Robert Hunter Morris (February 15, 1808 – October 24, 1855) was an attorney and the 64th Mayor of New York City.

Early career

Morris was born in New York City. His father Robert Morris, a prominent judge, moved the family to

Claverack, New York Claverack is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 6,021 at the 2010 census. The town name is a corruption for the Dutch word “Klaverakker” for "Clover Fields" or "Clover Reach". In 1705, the first discovery ...

, where Morris was raised. He attended Washington Seminary, afterwards studying law and attaining admission to the bar. He initially practiced in Columbia County before moving to New York City. He served as an assistant to U.S. Attorney James A. Hamilton and as a member of the New York State Assembly in 1833 and 1834. In 1838, New York Governor William L. Marcy appointed Morris

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 ...

, a position equivalent to a deputy mayor. He served in that capacity until 1841, when Governor

William H. Seward William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined oppon ...

removed him from office in connection with the Glentworth scandal.

Glentworth incident

The Glentworth conspiracy involved a plot by tobacco inspector James B. Glentworth to send workers from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

to New York under the guise of laying pipes for the city, but in reality to cast votes for Whig Presidential candidate

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...

. Morris, the district attorney, and then-Mayor Isaac Varian feared that documents essential to the ensuing grand jury would be destroyed, and so went personally to seize the documents. Governor Seward removed Morris from office for his actions.

Later career

Morris, a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, became involved in the

Tammany Hall Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...

political machine in the early 1840s. He was elected mayor in 1841 by a slim margin, and again in 1842 and 1843 by more substantial margins. While serving as mayor in 1841, Morris took part in the investigation and arrest of

John C. Colt John Caldwell Colt (March 1, 1810 – November 18, 1842), the brother of Samuel Colt of Colt firearm fame, was an American fur trader, bookkeeper, law clerk, and convicted murderer. He served briefly as a U.S. Marine, forging a letter to g ...

for the murder of Samuel Adams. In 1845 Morris was appointed Postmaster of New York City, and he served until 1849. In 1852 he became a justice of the New York Supreme Court. Morris died in New York City on October 24, 1855. He was buried at St. Ann's Episcopal Church in South Bronx.

References

Bibliography

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Obituary Addresses on the Occasion of the Death of the Hon. Robert H. Morris
'. 1855. Hayes, Hincks, Carey and Kempston. {{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Robert H. Mayors of New York City Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly 1808 births 1855 deaths People from Columbia County, New York New York City Recorders Claverack College alumni New York Supreme Court Justices Postmasters of New York City 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges