Robert Hunter Morris ( – 27 January 1764), was a prominent governmental figure in Colonial Pennsylvania, serving as governor of Pennsylvania and Chief Justice of the
New Jersey Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases challenging th ...
.
Early life and education
Morris was born in 1700 in
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Lewis Morris and Isabella ( née Graham) Morris and named after his father's friend the future colonial governor Robert Hunter. His older brother was Lewis Morris Jr. who served as a member and
speaker of the New York General Assembly
The Speaker of the New York General Assembly was the highest official in the New York General Assembly, the first representative governing body in New York from 1683 to 1775 when the assembly disbanded after the outbreak of the American Revolution ...
. His father was very prominent in public life and variously served as chief justice of New York and as the 8th Colonial Governor of New Jersey.
His paternal grandparents were Sarah (née Pole) Morris and Richard Morris, who was originally from Monmouthshire,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. His grandparents bought Morrisania from Samuel Edsall in 1670 and moved there from
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...
. His mother was the eldest daughter of James Graham, who served as the first
Speaker of the New York General Assembly
The Speaker of the New York General Assembly was the highest official in the New York General Assembly, the first representative governing body in New York from 1683 to 1775 when the assembly disbanded after the outbreak of the American Revolution ...
and the first
Recorder of New York City
The Recorder of New York City was a municipal officer of New York City from 1683 until 1907. He was at times a judge of the Court of General Sessions, the Court of Special Sessions, and the New York Court of Common Pleas; Vice-President of the Boar ...
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, was a grandson of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose.
He received what was described at the time as a "liberal education", and received additional training from his father in politics.
Political career
When his father was named
Governor of New Jersey
The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official r ...
in 1738, his son's name appeared on his list of councilors. Less than a year later, Governor Morris named Robert the chief justice of the provincial Supreme Court. His commission was set to run "during good behavior of same", which differed from that of his predecessor, Robert Lettis Hooper, whose term was determined to run "through the royal pleasure". His term was marked by increased punctuality and efficiency. During his term in 1744 he was elected a member of
The American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...
. Following a long trip to England in 1749, he was made Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania in 1754 and elected a
Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathemat ...
in 1755 after his return.
He served as Deputy Governor from 1754 to 1756, during the
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...
. (Early governors of Pennsylvania were referred to as "deputy governors" because
Thomas Penn
Thomas Penn (8 March 1702 – 21 March 1775) was an English landowner and mercer who was the chief proprietor of Pennsylvania from 1746 to 1775. Penn is best known for his involvement in negotiating the Walking Purchase, a contested land cessi ...
, who resided in England, was the official "Governor", as well as one of the proprietors of the province along with his brother, Richard Penn. He often clashed with the Assembly over proposals to emit paper money to fund the war. In the spring of 1756, Morris announced volunteer scalping parties. These scalping parties were "the only way to clear our Frontier of Savages", according to Morris's councilor, James Hamilton. He was the uncle of Congressman Lewis Morris of New York.
During the second half of 1755, the contest between the proprietors of the Colony of Pennsylvania (the
Penn family
William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy an ...
) and the
Pennsylvania Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania ...
became a duel between Morris and
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
. The main point of contention was the adamant refusal of the Penns to countenance any tax upon their lands in Pennsylvania, even for provincial defense. During the summer and autumn of 1755, while the frontier burned and the settlers fled for their lives from attacks by French-friendly Indians, the proprietors and the Assembly locked in legislative stalemate. Morris defended the proprietors and Franklin spoke for the people of Pennsylvania.
In late July, 1755, the Assembly authorized the expenditure of 50,000 pounds for provincial defense following the defeat of Major General
Edward Braddock
Major-General Edward Braddock (January 1695 – 13 July 1755) was a British officer and commander-in-chief for the Thirteen Colonies during the start of the French and Indian War (1754–1763), the North American front of what is known in Europe ...
by the French and Indian soldiers near
Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne (, ; originally called ''Fort Du Quesne'') was a fort French colonization of the Americas, established by the French in 1754, at the confluence of the Allegheny River, Allegheny and Monongahela River, Monongahela rivers. It was lat ...
in western Pennsylvania. To raise the money, the Assembly approved a property tax, applicable to all real and personal property within the province. Morris vetoed the tax bill with suggestions for amendment that would exempt the proprietary estates.
Franklin drafted the Assembly's response, the gist of which was that taxing the proprietary estates, along with all the other estates in the province, was "perfectly equitable and just." Eventually, Morris admitted that the terms of his commission prohibited his accepting any measure that taxed the proprietary estates. This prompted Franklin to bypass Morris and take on the proprietors themselves, which led to Franklin's removal to London in 1757 to argue the Assembly's side in the dispute with the proprietors.
In 1756, Morris resigned his commission as Chief Justice (which was not accepted) and made another long trip to England. Wiliam Aynsley was made Chief Justice in his absence. When Morris returned in 1760, he claimed he was still Chief Justice on the grounds that his resignation had never been formally accepted. As Aynsley had died and Morris was the best person available to fill the post, he was reinstated and served in that capacity until his own death in 1764.
Personal life
Morris was married to Elizabeth Stogdell (1673–1752). Together, they were the parents of:
* Robert Morris (1745–1815), a prominent judge who corresponded with
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...
.
* Mary Morris (1746–1831), who in 1765 married Dr. James Boggs, a surgeon who left New York for
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native Eng ...
during the Revolution.
Morris died on 27 January 1764 in
Shrewsbury, New Jersey
Shrewsbury is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. Centrally located in the Jersey Shore region in the New York Metropolitan area, the borough is an historic bedroom community of New York City. As of the 2010 United States ...