GENEALOGICAL NOTES AND ANECDOTES

ROBERT MORRIS, JR.: CHRIST CHURCH BURIAL GROUND

Robert MORRIS, Jr. lies interred in the burial ground immediately adjacent to Christ Church (founded 1719), Second and Market Streets, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania 19106 [(215) 922-1965].

Photo credit: Erik Lander <I s l a n d e r s a @ a o l . c o m>

Interred in the Political Graveyard of the larger burial ground of Christ Church at Fifth and Arch Streets are:

James Wilson (1742-1798). Born in Scotland, 14 September 1742. Delegate to Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, 1775; signer, Declaration of Independence, 1776; member, U.S. Constitutional Convention, 1787; Justice of U.S. Supreme Court, 1789-98. Died in Edenton, North Carolina, 28 August 28 1798. Original interment a private or family graveyard, Chowan County, North Carolina; reinterment in 1906 at Christ Church Burial Ground.

George Ross (1730-1779). Born in New Castle, Delaware, 10 May 1730. Delegate to Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, 1774; signer, Declaration of Independence, 1776; state court judge, 1779. Died 14 July 1779. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

Joseph Hewes (1730-1779). Born in Princeton, New Jersey, 23 January 1730. Member of North Carolina state legislature, 1766-75, 1778-79; Delegate to Continental Congress from North Carolina, 1774-77, 1779; signer, Declaration of Independence, 1776. Died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 10 November 1779. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). Uncle of Franklin Davenport; grandfather-in-law of Robert John Walker. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, 17 January 1706. Delegate to Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, 1775; signer, Declaration of Independence, 1776; U.S. Minister to France, 1778-85; President of Pennsylvania, 1785; member, U.S. Constitutional Convention, 1787. Died 17 April 1790. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791). Father of Joseph Hopkinson. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 21 September 1737. Delegate to Continental Congress from New Jersey, 1776; signer, Declaration of Independence, 1776; state court judge, 1779; delegate to Pennsylvania state constitutional convention, 1787; federal judge, 1789. Designed the Stars and Stripes. Died 9 May 1791. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

Benjamin Rush (1746-1813). Born in Byberry Township (now Philadelphia), Pennsylvania, 24 December 1746. Delegate to Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, 1776-77; signer, Declaration of Independence, 1776; served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19 April 1813. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

Pierce Butler (1744-1822). Born in Ireland, 11 July 1744. Delegate to Continental Congress from South Carolina, 1787; member, U.S. Constitutional Convention, 1787; U.S. Senator from South Carolina, 1789-96, 1802-04. Died 15 February 1822. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

Matthew Clarkson (1733-1800) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born in New York, New York. Delegate to Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, 1785; mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1792-96. Died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 5 October 1800. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

Thomas Willing (1731-1821). Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19 December 1731. State court judge, 1759; mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1763; justice of Pennsylvania state supreme court, 1767; Delegate to Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, 1775. Died 19 January 1821. Thomas Willing was the brother of Charles Willing (born 20 March 1738, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania), the business partner of Robert MORRIS, Jr. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

James Forbes (c.1731-1780). Born near Benedict, Md. State court judge, 1770; member of Maryland state house of delegates, 1777-78; Delegate to Continental Congress from Maryland, 1777-80. Died in Philadelphia, Pa., 25 March 1780. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

Henry Tazewell (1753-1799). Father of Littleton W. Tazewell. Born in Virginia. Member of Virginia state legislature, 1775; delegate to Virginia state constitutional convention, 1775; justice of Virginia state supreme court, 1785; U.S. Senator from Virginia, 1794-99. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground. Tazewell County, Virginia. is named for him.

Samuel Hardy (c.1758-1785). Born in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. Member of Virginia state legislature, 1778; Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, 1782; Delegate to Continental Congress from Virginia, 1783. Died while attending Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 17 October 1785. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground. Hardy County, West Virginia is named for him.

