USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Historic homes and places and genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume III > Part 3
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He married, in Philadelphia, December 18, 1872, Emma J. Scott, who was born July 19, 1845, in May's Landing, New Jersey, daughter of John Hancock and Mary (Pennington) Scott. Her father was born in Burlington, New Jersey. Her grandfather, John Scott, married Hannah Eldridge. Mrs. Roberts is a member of the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution,
through her mother's grandfather, Nathan Pennington. (See Pennington family). Children of George Morrison and Emma J. Roberts: I. Virginia H., born November 13, 1873, at Malden, Massachusetts. 2. Richard Briggs, born Octo- ber 7, 1877, died May 20, 1879. 3. Alexander Pennington, born November 9, 1882, employ- ed by Pennsylvania Railroad, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
MORRISON Daniel Morrison, the immi- grant ancestor, was born about 1668, undoubtedly of Scotch ancestry, but whether born in England or Scotland is yet unknown. He settled in Newbury, Massachusetts, before 1690, and was a farmer there for many years afterward. On May 20, 1695, he and Thomas Staples pur- chased of Abiel Long and wife Hannah, eigh- teen acres of land. On February 28, 1696, he was one of sixty-four persons taxed for build- ing the West End meeting-house. On March iii-7
14, 1699-1700, then of Newbury, he bought of Moses Chase of that town fifteen acres; Feb- ruary 3, 1706-07, he purchased of Stephen Greenleaf, of Newbury, twenty-seven acres, known as the "Rate" lot. He married (first) Hannah Griffin, daughter of John and Lydia (Shatswell). Griffin. Lydia was a daughter of Theophilus Shatswell, son of Theophilus, Sr., of Haverhill, Massachusetts. Hannah (Grif- fin) Morrison was born in Bradford, Massa- chusetts, with her twin brother, John Shats- well, April 2, 1671, and died in Newbury, Oc- tober 9, 1700. His widow, Lydia Griffin, and children deeded to Stephen Barker, April 7, 1709, for one hundred and five pounds a tract of one hundred and seventy-eight acres of land given to the Widow Griffin by her father, Theophilus Shatswell. This land was on the north side of the Merrimac river at Haverhill. In this deed Daniel Morrison signs in behalf of his former wife, Hannah Griffin. Daniel bought land June 20, 1710, in partnership with his brother-in-law, Thomas Staples. He deed- ed forty acres of land in Newbury "for love and affection," March 16, 1726, to his son John. He sold for seven hundred and ninety pounds a house and thirty-two acres of land, probably his homestead, April 1, 1731, to Tim- othy Morse, and bought a home in Rowley, Massachusetts, of John Stevens, December 23, 1731, with thirty acres of land. He and his wife Mary deeded the thirty acres at Rowley, for love and affection, to Roger Chase and his wife Abigail of Newbury, mentioning dwelling house, barn and orchard. His wife Hannah died October 9, 1700. Daniel Morrison mar- ried (second), March 27, 1707, Mary, daugh- ter of Deacon John Foulsom, of Exeter, New Hampshire. She was born September 27, 1664, died February 14, 17II. He married
(third) Mary -, who survived him. His will is dated November 3, 1736, and was proved May 10, 1737. To his wife Mary he gave ten pounds bills of credit, "provided she accept of this last will and testament. In case she does not accept this my last will, then I do not give her anything. The reason why I thus deal with her is because I have given her forty pounds, which she hath disposed of, which money was in lieu of a bargain made between us before marriage."
Children : I. Daniel, born in Newbury, August 1, 1691, resided in Rowley. 2. John, born in Newbury, March 28, 1693, mentioned below. 3. Hannah, born in Newbury, Janu- ary 27, 1695-96. 4. Ebenezer, born in New- bury, October 6, 1697, resided in Stratham,
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New Hampshire. 5. Mary, born in Newbury, March 20, 1699, married Charles Annis. 6. Abigail, married Roger Chase, of Newbury, March 16, 1725. Children of second wife: 7. Lydia (twin), born February 4, 1710. 8. Beriah (twin), born February 4, 1710. Twins born and died April I and 2, 1712. The other twins also died young.
