral agreement to resell the property to him under different terms. Anthony appealed the case to the Texas Supreme Court in 1874, the outcome of which is not known to the writer. The 1867 sale was probably in anticipation of moving to Williamson County, Texas, though when the family actually moved from Brazoria County is not known. They haven't been located anywhere on the 1870 census, but Anthony was practicing medicine in Round Rock in 1880. Therefore, it's possible they moved somewhere else before settling in Williamson County. Because Anthony was the impetus behind his Hanks nieces' and nephews' move to Brazoria County in 1866, it's a mystery why he left the area so soon after their arrival.

     In 2003, the writer visited the courthouse in Georgetown, seat of Williamson County, and looked at Dr. Anthony T. Morris' probate file. It is contained in two expandable legal-size envelopes, each several inches thick. At a dollar per page, it would cost many hundreds of dollars to have it all copied, and unfortunately there was not enough time to do much more than glance through the papers.

Anthony Morris was mentioned in his brother Theodore Morris's will dated 23 January 1836 in Northampton township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.⁴

Anthony T. Morris was named as an heir to the estate of Horatio N. Morris in a distribution order made 18 October 1847 in Elmore County (then Coosa), Alabama.⁵

A.T. and Margaret M. Morris appeared on the 1 June 1850 Federal Census of Lowndes County, Alabama, enumerated 6 December 1850, with William Saunders, an overseer, living with them..⁶

When Enos Morris died, his widow Ann retained a widow's dower interest in his land. When Ann died in 1852, the interest reverted to Enos' estate. The value of the dower was distributed amongst Enos' surviving children, and his grandchildren or the estate of those who were deceased, each receiving a share, or fraction of a share, that in total, plus expenses, equaled the value of the dower:

Recd. September 24th 1853 of Saml Hart Surviving adm. of the estate of Enos Morris decd. Five hundred and sixty three 19½/100 Dollars in full of Anthony T Morris' share of principal sum yielding Widows dower as per auditors Report
$563.19½               Lucien B. Morris Atty in Fact for Anthony T. Morris.

A.T. and Margaretta Morris appeared on the 1 June 1860 Federal Census of Columbia, Brazoria County, Texas, enumerated 25 June 1860. Their children Lucian, Edward, Anna and Emily were listed as living with them.⁷

Anthony T. and Margaret H. Morris appeared on the 1 June 1880 Federal Census of Williamson County, Texas, enumerated 1 June 1880. Their daughter Annie B. was listed as living with them, as were her husband, Oliver B. Caldwell, and their son, Walter M.⁸