M. about 1637 in (probably) Salem, Massachusetts
Wife: Margaret Norman
D. 1672 in Beverly, Massachusetts
Robert Morgan was highly regarded by his church and community, but in his old age one of his young sons committed a crime, and this may have affected his standing with the people around him.
Robert’s origins are somewhat of a mystery. His birth year was about 1601 which is estimated from a deposition he gave years later. Some believe he was born to Thomas Morgan and Catherine Herbert of Llanrumney, Wales, but with his name being a common one, there's no way to really connect him.
There are two stories of when and where Robert arrived in America. One says he came into Plymouth in 1621, but the ship named in this claim doesn't have his name on the passenger list. The other story has Robert arriving on a ship in 1635 that deposited him in Jamestown, Virginia. Then he made his way somehow to the New England colony. There was a Robert Morgan age 33 on a ship's passenger list landing at Jamestown that year, but there is nothing verifying that this is the same man who went to Salem.
Robert first turned up in Salem when he was granted 20 acres of land in 1636. He was said to be a cooper (barrel maker). On April 27, 1638, Robert was called to court in Salem and charged with “being overseen in drink,” meaning he had gotten intoxicated in public; he was fined 10 shillings for the offense.
About 1637, he married Margaret Norman, and they had eight children, seven of them boys. Robert was admitted to the church of Salem in 1650, and had several of his children baptized on June 23rd. The part of Salem where they lived was called Cape Ann side, which later became the town of Beverly. In 1667, Robert was one of the "leading men" to help build a new meeting house for Reverend John Hale.
Robert was frequently mentioned as "Brother Morgan" in church records. He was mentioned in the description of Reverend Hale's ordination proceedings in 1667. On November 17th of that year, his wife Margaret was admitted to the Covenant. On July 24th of the following year, five of his children were admitted to the church.
Then something seems to have happened that caused Robert’s family to be omitted from further reference—his 19-year-old son Benjamin conspired with a friend to steal some horses. To make matters worse, he lied about his involvement, then lashed out at the officials who charged him. When Benjamin was brought before the church leaders on December 16, 1668, he refused to cooperate, and they came down very hard on him. At a second hearing on January 3, 1669, the officials charged Benjamin with being “a stupefied sinner,” and declared “he was by the censure of excommunication delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the soul might be saved in the Day of Christ.”
Book written by Reverend Hale after the Salem witch trials.
After Benjamin was thrown out of the church, Robert no longer appeared in their records. Was this a coincidence? Or is there a clear connection between the actions of Benjamin and the absence of his father? It would seem that the second is more likely. Puritans believed the community had a “collective responsibility for maintaining [a family’s] individual integrity.” A son who defied the rules so recklessly would reflect on his father, and this would force someone like Robert to either support Benjamin or disown him. Perhaps he felt that his family came first, and this was his downfall.
Robert died in Beverly sometime in 1672 between October 14th, when his will was written, and December 10th, when an inventory of his estate was taken. Reverend Hale, who usually noted the death of important members of the church, never mentioned Robert's death. Benjamin inherited his father’s land near Reverend Hale's property, but unfortunately, he didn't outlive his father by very long; he and his brother Moses were killed during an Indian attack at Cape Porpoise, Maine in 1677.
Because so many of his children died young, Robert didn’t leave as many descendants as others of his generation. He was only known to have two who were famous: First Lady Grace Coolidge and John Kerry.
1. Samuel Morgan — B. 1638, Salem, Massachusetts; D. Dec 1698, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. (1) Elizabeth Dixey (1641-1690), 15 Oct 1658; (2) Mary Phippen (1644-?), about 1692, Massachusetts
2. Luke Morgan — B. 1644, Salem, Massachusetts; D. Apr 1732, Cape Sable, Nova Scotia
3. Joseph Morgan — B. 1646, Salem, Massachusetts; D. 23 Oct 1731, Beverly, Massachusetts; M. Deborah Hart, 12 Jul 1669, Lynn, Massachusetts
4. Benjamin Morgan — B. about 1649, Salem, Massachusetts; D. 1677, Cape Porpoise, Maine
5. Robert Morgan — B. 15 Oct 1650, Salem, Massachusetts; D. 15 Dec 1650, Salem, Massachusetts
6. Bethiah Morgan — B. before 29 May 1653, Salem, Massachusetts; D. before Sep 1718, (probably) Amesbury, Massachusetts; M. Samuel Weed (1652-?), about 12 Mar 1676, Massachusetts
7. Moses Morgan — B. about 1655; D. 1677, Cape Porpoise, Maine
8. Aaron Morgan — B. 24 May 1663, Salem, Massachusetts; D. young
Sources:
New England families, genealogical and memorial, Vol. 2, William Richard Cutter, 1913
Records of the First Church in Beverly, Massachusetts, 1667-1772, 1905
Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, David Hackett Fischer, 1989
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