(II) John Morrison, son of Daniel Morri- son (I), was born in Newbury, Massachusetts, March 28, 1693. He was attracted to land in Exeter, New Hampshire, and on December 9, 1717, bought land and a house on the north side of the King's Highway in Exeter of Na- thaniel Ladd, of Stratham. He was a resident of Newbury. On March 16, 1726, he received a deed of gift from his father Daniel, forty acres of land in Newbury, on the Bradford road. Later he was a resident of Haverhill, apparently in the east parish ; was a rate-payer there in 1741 and signed petitions there in 1743 and 1748. His will recorded at Salem, Massachusetts, was dated August 18, 1769, and proved February 27, 1770. He was a cordwainer or shoemaker by trade. He mar- ried Lydia Robinson. She was allowed one hundred and thirty-four pounds, five shillings, five-pence out of her husband's estate which was rendered insolvent September 24, 1770. His son-in-law, John Goodrich, was executor. Children: I. Bradbury, mentioned below. 2. Daniel, settled in Gilmanton or Kingston, New Hampshire. 3. David, born 1732-33, lived in Sanbornton, New Hampshire. 4. Samuel, re- sided in Sanbornton. 5. Ebenezer, resided in Sanbornton. 6. Jeremiah "went to some un- known region." 7. Hannah. 8. Abigail, mar- ried Folsom, of Gilmanton, New Hampshire. 9. Lydia, married John Good- rich. 10. Jonathan, died young. II. Molly. 12. John, resided in Epping, New Hampshire.
(III) Bradbury Morrison, son of John Morrison (2), was born March I, 1720. He married Elizabeth who was born March 22, 1723. He was living in Epping as early as 1740 and until a'fter 1760, as his rates for the latter year were abated. He died before the execution of his father's will, February 27, 1770. He died in Exeter in 1767. His widow married (second) John Philbrook and followed her son, Jonathan Morrison, to live in Sanbornton where she died April 24, 1797, aged seventy-four. Chil- dren, born at Epping: I. Jonathan, born Sep- tember 28, 1740, died young. 2. Sarah, born April 9, 1742, married Jonathan Smith, of Sanbornton. 3. Abigail, born August 5, 1744,
died 1777; married John Johnson. 4. Eliza- beth, born January 20, 1747, married, May 18, 1801, William Smith ; died at Sanbornton, De- cember 24, 1837. 5. Mary, born October I, 1750, married Rowe. 6. Lydia, born October 24, 1752. 7. Marriann, born Novem- ber 20, 1756. 8. Jonathan, born June 28, 1759, mentioned below.
(IV) Jonathan Morrison, son of Bradbury Morrison (3), was born in Epping, New Hampshire, June 28, 1759. He settled with others of the family in Sanbornton, New Hampshire, where he was first employed by Captain Aaron Sanborn at the Square and was there injured by a falling tree, having a thigh broken and a shoulder dislocated. The history of Sanbornton states that he "was confined forty days at Captain Sanborn's and attended by Dr. Hugo March, the first physi- cian, neither of whom would take any pay for services or for board or care." Afterward he was able to take part in the Revolutionary war on three different enlistments, being present at the surrender of Burgoyne. He married Es- ther J. Perkins, daughter of Abraham Per- kins, in 1782, and settled on a farm east of Steele's Hill where his sons resided later. He died there June 20, 1848, aged eighty-nine, and his wife, August 24, 1856, aged ninety- four. Children : I. Jeremiah, born August 27, 1783, died December 26, 1864. 2. Jona- than, born March 12, 1785. 3. John Badger, born March 18, 1787. 4. Bradbury, born Jan- uary 22, 1789. 5. Miriam, born March I, 1791, married Rev. Samuel Thompson, Free Will Baptist clergyman at Holderness. 6 Molly Brewer, born February 28, 1794, mar- ried Thomas Webster, of Sanbornton. 7. Ab- igail, born March 25, 1796, married Moses Cheney, of New Holderness, June 23, 1816; resided at Peterborough and Ashland, New Hampshire; was paper manufacturer; son Pren Burbank Cheney, born December 10, 1817, graduate of Dartmouth College, founder of the Free Baptist School at Lewiston, Maine, in 1854, now Bates College, of which he was the first president; another son, Hon. Person Colby Cheney, born February 25, 1828, paper maker, mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire; state railroad commissioner ; governor of New Hampshire in 1875-76. 8. Matthew, born January 26, 1799, died No- vember 13, 1834, at Holderness. 9. Anna Wadleigh, born February 14, 1801, married Person Cheney; their son John Tirrell Che- ney, born February 25, 1830, was colonel in the Civil war; Person Cheney, Jr., born May
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19, 1831, paper maker in Ashland, New Hampshire ; hotel proprietor ; mayor of Dix- on, Illinois. 10. Elizabeth, born November 2, 1804, mentioned below. II. Abraham Per- kins, born October 5, 1806. 12. Simon Rowe, born October 14, 1808.
