Lewis Morris (governor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lewis Morris
8th Colonial Governor of New Jersey
In office 1738–1746
Monarch	George II
Preceded by	John Hamilton as Acting Governor
Succeeded by	John Hamilton as Acting Governor
Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court
In office 1715–1733
Preceded by	Roger Mompesson
Succeeded by	James De Lancey
Personal details
Born	15 October 1671 Morrisania, Province of New York
Died	21 May 1746(1746-05-21) (aged 74) Kingsbury (near Trenton), New Jersey
Spouses	Isabella Graham ​ ​ (m. 1691)​
Children	Euphemia, Mary, Sarah, Lewis, Robert, Anne, Arabella, Isabella, Margaret, Elizabeth, John, Daniel, Nancy, James
Parents	Richard Morris Sarah Pole Morris

Lewis Morris (born October 15, 1671 – died May 21, 1746) was an important person in early American history. He was a top judge in New York and later became the first British governor of New Jersey. He also owned a large estate called Morrisania in what is now The Bronx, New York City.

Early Life and Family

Lewis Morris was born in 1671 on his family's estate in what is now The Bronx, New York. His parents were Richard and Sarah Morris. The family had moved their estate from Barbados to New York in 1670. At that time, their land was known as Broncksland, named after an early settler, Jonas Bronck.

Sadly, both of Lewis's parents died in 1672, when he was just a baby. This left him as the owner of the large Morrisania estate. Since he was so young, five important citizens of Westchester County were put in charge of the estate.

Growing Up with His Uncle

Lewis's uncle, also named Lewis Morris, heard about his nephew's situation from Barbados. He quickly moved to Morrisania to care for young Lewis and manage the estate. His uncle worked hard to get back some of the family's property that had been taken. He even managed to get more land for the estate.

When his uncle and aunt, who had no children of their own, passed away, the grown-up Lewis Morris officially inherited the estate in 1691.

Political Career

Lewis Morris was interested in politics from a young age. He first became involved in government in 1692, serving on the East New Jersey Provincial Council. This council helped govern the eastern part of New Jersey.

Changes in New Jersey Government

In the late 1690s, the governments of East and West Jersey were not working well. Because of this, the owners of these colonies gave their right to govern to Queen Anne. In 1702, Queen Anne's government combined the two colonies into one royal colony called the Province of New Jersey. This meant it was directly controlled by the British Crown.

In 1703, Lewis Morris was appointed to the new New Jersey Provincial Council. He served on this council, with some breaks, under seven different governors. For much of this time, he was the President of the Council.

Conflicts with Governors

Morris often disagreed with Governor Viscount Cornbury. Cornbury even suspended Morris from the council twice. The first time, Morris apologized and was allowed back. But the second time, in 1704, Cornbury suspended him again.

In 1707, Morris was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly. After Governor Cornbury was removed from office, Morris was put back on the Council. He had a good relationship with Governor Robert Hunter.

Becoming Governor of New Jersey

Later, Sir William Cosby became governor of both New York and New Jersey. Cosby was not very interested in New Jersey politics. He had a big disagreement with Morris because of a court decision in New York. Morris was the Chief Justice there and wrote an opinion that Cosby found very offensive.

In 1738, New Jersey asked the British Crown to have its own separate governor, instead of sharing one with New York. Lewis Morris was chosen to be the first distinct Governor of New Jersey. He served in this role until he died in 1746.

Work in New York

On March 16, 1715, Lewis Morris was appointed Chief Justice of New York. When William Cosby became governor in 1732, Morris was a strong critic of his actions. People who opposed Governor Cosby were even called "Morrisites."

In 1733, Morris was the judge in a case involving Governor Cosby. Even though the court decided in Cosby's favor, Morris wrote a separate opinion that disagreed with the main decision. This made Cosby very angry. Morris not only gave his written opinion to the governor but also had it printed for everyone to read. He wrote that judges should be free to make decisions without fear of the governor.

Because of this, Governor Cosby removed Morris from his position as Chief Justice. This event was very important and led to the famous John Peter Zenger trial. This trial helped establish the idea of freedom of speech in the United States in America.

Personal Life

On November 3, 1691, Lewis Morris married Isabella Graham (1673–1752). Isabella was the daughter of James Graham, who was the Speaker of the New York General Assembly.

Lewis and Isabella had many children together, including:

• Mary Morris (1695–around 1746)
• Sarah Morris (1697–1736)
• Lewis Morris Jr. (1698–1762)
• Robert Hunter Morris (1700–1764), who became the Chief Justice of New Jersey.
• Anne Morris (1706–1781)
• Arabella Morris (born 1708)
• Isabella Morris (born around 1705)
• Euphemia Morris (around 1710–1756)
• Margaret Morris (born around 1711)
• Elizabeth Morris (1712–1784)
• John Morris (died 1737)
• Nancy Morris (died young)
• James Morris
• Daniel Morris (1702–1784)

Governor Lewis Morris passed away on May 21, 1746, near Trenton. He is buried in the Morris family crypt at St. Ann's Church in The Bronx.

Legacy and Descendants

Through his children, Lewis Morris became the grandfather of many famous Americans. These include:

• Lewis Morris (1726–1798), who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
• Gen. Staats Long Morris (1728–1800).
• New York Chief Justice Richard Morris.
• New Jersey Chief Justice Robert Morris (1745-1815).
• U.S. Senator and Founding Father Gouverneur Morris (1752–1816).

Places Named After Morris

Several places are named after Lewis Morris, including:

• Morris County, New Jersey
• Morristown, New Jersey
• Morris Township, New Jersey
• Morris Plains, New Jersey
• Lewis Morris County Park, New Jersey