Morgan Morgan
Encyclopedia
Colonel
Morgan Morgan (November 1, 1688 — November 17, 1766) is traditionally believed to have founded the first permanent white settlement in present day West Virginia
at Cool Spring Farm
, and he is credited with founding the first church in what is now West Virginia.
during the reign of William III
. According to tradition, Glamorganshire was the home of King Arthur-and Arthur was of the House of Morgan. Morgan Morgan was likely educated at Cambridge University, a Reformed Puritan
institution at that time.
, or probably about the commencement of the reign of George I
. So, he likely arrived in Delaware
in 1712 or 1713 and soon after got married, but no record of the date has been found. Morgan commenced business as a merchant at the place now known as Christiana
. Some Quaker records record that: Col. Morgan Morgan was educated at Cambridge University and went to Delaware as Crown Council. In 1713, he married Catherine Garretson in what is now New Castle County, Delaware. Their first child James was born in the fall of 1715 and so recorded in the church recorder. He evidently arrived with some money and very respectable social standing, for the early records list him as a merchant and tailor and in 1717 was appointed executor of the will of Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. At that time what we now know as Delaware was a part of Pennsylvania. Since the trade guilds were very strong in England, one wonders if he learned the tailoring trade in London, from his father, or if he bypassed the law in the new country and started a combined mercantile and tailoring store. As well as being employed there as a merchant he was also a magistrate. He is said to have been an ordained Church of England
clergyman, and it is said he set up a church in Westminster County, in 1727 but there is no evidence to support this. He is often incorrectly cited as having arrived at present-day West Virginia in 1727, though he was still living in Delaware
at that time, acting as the coroner
of New Castle County
. His first land transaction that is known was of November 20, 1723 for 245 acre (0.9914807 km²) for which he paid 70 pounds. Practically, the entire parcel of the land was tillable. In 1924, a committee appointed by the Governor of West Virginia determined the first crude shelter erected by Morgan Morgan was built on the Morgan Acres
property.
in 1731. In January of 1734, Morgan Morgan, among others, was appointed one of the 'Commission of the Peace.' He likely received a Patent for 1000 acres (4 km²) '[i]n the Forks of the Rappahannock River
& Westwood of Sherrando River' on 12 Dec 1734. In 1735, he 'presented unto Court his military commission and was sworn thereto'. He engineered the first road in West Virginia. The road went from Mill Creek to Winchester, Virginia
and was some 12 miles (19.3 km) long. Morgan Morgan constructed Mill Creek Church. It was the first church of the Blue Ridge Mountains
. He became a community leader serving first as Justice of the Peace and Captain of the Militia. He later acquired the title "Colonel". He opened the first Inn for Pioneer travelers. He is reported to have consulted with George Washington
. Morgan Morgan was the Presiding judge when the first Frederick County Court met in Winchester in 1742. Also in 1742, he 'presented another, promoting him to the rank of Major.'
He died at Bunker Hill, Berkeley County, in what is now Bunker Hill, West Virginia
and was buried in the Morgan Chapel Graveyard.
, became famous as an Indian fighter due to an encounter with Delaware natives at his homestead. David developed the area now known as Fairmont, West Virginia
. Another son, Zackquill
, founded Morgantown, West Virginia
. Francis Harrison Pierpont, governor of Virginia
and later West Virginia, was a descendant of Colonel Morgan. Morgan Morgan held military and civil positions in colonial VA which entitled his female descendants to membership in the Colonial Dames of America. In addition to settling West Virginia, Morgan's descendants founded Marion County
, Fairmont
and Morgantown
.
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Morgan Morgan (November 1, 1688 — November 17, 1766) is traditionally believed to have founded the first permanent white settlement in present day West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
at Cool Spring Farm
Cool Spring Farm (Gerrardstown, West Virginia)
Cool Spring Farm, also known as Rockdale Spring Farm and Torytown, was built by Colonel Morgan Morgan, reputedly the first permanent European settler in what would become West Virginia. Morgan was granted in 1735, but he is believed to have first settled there in 1731...
, and he is credited with founding the first church in what is now West Virginia.
Early life
Little direct evidence of Morgan's early life and education have survived. His birth date seems to have been November 1, 1688 because Morgans Chapel at Bunker Hill, which he helped to found, recorded the following upon his death: "Colonel Morgan died November 17, 1766 aged 78 years November 1st." No British records have been found of where he was born or when or how he came to America, but according to American records he seems to have been born in Glamorganshire, WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
during the reign of William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
. According to tradition, Glamorganshire was the home of King Arthur-and Arthur was of the House of Morgan. Morgan Morgan was likely educated at Cambridge University, a Reformed Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
institution at that time.
Emigration to America
Morgan Morgan emigrated to the United States a single man at the age of 24 during the reign of Queen AnneQueen Anne
"Queen Anne" generally refers to Anne, Queen of Great Britain , Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1702, and of Great Britain from 1707.Queen Anne may also refer to:-Uses relating to Queen Anne of Great Britain:...