(V) Elizabeth Morrison, daughter of Jo- nathan Morrison (4), was born in Sanborn- ton, New Hampshire, November 2, 1804, mar- ried, February 19, 1837, George Roberts. (See Roberts sketch).
Mrs. George M. Roberts is a lineal de- scendant on the paternal side of Henry Scott, one of the London ten commissioners who se- cured from the Crown ten thousand acres of soil on this side of the Atlantic Ocean in what is now Burlington county, New Jersey, being one of the early settlers of that region. The old homestead (now owned by Joseph Scott) stands near the present site of the Masonic Home of New Jersey, which was erected on a portion of the Scott farm. The early members of the Scott family were Quakers, but later generations have become identified with lead- ing other religious denominations.
John Scott, grandfather of Mrs. George M, Roberts, was a resident of Burlington, New Jersey, resided on the old homestead, was widely known, honored and respected as a good citizen and a man of the strictest integ- rity, and he and his family were members of the Episcopal church. He married Hannah Eldridge, of Burlington, New Jersey, whose ancestors were among the first settlers of West New Jersey, coming from England. The children born of this union were: Eliza, mar- ried Joseph Thompson, of Burlington, New Jersey. Margaret, married Thomas Hancock, of Burlington, New Jersey. Warren, who married the widow Copeland. Joseph D. Na- than. John Hancock, see forward. Hannah, who was a resident of Burlington, died No- vember 27, 1907. Maria, died in early life.
John Hancock Scott, father of : Mrs. George M. Roberts, was born on the old Scott homestead, and at different times resided in Burlington, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania, and Petersburg, Virginia. He was a contractor and railroad builder, and in this capacity became well known throughout Bur- lington and Atlantic counties, New Jersey, be- ing an expert in his special line of work. He was a prosperous, useful citizen of the cities in which he made his home, an active member and liberal supporter of the Presbyterian church, and a leading factor in every worthy cause that tended toward the betterment of
mankind. He married Mary Pennington, daughter of John Pennington, of Mays Land- ing, New Jersey, and their children were: Joanna Margaret, born January 2, 1836, died March 8, 1859. 2. Mary Virginia, born Sep- tember 15, 1837, died February 18, 1868. Was married in the Presbyterian church of Milford, Delaware, March 30, 1858, by Rev. John Mears, to Alexander Newell Hall, two children: Mary Pennington, born at Milford, Delaware, May 6, 1860, married, in Philadel- phia, June 24, 1880, Edward Hallowell Bar- rister, one son, Edward Scott Barrister, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 4, 1884; Isabel Virginia, born in Milford, Dela- ware, February 22, 1864, died April 12, 1866. 3. Francis Marion, born September 18, 1839, retired sea captain, resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Was married in Philadelphia, November 13, 1876, by the Rev. Dr. Allen to Catherine Godfrey. 4. Alfred Ellis, born July 15, 1841, sea captain, resides in Milford, Del- aware. Was married at Portsmouth, Vir- ginia, October 2, 1887, Emma L. Gray Chit- tenden, of Milford, Delaware. 5. Eliza Thompson, born July 28, 1843, died February 9, 1888. Married, January 16, 1868, Samuel A. Short, children: Virginia Hall, born No- vember 15, 1868; Howard Pennington, Sep- tember 20, 1870; Samuel A., Jr., April 27, 1874; Alice, December II, 1877 ; George, De- cember 25, 1879, died October 25, 1881. 6. Emma Johnson, born July 19, 1845, wife of George M. Roberts, resides at Malden, Massa- chusetts. 7. Maria Fitzellen, born May 9, 1847, resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 8. Anna Taylor, born March 10, 1851, mar- ried, in Philadelphia, January 9, 1878, Dr. Theodore N. Jerman ; resides in Holmesburg, Pennsylvania. 