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As with all genealogy, the following outline is a work in progress. Isaac and Belinda are third great-grandparents; I have no relicts or family stories about them; their information is strictly from research and collaboration with fellow descendants over the past twenty years.
If you are related and have additional information or corrections you'd like to share or just want to say hello, please drop me a line -- John McDowell Morris (jmcdmorris@comcast.net)
Isaac and Belinda (aka Malinda) were married 4-25-1826 in Davidson County, Tennessee, then geographically much bigger than today (Nashville and environs). The Cumberland River facilitated travel from North Carolina and southwestern Virginia and northwest towards Clarksville, Montgomery County, TN, just about 7 miles south of Christian and Todd Counties in Kentucky. The Cumberland veers back south and west before returning to its northwestward flow and crosses into Kentucky in western Trigg County, then merges with the Tennessee River where Trigg ends and Marshall County begins before emptying into the Ohio River at Paducah.
These two Tennesse counties along with seven in Kentucky (the four above plus Graves and Hickman in the west and Muhlenberg to the northeast of Todd, would cover much of the Morris story through the end of the 19th century with the addition of Ozark County in Missouri, and Lonoke, Arkansas and Fulton counties in Arkansas. A tight data grouping the statisticians might say, but what does it mean?
I can only conjecture but unmerited speculation is my specialty so here it is:
First, all are slave states. Other than Isaac having one slave in 1850, I've not found much evidence of slave ownership, but they came from southern states, they married folks from southern states, and they lived in and around slavery until it ended. That said, I've found none that served in the Confederate Army, several that did fight in the Union Army, and several that moved north to Indiana during or just after the Civil War.
Second, these were and are places where land is a little less expensive than average. Isaac and Belinda did not start from a high station. I've found no trace of Isaac's signature and Belinda coud neither read nor write. There's no evidence of land ownership, wills or estates; it appears they and their children were itinerant farmers, laborers, and sharecroppers, looking to find some land to call their own. Some children succeeded and some did not but almost all the grandchildren were land owners at some point.
Third, although not all 13 children and 66+ grandchildren were equally close, the intermarriages with common families (see below), migration to common places, and onverlapping children's names suggest to me many kept in touch and were looking out for each other.
- 1. Isaac Morris: b. about 1798 in North Carolina; d. last record is the birth of daughter Myra 5-10-1855 in Christian County, Kentucky
m. Belinda (also Malinda) Little: b. 1810-1812 in Tennessee; d. about 1889 in Cadiz, Trigg Co., KY where she is buried.
- 1.a. Clementine (Minnie?) Morris: b. about 1828 probably in Davidson Co., TN; d. after the 1870 census in Graves Co., KY
m. Benjamin Franklin Herndon: b. about 1822 in Virginia; d. after the 1880 census in Hickman Co., KY.
They had six children.
- 1.b. Benjamin M. Morris: b. about 1829 probably in Davidson Co., TN; d. after the 1880 census in Lonoke Co., AR
m. (1) Catherine Myre Coon: b. about 1835 in Christian Co., KY; d. probably after 1862 (probably in Christian Co., KY) but I've last found her in the 1860 census.
They had five children.
m. (2) Susan Belle Boyd: b. about 1850 in Kentucky; d. after 1880 census in Lonoke Co., AR
They had at least four children.
- 1.c. Thomas (J. or I.) Morris: b. November, 1832 probably in Davidson Co., TN; d. 1908 in Carrabelle, Franklin Co., FL
m. (1) Emily J. Coon: b. about 1835 in Christian Co., KY; d. 1867-1869 probably in Gibson Co., IN
They had nine children.
m. (2) Nancy S. Collings: b. about 1838 in Indiana; d. after the 1880 census where she appears with the family in Trigg County, KY
m. (3) Unknown Wife (cousin Claude Carter Morris mentioned a third wife but I neglected to ask him for this name...
- 1.d. Jeremiah C. (Jerry) Morris: b. about 1833 probably in Davidson Co., TN; d. after birth of youngest daughter Rosa Lee 1873-74 in Christian or Trigg Counties, KY
m. to Sarah Hardin (b. about 1835 in Tennessee; d. after 1880 census)
They had at least six children.