Samuel John Atlee (1739-1786). Born in Trenton, New Jersey Delegate to Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, 1778; member of Pennsylvania state legislature, 1782. Died at a session of the Pennsylvania Assembly at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 25 November 1786. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

William Henry Drayton (1742-1779). Born in South Carolina. Delegate to Continental Congress from South Carolina, 1778-79. Died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 3 September 1779. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

Thomas Smith (1745-1809). Born near Cruden, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. delegate to Pennsylvania state constitutional convention, 1776; member of Pennsylvania state house of representatives, 1776-80; Delegate to Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, 1781-82; common pleas court judge, 1791; justice of Pennsylvania state supreme court, 1794-1809. Died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 31 March 1809. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

Jacob Broom (1752-1810). Father of James Madison Broom. Member of Delaware state legislature, 1784-88; member, U.S. Constitutional Convention, 1787. Died 25 April 1810. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

Tench Coxe (1755-1824). Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 22, 1755. Delegate to Continental Congress from Pennsylvania, 1789. Died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 17 July 1824. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

John Dennis (1771-1806). Uncle of Littleton Purnell Dennis; father of John Dennis (1807-1859). Born in Worcester County, Maryland, 17 December 1771. Member of Maryland state house of delegates, 1793-95; U.S. Representative from Maryland, 1797-1805 (8th District 1797-1801, at-large 1801-05). Died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

Joseph Clay (1769-1811). Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 24 July 1769. U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 1st District, 1803-08. Died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 27 August 1811. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

John Goddard Watmough (1793-1861). Born in Delaware. U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 3rd District, 1831-35. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

Michael Woolston Ash (1789-1858) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 5 March 1789. Served in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812; U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 3rd District, 1835-37. Died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 14 December 1858. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

John Cadwalader (1805-1879). Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1 April 1805. U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 5th District, 1855-57; Judge of U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1858. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

Charles Lee (1731-1782). Major General in the Revolutionary War, called by his biographer the "knight-errant of liberty." Lee was born a native of England in 1731 and entered his father's (John Lee, christened 20 March 1696) regiment as an ensign in 1747. On 2 May, 1751, he became a Lieutenant in the British 44th Foot Regiment. He served in the French and Indian War as a Captain and married the daughter of a Seneca Indian chief. He returned to England in the winter of 1760-61 and was apponited Major of the 103rd Regiment by August, 1761. In the following year he served with real distinction under Burgoyne in Portugal. In 1763 he retired from the British Army at half-pay when his regiment was disbanded. In 1765 Lee became a soldier of fortune in the Polish Army where he got to be on intimate terms with King Stanislaus Poniatowski. In 1767 he was promoted to Major General and returned to England for two years and displayed criticism of the government. In 1769 he returned to Poland again to fight the Turks and was invalided home the next year. In 1773 Lee went to America and he was aware of the potential for personal advancement among the revolutionaries as a soldier with his experience and influence. He urged patriot leaders to raise an army, and in May, 1774, started buying real estate to gain leverage in recommending himself to Congress as an officer in the army. Still at half-pay from his British service, Lee's articulate speech and his good pamphleteering moved Congress to appoint him Major General on 17 June, 1775. He was subordinate only to Washington and Ward. Lee forsaw the confiscation of his property in Britain as a consequence to his acceptance of his commission and arranged for Congress to compensate him for it. Lee then paid for his Virginia property with the advancement from Congress. During the retreat to the Delaware, Lee reacted in such a way as to raise suspicion that he hoped for Washington's defeat so that he may succeed him. Shortly after, Lee had written several letters to different generals within Washington's command that openly showed he questioned Washington's abilities and actions. On 13 Dec., 1776, Lee was captured by the British at Basking Ridge. It was disclosed over 70 years later that as a prisoner Lee secretly submitted to his captors a plan for ending the rebellion by an offensive that would destabilize the Continental Army by gaining the control of the middle colonies of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Whether his plans were actually for such intentions or were a plot for him to advance himself by a double-dealing "timely" counter plan for the Continentals is not clear, especially since the British ignored the plan. Lee was returned in a prisoner exchange in April,1778 and complained to Congress about the promotion of others while he was prisoner. General Lee was, at the time of the Battle of Monmouth, the second in command of the Continental Army, under Gen. Washington. In the battle Lee had his first test as a field commander. In the opinion of many of his contemporaries, he failed miserably at it. Lee was in charge of the advance guard that was sent out by Washington to engage the British as they departed Monmouth Courthouse. He led a very confused and poorly planned attack that ended in eventual retreat. As a consequence to his actions in this battle, as well as his actions in other campaigns, there is much speculation as to his loyalty to the Continental Army and America in general. There was undoubtedly an intensely political relationship between Washington and himself. This relationship, combined with Lee's actions and outward disrespect for Washington, resulted in Lee being court martialed after this battle. Died 2 October 1782. Interment at Christ Church Burial Ground.

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RETURN: Descendants of Andrew Morris (ABT 1685 - 1728)

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