9. Lewis Pennington, born February 9, 1854, died December 2, 1907. For several years he was an actor of considerable promise, and for a number of years a com- mercial traveler in the carpet trade. In 1888 he came to Atlantic City, New Jersey, and in 1895 was elected county clerk for a term of five years, and was his own successor until his death. During his administration of the office there were decided reforms ; the records of the office were doubly indexed and all the work conducted in a strictly modern manner. By his first wife, Isabel Godfrey, he had one daughter, Isabelle G. By his second wife, Catherine (Gifford) Scott, daughter of Cap- tain Daniel Gifford, of Mays Landing, whom he married at Mays Landing, New Jersey, February 15, 1888, five children : 1. Mary
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Gifford, born December 12, 1888. 2. Gifford, January 7, 1892. 3. Lewis, April 17, 1893. 4. Daniel, March 29, 1899. 5. Pennington, October 2, 1901. John Hancock Scott died at Petersburg, Virginia, about the year 1880. His wife died at Mays Landing, New Jersey, May 12, 1902.
PENNINGTON This family traces its lineage to Jamel de Pen- itone a person of note and affluence, who resided at Muncaster, in Cumberland, England, long before the Nor- man Conquest in 1066. His lineal descendant, Sir John de Penington, Knight, gave to Henry VI a secret reception in Muncaster Castle in 1456 and in return the king gave him a cur- iously wrought glass cup with the blessing to the family, that they should never want a male heir, so long as they should preserve it unbroken. This cup is still preserved, called "The Luck of Muncaster." A long list of Penningtons have been high sheriffs in Eng- land and Sir Isaac Pennington was a commis- sioner of the High Court which tried King Charles I. Edward Pennington, grandson of Sir Isaac, and brother of William Penn's first wife, came to Pennsylvania as surveyor gen- eral of the Province, and married Sarah Jen- nings, daughter of Samuel Jennings, the Quaker governor of West Jersey. He is the ancestor of the Philadelphia family of Pen- ningtons.
(I) Ephraim Pennington, the immigrant ancestor of this family, was born in England. He settled in New Haven, Connecticut, and in 1643 had a grant of land there. His home lot was on George street, on the south side of one of the original nine squares, which square is now subdivided by Orange street. At a general court in New Haven in 1648 he was admitted a freeman. In 1651 a little island in the East river was granted to him. He died about March, 1661, leaving a widow Mary and two children, Ephraim and Mary, who were baptized October 22, 1648, in New Haven. The court apportioned two-thirds of the estate to the son, the other third to the daughter. There is reason to believe that he was a son of Sir Isaac Pennington, mentioned above. Children: I. Ephraim, born 1645, mentioned below. 2. Mary, born 1646.
(II) Ephraim Pennington, son of Ephraim Pennington (I), was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1645; was baptized October 22, 1648; died about 1694. He married Mary Brackett, daughter of John Brackett or Brock-
ett, who signed the first covenant at New Haven and of Wallingford in 1690. They were married October 25, 1667, by John Clarke, at Milford. She was baptized in New Haven, September 28, 1646. In 1667 they re- moved to Newark, New Jersey, and settled. In 1673 when the Dutch exacted from the in- habitants the oath of allegiance, he and ten others were reported absent. Children : I. Ephraim, settled in Mendham, New Jersey. 2. Judah, mentioned below.
(III) Judah Pennington, son of Ephraim Pennington (2), was born about 1700; mar- ried Anne who died October 8, 1749,
aged fifty-seven. Children: I. Experience, born 1724, died September 18, 1741. 2. Sam- uel, born 1725, mentioned below.
