John Morton: PA Signer of the Declaration of Independence
- katellashisadventure
- 4 hours ago
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John Morton was born in 1724 in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania, to John and Mary (Archer) Morton. His father died shortly after he was born in 1725. Morton’s family ancestry can be traced back to Sweden, where his Great-Great Grandfather Martti Martisen was born in Rautalampi, Finland. He came to Pennsylvania in 1650. His mother’s family can be traced back to Bartle Eschellson, whose name was first seen in 1644.
His mother, Mary, marries an Englishman named John Sketchley. Sketchley played a prominent role in Morton’s life and educated him at home. He teaches him surveying, reading, math, and morality. Little else is known about his childhood, other than that he was involved in church activities. As a young adult, he would help his neighbors with their financial books, survey their properties, advocate for them when necessary, and advise them on various issues.
It is not clear when he married Ann Justice, but it is believed to have occurred in 1748 or 1749. They would have nine children, with all but one surviving Morton. Their first son, Arron, was born in 1751. He would marry Francis Annit, and they would move to Ohio. His next son, Sketchley, was born in 1753 and passed away in 1795. He was a major in the Continental Army and married Rebecca Taylor. They have several children, but the exact number is not verifiable. Their first daughter, Rebecca, was born in 1753 but died as an infant. Their next daughter, Mary, was born on June 17, 1754, and she married Charles Justis. Her date of death is unknown. John was born in 1755 and became a surgeon. He dies as a prisoner of War on the Falmouth in New York Harbor. Sarah and Elizabeth were born in 1759 and 1760, respectively. It is unknown what becomes of Sarah, but Elizabeth dies unmarried of consumption. Their last two children are daughters, Lydia and Ann, born in 1761 and 1763. Ann marries Captain John Davis, who fought in the Revolution.
In 1756, Morton was elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly and served until 1767. He would be appointed to attend the Stamp Act Congress in 1765 and bring back a report of the proceedings. During this time, he would also start his legal career and would serve in a variety of positions until 1774. In 1766, he was appointed Sheriff of Chester County after his friend, Phillip Ford, the sheriff, passed away. As a result, he had to give up his seat in the Assembly. He was returned to the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1769 and would serve until 1776. He was a very active member and was chosen Speaker of the Assembly in 1774 as well as a delegate to the First Continental Congress. During his tenure as a representative in the Pennsylvania Assembly, he was also a Justice of the Orphans’ Court. He served in that position from 1770 until March 25, 1774. He was offered a colonelcy in the Pennsylvania volunteer corps but declined due to his other duties. He would serve a total of eighteen terms during his two tenures as a representative.
He attended the First Continental Congress at Carpenter Hall in Philadelphia and, in November of 1775, was re-elected to the Second Continental Congress. He wrote to Thomas Powell, a London Merchant, in June of 1775:
“We are preparing for the worst that can happen viz, a civil war. I sincerely wish reconciliation; I hope Time will manifest to the World that a steady Perseverance in the Cause of Freedom will triumph over the deep lay’d Schemes of Tyranny, & that Britain & America will again be united on the solid Foundation of Commerce & the Constitution… You have declared the New England People Rebels, & other Provinces Aiders & Abettors, this is putting the Halter about our necks, & we may as well die by the Sword as be hang’d like Rebels, this has made the People desperate.”[1]
Since so few of his letters have survived over the years, it gives historians a good insight into his thinking. He was a moderate, and the people he represents oppose the Declaration, but he votes “yes” after several delegates lobby him on the issue. This makes him unpopular among his constituency, and he was ostracized by some of his neighbors. Legend has it that Pennsylvania is called the “Keystone State” because of Morton’s vote. Without Pennsylvania, we would not have had a cohesive union, and the Declaration may not have been adopted.[2]However, he signed the Declaration on August 2, 1776, and never regretted his decision.
He served as Chairman of the Committee of the Whole on several occasions and was heavily involved in drafting the Articles of Confederation. During this time, he spends many days away from home, as it was a hard fourteen-mile trip to Ridley, where his family was. It takes half a day to make the trip, and this would lead to his health problems that sprang up during his Congressional service. He passed away in April of 1777 from severe inflammatory fever in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. He was buried in St. Paul’s Churchyard in Chester, Pennsylvania, where the old church once stood. Today, the graveyard is unkempt and located next to a business building. He willed his land, property, and the few slaves he owned to his wife and children. It is alleged that on his deathbed, he said, “tell them that they will live to see the hour when they shall acknowledge it to have been the most glorious service that I ever rendered my country.” However, this account of his last words appeared in written works long after his death, and it cannot be verified that he said it for certain. Morton had been badly treated by his neighbors and even by members of his own family when he joined the patriot cause.
Two months after Morton passed away, Dr. Rush wrote to Anthony Wayne telling him, “Honest John Morton, your old correspondent, it is said, died of grief at the prospect of the misery he foresaw would be brought upon Pennsylvania by her present form of government.”[3] Many people have since taken this statement to mean that Morton was rejecting his vote for independence, but it was actually regarding the government of Pennsylvania at the time, not the Declaration. This was not an unusual statement, as other Pennsylvania signers who were also representatives in the Assembly, such as George Clymer and James Wilson, were not happy with the new State Constitution and expressed this sentiment as well.
Unfortunately, just five months after Morton’s death, his wife and family would flee across the Delaware River, taking as many valuables as possible to Billingsport, New Jersey. They were fleeing the British after the Battle of Brandywine. Unfortunately, she could not take everything, and many of Morton’s papers and their possessions were destroyed by the British. In November of 1782, she filed an account of losses with the Pennsylvania Government pursuant to an act of the General Assembly.
Tidbits He is the first signer to die He had a pleasant manner and good judgment and was Episcopalian. He was very involved in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the Swedish Church in Chester, PA |
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