- 1.e. Lucy Ann Morris: b. about 1835 in Tennessee; d. after 1880 census in Trigg County, KY
m. William M. Coon b. 1834-1837 in Christian Co., KY; d. 1897
They had at least five chidren
- 1.f. James B. Morris: b. about 1837 in Tennessee; d. after 1850 when he appears in the 1850 census in Christian County, Kentucky.
He could have married a Susan Armstrong in 1860 but I cannot find him in 1860 or 1870 censuses or the 1863 Civil War draft U.S. Civil War Draft Registration records. The simplest scenario is that he died sometime between 1850 and 1860.
- 1.g. William Madison Morris: b. August, 1839 probably in Todd Co., KY; d. 3-19-1909 in Oakland, Warren Co., KY
m. (1) Sarah C. Coon: b. ?; d. about 1863 in Kentucky (probably Christian County)
m. (2) Sarah Jane Janes: b. about 1844 in Tennessee; d. about 1865 in Kentucky (probably Christian or Muhlenberg County)
m. (3) Mary Frances Gordon: b. April, 1848 in Kentucky; d. after 1900 where she appears in the Hopkins County census with William
William had at least seven children by his three wives
- 1.h. Henry Clay Morris: b. 1840 probably in Todd Co., KY; d. 1927 in Trigg Co., KY; unmarried and no issue
- 1.i. Frelinghuysen (aka Freling Hiram) Morris: b. 11-25-1844 in Todd or Christian Co., KY; d. 12-21-1912 in Bakersfield, Ozark Co., MO
m. Martha Ann Janes.: b. 8-17-1846 probably in Lincoln Co., TN; d. 1-13-1936 in Bakersfield, Ozark Co., MO
They had eight children
- 1.j. Zach Taylor (aka Gustavus D.) Morris: b. about 1847 in Todd or Christian Co., KY; d. 1881-1888 probably in Trigg Co., KY
m. Ruth Elizabeth Broadbent: b. 1-11-1850 in Kentucky; d. 3-26-1934
They had five children; Ruth would marry (2) Daniel Augustus Cherry, brother of Racheal Cherry, first wife of James B. Morris
- 1.k. Mary E. Morris: b. about January, 1850 probably in Christian Co., KY; parents are missing from the 1860 and 1870 censuses so her fate is unknown
BUT, could she be the otherwise unknown Nancy E. Morris, b. 1849 in Kentucky who m. 1863 to Thomas Charles Janes who has 3 siblings who married into the Morris family?
- 1.l. Reuben Ross Morris: b. December, 1852 in Christian Co., KY; d. 7-1-1916 in Wallonia, Trigg Co., KY
m. Mary Ann Broadbent: b. 7-27-1855 in Christian Co., KY; d. 2-4-1946 in Wallonia, Trigg Co., KY
They had eleven children; Mary was sister to Zach/Gus's wife Ruth Elizabeth Broadbent
- 1.m. Myra Morris: b. 5-10-1855 or 1856 in Christian Co., KY; d. before 1860 probably in Christian Co.
The following families intermarried with the children and/or grandchildren of Isaac and Belinda Morris three or more times and some intermarried with each other. Originally from North Carolina and Virginia, these families all intersected in Christian County, Kentucky and overlapped for at least 15 years in the middle of the 19th century before gradually dispersing. They seemed to have built a sense of connection to each other and data shows them grouping and regrouping, visiting and helping each other out. The following are particularly notable families:
The Coon Family (also spelled Koon and Koons)
The Coon family in question was headed by John Coon, b. about 1794 in Virginia. He is in Todd County for the 1820 census and then Christian County for 1830, 1840, 1850, and 1860 censuses where he is last listed age 70.
His wife was listed in his marriage license as Maria H. Herndon but the minister named the bride as Martha W. Herndon. Given the family tradition of name changes, one can only speculate. But, the 1850 and 1860 censuses name her as Martha W., b. in Virginia sometime 1804-1808.
The 1820 census appears to show a first wife and one young child but their impact on the Morris story is unknown.
John had three children of particular interest, all with wife Martha. To whit:
- Third child, Catherine Myre Coon married Benjamin M. Morris above. Son John J. Morris may have been named for John Coon and daughter Malinda Morris may have been named for Belinda/Malinda Morris.