(IV) Samuel Pennington, son of Judah Pennington (3), was born in 1725, died Aug- ust 6, 1791, aged sixty-six years. Married Mary Sanford, granddaughter of Major Wil- liam Sanford, of Barbadoes Neck, New Jer- sey, a councillor of New Jersey in 1682. She died April 24, 1805, aged eighty. Children : I. Judah, born 1749, died May 20, 1785. 2. Rachel, born 1752, died July 2, 1753. 3. Mary, born 1753, died January 29, 1835. 4. 5: Anna, born 1756, died April 15, 1837. William S., born 1757, died September 17, 1826, was governor of New Jersey from 1813 to 1815; his son William was governor from 1837 to 1843, inclusive. 6. Samuel, born 1765, died March 6, 1835. 7. Aaron, born 1770, died December 25, 1799. 8. Nathan, mentioned below. 9. Rachel, born 1774, died December 25, 1799.
(V) Nathan Pennington, son of Samuel Pennington (4), married Margaret Westcott Leonard, daughter of Colonel Richard and Margaret (Brazure) Westcott. His birth- place was Dutch Farms, near Newark, New Jersey. At the age of nineteen he enlisted in the Revolutionary army and was taken pris- oner, sent to Quebec and nearly died of star- vation. He finally escaped with others, one of their number mounting to the top of the wall by standing on the shoulders of others, who were pulled up by means of their bed clothing and lowered on the other side by the same improvised rope. He served also against the whiskey rebellion. He was a ship-builder by trade. He was the first member of the fam- ily to come to Atlantic county, New Jersey. He was at Chestnut Neck, New Jersey, in charge of captured property in the Revolu- tion when he married. He resided at Mays Landing, in a part called Pennington's Point,
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where was located the ship-yard in which he carried on his business. He died about 1809 in Newark where he was visiting. Children: I. William, born August 24, 1783, died 1836, in Philadelphia. 2. Ann, born February 13, 1786, died August 29, 1852, in Newark. 3.
Charlotte, born April 25, 1789, lived in Tren- ton. 4. John, born March 31, 1791, men- tioned below. 5. Samuel, born April 26, 1793, died February 13, 1855, in Louisville, Ken- tucky. 6. Maria, born May 15, 1796, died June 1854, in May's Landing. 7. Catherine, born April 29, 1801, died young. 8. Rebecca, born October 26, 1805, died March 17, 1865, at May's Landing. 9. James, born August 10, 1807, died June, 1865.
(VI) John Pennington, son of Nathan Pennington (5), was born March 31, 1791. Married Elizabeth Taylor, about 1812, at Wil- mington, Delaware. They lived at May's Landing, New Jersey. He was a sea captain, vessel owner, and for a time sheriff of the county. Children: I. Mary, born September 24, 1813, mentioned below. 2. Ann, born August 26, 1815, lived at May's Landing. 3. William, born July 7, 1818, sea captain, lived at Hudson City, New Jersey. 4. Margaret, born August 19, 1821. 5. John, born August 22, 1823, merchant at Athens, New York. 6. Hester, born October 13, 1825. 7. Elizabeth, born November 25, 1827. 8. Andrew, born October 12, 1830, planter, Columbia, North Carolina. 9. Lewis W., born October 16, 1833, who was a captain in the merchant ser- . vice in the Clyde line of steamers, sailing out of New York; he was a volunteer naval offi- cer during the Civil war, rising from the grade of acting master to a lieutenant commander at the close of the war. He performed gal- lant service during the war and served under Farragut, was present in the attacks on Forts Jackson and Philip on the Mississippi river, and captured one of the flags at the latter fort. IO. Sarah, born March 27, 1836.
(VII) Mary Pennington, daughter of John Pennington (6), was born in May's Landing, New Jersey, September 24, 1813, married, in 1836, John Hancock Scott. Their daughter, Emma J. Scott, born July 19, 1845, married, December 18, 1872, George M. Roberts. (See Morrison and Roberts family sketches).
TAFT Robert Taft or Taaffe, as the name was originally spelled, was born in Ireland about 1640 and died in Mendon, Massachusetts, February 8, 1725.
