Lewis Richard Morris (November 2, 1760 – December 29, 1825) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

Early life

Morris was born in Scarsdale in the

Province of New York The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the U ...

to Sarah Ludlow (1730–1791) and Richard Morris (1730–1810), Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court from 1779 to 1790. Morris attended the common schools. While in his teens, Morris served as an aide to General

Philip Schuyler Philip John Schuyler (; November 18, 1804) was an American general in the Revolutionary War and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler. Born in Alb ...

and then to General

George Clinton (vice president) George Clinton (July 26, 1739April 20, 1812) was an American soldier and statesman, considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A prominent Democratic-Republican, Clinton served as the fourth vice president of the United States f ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. Morris was a nephew of

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 th ...

and Lewis Morris.

Career

In 1786, Morris moved to Springfield in the Vermont Republic and established himself as a businessman, landowner and politician. He served as

Secretary of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

from 1781 to 1783. He was a member of the Springfield meeting-house committee in 1785 and was

tax collector A tax collector (also called a taxman) is a person who collects unpaid taxes from other people or corporations. The term could also be applied to those who audit tax returns. Tax collectors are often portrayed as being evil, and in the modern wo ...

in 1786 and 1787. He served as a selectman on the town council in 1788, and as town treasurer from 1790 to 1794. Morris was Windsor County court clerk from 1789 to 1796. He served as judge of the Windsor County court until 1801. Morris was clerk of the Vermont House of Representatives in 1790 and 1791, and was a member of the convention to ratify the United States Constitution. He was secretary of the constitutional convention in Windsor in 1793. Morris attended the Vermont ratifying convention in

Bennington, Vermont Bennington is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. It is one of two shire towns (county seats) of the county, the other being Manchester. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 15,333. Bennington is the most populous t ...

, where he voted in support of the Constitution. On March 4, 1791, President

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

appointed him the first

U.S. Marshal The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforce ...

of the District of Vermont. He served as Marshal until 1794 and was succeeded by his deputy, Jabez G. Fitch. Morris was a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in the State militia in 1793 and

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

of the First Division from 1795 to 1817. He was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1795 to 1797 and 1803 to 1808, and served as

speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

. He was elected as a Federalist to the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Congresses, holding office from May 22, 1797, to March 3, 1803.

Personal life

Morris married Mary Dwight, daughter of Timothy and Mary Edwards Dwight, Hulda Theodosia Olcott, who died soon after their marriage and Ellen Hunt, daughter of Jonathan Huntbr>
Morris died on December 29, 1825, in

Springfield, Vermont Springfield is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,062. History The land currently recognized as Springfield is the traditional land of the Pennacook and Abenaki people. One of the ...

, and is interred at Forest Hill Cemetery in

Charlestown, New Hampshire Charlestown is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,806 at the 2020 census, down from 5,114 at the 2010 census. The town is home to Hubbard State Forest and the headquarters of the Student Conservation A ...

References

External links

The Political GraveyardUS Marshals Museumgovtrack.us

{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Lewis 1760 births 1825 deaths Morris family (Morrisania and New Jersey) People from Scarsdale, New York Members of the Vermont House of Representatives Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives Vermont state court judges Tax collectors Hunt family of Vermont People of pre-statehood Vermont Federalist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont People from Springfield, Vermont