- Fourth child, Emily J. Coon married Thomas Morris above. No children were named Isaac, Belinda/Malinda, John, or Martha...
- Fifth child, William M. Coon married Lucy A. Morris above. They named their first daughter Martha, second son John, and third son Thomas Benjamin!
Benjamin and Catherine were the first to marry - 12/30/1850 in Christian County, KY where Benjamin was working for the Allensworth family as a farm overseer and the rest of the Isaac Morris family (other than oldest daughter Clementine), was also in Christian County in close proximity to the Coons family (two households apart in the 1850 census)
Thomas and Emily married in adjacent Montgomery County, TN 12/17/1851
William and Lucy then married, probably 1852-1854 though I've not found a date.
The Herndon Family
You might think this refers to Martha W. Herndon but it does not. I've found three other Herndons, Polly, James, and Edmond who also married in Christian County during the 1820's. Their relationship to each other is plausible but uncertain at this point. Some have connected our Martha as a daughter to Joseph and Martha (Coleman) Herndon but the timelines are just off, the wealth gap between Joseph and Martha's family and the Coons is too wide, the large slaveholdings among the Joseph Herndon family don't jibe with John's lack of slaves are all negative considerations. In addition, Joseph's children seem to have moved farther south to North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Mississippi. I can't see that any went to Kentucky.
So, that brings us to Benjamin Franklin Herndon, born in Virginia about 1822. Given that the father of Joseph Herndon above was also named Benjamin Franklin Herndon, the connection would seem obvious, but if it exists, it eludes me. The connection between Benjamin Franklin Herndon and Martha W. Herndon is not obvious to me either. More research aboub the late 18th and early 19th century Herndon families might provide some answers. But for now, the connection to the Morrises is clear and begins about 1847-1848 when Benjamin most likely married Isaac and Belinda's eldest daughter Clementine, I'm guessing in Montgomery County, Tennessee. Here are the entanglements:
- Benjamn Franklin Herndon m. Clementine Morris (above) they named their sons Thomas E., J. W., Gustavus D., and Benjamin F. and daughters Elizabeth V. and Sarah Belle.
- Their son Thomas E. Herndon m. Elizabeth Katherine Janes (see below)
- Isaac and Belinda's second-youngest son, Zachary Taylor Morris would change his name by the 1880 census to Gustavus D. Morris, perhaps in honor of his sister's brother-in-law...
The Janes (also spelled Jaynes) Family
A Melchisedech/Melcizadek/etc. Charles Janes was born August, 1819 in Tennessee and appears in Lincoln County, TN in the 1850 census (directly south of Nashville, just north of Huntsville, Alabama)
1820 censuses show 60+ Janes households in Tennessee, none in Lincoln County but at least a dozen in Maury County, TN, SSW of Nashville and, maybe coincidentsally, the location of wealthy Joseph Herndon family above...
M. C. Janes and wife Zilpha Ann Pace had eight children. The Janes family connections are as follows:
- Eldest son Thomas Charles m. 1-2-1863 in Montgomery County, TN to a Nancy E. Morris (her vitals match up to Isaac's daughter Mary E. and Nancy appears on the scene as Mary disappears - could they be the same person)
- Eldest daughter Sarah Jane Janes m. William Madison Morris (above) 1-14-1863 in Christian County. M. C. and William provided the surety.
- Second eldest daughter Martha Ann Janes m. Frelinghuysen Morris 1-2-1866 in Christian County.
- Fourth daughter, Elizabeth Katherine Janes m. Thomas E. Herndon (Ben and Catherine's eldest son) 8-31-1868 in Christian County.
- Frelinghuysen and Martha (Janes) Morris' daughter Katie Maye Morris would marry 4-22-1911 in Comanche Co., OK to Melchizadek Charles Jaynes (b. about 1889 in Kentucky). I have not found his connection to the OG Melchizadek but I'm sure it's there...
My thanks and appreciation to cousins Todd Dorsett and Shirley (McFedters) Hale who long ago broadened my awareness of Isaac's fmily, and of course to Anne Morris for her 'Morris Milestones'!
Extended Morris Family Census and Draft Locales, 1820-1900
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