The Taft families of America are descended from the Robert Taft and a relative, Matthew Taft, who settled near Robert later. Both were Protestant Irish by birth. The name does not appear in Scotland in any form, and only in England apparently among descend- ants of the Irish family. The name has been spelled for some centuries Taaffe. It is true that the Tafts were associated with the Scotch-Irish just as many English were.
Sir William Taaffe, or Taft, a knight of the Protestant faith, was among the grantees at the time of the Scotch emigration and settle- ment in Ulster Province, Ireland, by order of King James. In 1610 he received a grant of one thousand acres of land in the parish of Castle Rahen in county Cavan. The total grants in this parish amounted to three thous- and nine hundred and ninety acres, of which Sir Thomas Ashe held one thousand five hun- dred acres, and in 1619 he also held this grant of Taft's and one thousand five hundred in the adjoining parish of Tullaghgarvy. On Taft's land there was "an old castle new mended and all the land was inhabited by Irish." It seems reasonable to suppose that Sir William Taft's sons settled on this grant. Perhaps Sir William remained in Louth. At any rate, this is the only family who had any relations with the Scotch-Irish settlers whom Robert and Matthew Taft seem to have been connected with in some way. County Louth, the Irish home of the Tafts, is on the north- ern coast, bounded by Armagh in Ulster, on the east by the British channel and on the south by the Boyne. It is in the province of Leinster, and was established as a county in I210.
Robert Taft emigrated to America and was first at Braintree, Massachusetts, where he owned a lot in 1678. He sold his Braintree land November 18, 1679, to Caleb Hobart, and about the same time bought his first land in Mendon. The town had just begun to re- cover from the baneful effects of King Phil- ip's war. He had confidence in the future and bought freely in the vicinity of Mendon Pond, becoming one of the largest property owners in that section. He evidently was a man of property and influence at the outset. He was a house-wright by trade. He was in the first board of selectmen of the organ- ized town of Mendon in 1680, and in the same year served on the committee to build the min- ister's house, evidently in good standing in the Puritan church. He and his sons built the first bridge across the river Mendon. In 1729
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his sons built the second bridge also. He was one of the purchasers of the tract of land from which the town of Sutton was formed. He married Sarah -- ----- , and their five sons all had large families and many descendants. Children : I. Thomas, born 1671, died 1755. 2. Robert, born 1674, mentioned below. 3. Daniel, died August 24, 1761. 4. Joseph, born 1680, died June 18, 1747. 5. Benjamin, born 1684, died 1766.
(II) Robert Taft, son of Robert Taft (I), was born in 1674. He settled on part of his father's land in what became Uxbridge, and lived there all his life. He was chosen select- man in 1727 at the first March meeting and re-elected many times. He was one of the leading citizens. In his will dated February 17, 1747-48, he mentions wife Elizabeth, chil- dren Jemima White, Robert, Israel, John and Gideon Taft, Mary Albee, Jane Morse and Alice Briggs. Children, all born at Mendon : I. Elizabeth, January 18, 1695-96, died young. 2. Robert, December 24, 1697, mentioned be- low. 3. Israel, April 26, 1699. 4. Mary, De- cember 21, 1700. 5. Elizabeth, June 18, 1704. 6. Alice, June 27, 1707. 7. Eunice, February 20, 1708-09. 8. John, December 18, 1710. 9. Jemina, April 1, 1713. 10. Gideon, October 4, 1714. II. Rebecca, March 15, I716.
(III) Robert Taft, son of Robert Taft (2), was born at Mendon, Massachusetts, Decem- ber 24, 1697. He resided in Mendon on part of the homestead. His sister married a Mar- vel and two of her children, Tristram and Margaret Marvel, are mentioned in the will of Robert Taft (2). Robert (3) died in 1760. His will dated June 25, 1760, mentions wife Mary and children Seth, Robert, Ebenezer, Deborah Keith, Abigail Smith, and Rhoda Thayer. Taft was a blacksmith by trade. He married Mary Chapin, daughter of Seth and Bethia Chapin. She was born "the last of April," 1700. Children, born at Mendon: I. Seth. 2. Robert, had a guardian in 1770. 3. Ebenezer, born December 8, 1735, mentioned below. 4. Deborah, married Keith. 5. Abigail, married Smith. 6. Rhoda, married William Thayer.
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