, or probably about the commencement of the reign of George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
. So, he likely arrived in Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
in 1712 or 1713 and soon after got married, but no record of the date has been found. Morgan commenced business as a merchant at the place now known as Christiana
Christiana, Delaware
Christiana is a community near Wilmington, Delaware, USA. It is an unincorperated community in New Castle County, Delaware. It is home to the Christiana Mall and is the northern terminus to Delaware Route 1.-History:...
. Some Quaker records record that: Col. Morgan Morgan was educated at Cambridge University and went to Delaware as Crown Council. In 1713, he married Catherine Garretson in what is now New Castle County, Delaware. Their first child James was born in the fall of 1715 and so recorded in the church recorder. He evidently arrived with some money and very respectable social standing, for the early records list him as a merchant and tailor and in 1717 was appointed executor of the will of Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. At that time what we now know as Delaware was a part of Pennsylvania. Since the trade guilds were very strong in England, one wonders if he learned the tailoring trade in London, from his father, or if he bypassed the law in the new country and started a combined mercantile and tailoring store. As well as being employed there as a merchant he was also a magistrate. He is said to have been an ordained Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
clergyman, and it is said he set up a church in Westminster County, in 1727 but there is no evidence to support this. He is often incorrectly cited as having arrived at present-day West Virginia in 1727, though he was still living in Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
at that time, acting as the coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
of New Castle County
New Castle County, Delaware
New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of...
. His first land transaction that is known was of November 20, 1723 for 245 acre (0.9914807 km²) for which he paid 70 pounds. Practically, the entire parcel of the land was tillable. In 1924, a committee appointed by the Governor of West Virginia determined the first crude shelter erected by Morgan Morgan was built on the Morgan Acres
William G. Morgan House
William G. Morgan House, also known as "Morgan Acres," is a historic home located at Bunker Hill, Berkeley County, West Virginia. It was built in 1849, and is a two story, nine bay, brick dwelling in the Greek Revival style. It is a long, narrow building with a central block and side wings,...
property.
First settlement in West Virginia
Morgan arrived in what is now West VirginiaWest Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
in 1731. In January of 1734, Morgan Morgan, among others, was appointed one of the 'Commission of the Peace.' He likely received a Patent for 1000 acres (4 km²) '[i]n the Forks of the Rappahannock River
Rappahannock River
The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length. It traverses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.An important river in American...
& Westwood of Sherrando River' on 12 Dec 1734. In 1735, he 'presented unto Court his military commission and was sworn thereto'. He engineered the first road in West Virginia. The road went from Mill Creek to Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
and was some 12 miles (19.3 km) long. Morgan Morgan constructed Mill Creek Church. It was the first church of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
. He became a community leader serving first as Justice of the Peace and Captain of the Militia. He later acquired the title "Colonel". He opened the first Inn for Pioneer travelers. He is reported to have consulted with George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. Morgan Morgan was the Presiding judge when the first Frederick County Court met in Winchester in 1742. Also in 1742, he 'presented another, promoting him to the rank of Major.'
He died at Bunker Hill, Berkeley County, in what is now Bunker Hill, West Virginia
Bunker Hill, West Virginia
Bunker Hill is an unincorporated town in Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States located on Winchester Pike at its junction with West Virginia Secondary Route 26 south of Martinsburg. It is the site of the confluence of Torytown Run and Mill Creek, a tributary of Opequon Creek...
and was buried in the Morgan Chapel Graveyard.
Family
Morgan had eight children by his wife, the former Catherine Garretson. One son, David MorganDavid Morgan (frontiersman)
David Morgan was a famous frontiersman in what is now the state of West Virginia. He was the third child of Morgan Morgan, traditionally stated to be the first white settler in West Virginia. David was a friend of George Washington and Patrick Henry....
, became famous as an Indian fighter due to an encounter with Delaware natives at his homestead. David developed the area now known as Fairmont, West Virginia
Fairmont, West Virginia
Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. Nicknamed "The Friendly City". The population was 18,704 at the 2010 census...
. Another son, Zackquill
Zackquill Morgan
Colonel Zackquill Morgan was a son of Welsh-born Colonel Morgan Morgan, the first known white settler in what would become the U.S. state of West Virginia, and his wife, Catherine Garretson. Zackquill Morgan's very unusual Christian name is spelled many different ways in old records...
, founded Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...
. Francis Harrison Pierpont, governor of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and later West Virginia, was a descendant of Colonel Morgan. Morgan Morgan held military and civil positions in colonial VA which entitled his female descendants to membership in the Colonial Dames of America. In addition to settling West Virginia, Morgan's descendants founded Marion County
Marion County, West Virginia
| style="float:right;"|As of the census of 2000, there were 56,598 people, 23,652 households, and 15,515 families residing in the county. The population density was 183 people per square mile . There were 26,660 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile...
, Fairmont
Fairmont, West Virginia
Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. Nicknamed "The Friendly City". The population was 18,704 at the 2010 census...
and Morgantown
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...
.
Firsts
Morgan Morgan is credited with many firsts:- First permanent white settler of present-day West Virginia
- First church founder
- First civil officer
- First judicial officer
- First commissioned military officer
- First licensed tavern keeper
- First engineer of roads, as well as builder of the first road (about 12 miles (19.3 km) long)
- First militia organized, 1735, now the 201st National Guard