MOREY
From the files of Stephen M. Lawson
Benoni and Huldah (Brown) Morey

Benoni MOREY - b. Apr. 10, 1758, Charlton, MA; d. Apr.
1821, Bradford, Orange Co., VT. Son of Ephraim
MOREY
and Abigail DANIELS. Benoni enlisted in May, 1777, for
three years, and served as a matross and as a gunner during the
Revolutionary War (file S41018)
in
the artillery regiment of Col. John Crane or the Massachusetts
line, and in the company commanded by Capt. Jotham Drury, and
later by Lt. Capt. David Cook. Before discharge in May, 1780,
at Morristown, NJ, Benoni participated in the battles of Brandywine,
Monmouth, and at the seige of Rhode Island under Gen. John Sullivan.
Benoni and Huldah moved to Orford, Grafton Co., NH, in early 1781,
where their children were born. Census records: Orford,
Grafton Co., NH, 1790 - 4-1-2, and 1800
- 40110/11010; Peacham,
Caledonia Co., VT, 1810 - 00001/10001. On Apr. 3, 1818, in
Orange Co., VT, Benoni Morey, a resident of the town of Bradford,
appeared in court to make affidavit for his application for a
Revolutionary War Pension. He said he was sixty years old, described
his War service, and Judge COTTON declared Benoni was "poor
and indigent and needs support from his country." He received
Pension Certificate No. 6331. On Jun. 19, 1820, he appeared in
the Caledonia Co., VT, court at Danville to declare that he still
needed a pension. He was then a resident of Barnet. "I am
by occupation a Loubouer and in midling health for my age. I have
no wife and my children have all become of age and I live with
my son." His property listed included 2 oxen, 2 calves, "one
old cracked five pail kettle," "one old pot and a few
old books," one hoe, and one jack knife, for a total value
of $77.10. His debts were $74.58. Married Jan. 25, 1781, Charlton,
MA.
Huldah BROWN - b. Feb. 4, 1759, Charlton, MA; d. Nov.
25, 1815. Daughter of David BROWN and
Mindwell CUMMINS.
Children of Benoni and Huldah Morey
- Eli - b. Jun. 24, 1781, Orford, Grafton
Co., NH; d. Apr. 28, 1853, Lee Center, Lee Co., IL.
- Ira - b. Feb. 5, 1783, Orford, Grafton Co., NH; d. 1869, West
Bridgewater, MA. Married first Jun. 16, 1808, Experience SHAW (b. Aug.
18, 1782; d. Jan. 29, 1831), and second Oct. 27, 1831, Betsey TAINTER
(b. May 20, 1791; d. Apr. 16, 1869). Children of Ira and Experience
MOREY: William Washburn married first Celinda OSBORN, and second Lydia
CONVERSE; Benjamin Shaw married Sarah A.; David Brown married Almira
BAILEY (their son Herbert E.
MOREY married Abbie Ellen BEALE); Ira married Hannah Marilla
HERRICK; Huldah Galpin married Allen LEACH as his second wife; Emily
Wheeler; Isaiah Shaw; Mary Jane married Allen LEACH as his first wife;
and Christian Southworth married Lucius KEITH.
- Huldah - b. Nov. 11, 1784, Orford, Grafton Co., NH.
- Phila - b. Feb. 25, 1786, Orford, Grafton Co., NH. Married 1807
(Sep. 14 or Oct. 4?), Groton, VT, Harvey WOODWARD. Children of Phila
and Harvey WOODWARD: Benoni Morey; George; Harvey married Mary Abigail
TUCKER; Sylvester; Almira; Elizabeth; and Simeon.
- Benoni - b. Apr. 27, 1788, Orford, Grafton Co., NH; d. Apr. 24,
1874. Moved with his family to Preble, Cortland Co., NY by 1833, when
he appears in the account book of Gilbert & Howard. Married Jun. 2,
1811, Peacham, VT, Sally MARTIN (b. 1795, Barnett, Caldonia Co., VT; d.
May 8, 1844), daughter of Eliphalet MARTIN and Lois WARNER. Children:
Elvira; Charlotte married William F. BYRNE; Elias married Ann PLOMTAUX;
Ira; Elisa married Henry VAN VALKENBURGH; Abijah married Harriet Jane
WEBSTER; and Andrew M. married Regina PALMER.
- David - b. Aug. 15, 1790, Orford, Grafton Co., NH; d. Jan. 29,
1803, Orford, Grafton Co., NH.
- Mindwell - b. Apr. 16, 1793, Orford, Grafton Co., NH. Married May
20, 1813 at Peacham, Caldonia Co., VT to Willard LAMB. Children of
Mindwell and Willard LAMB: Reuben; Benoni S.; Leonard L. died as
infant; Persis L. married Mr. CHAFFIN; and twin children.
- Twin - b. Apr. 13, 1795, Orford, Grafton Co., NH; d. as infant.
- Twin - b. Apr. 13, 1795, Orford, Grafton Co., NH; d. as infant.
- Elijah Brown - b. Mar. 23, 1796, Orford, Grafton Co., NH; d. May
27, 1860, Bedford, MI; bur. May 28, 1860, Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle
Creek, MI. The Cortland County censuses record 1 male and 3 females in
1825, and 2 males and 4 females in 1835. Married Jan. 9, 1820, Preble,
Cortland Co., NY, Mary T. DAVIS (b. Apr. 7, 1800, Coxsackie, NY; d.
Jul. 7, 1870, Decatur, VanBuren Co., MI; bur. Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle
Creek, MI). Children: Harriet Emeline died at age 9 years 4 months;
twins died as infants; Elizabeth died at age 15 months; Elizabeth
Rosalia married her third cousin Jerome RAWSON (son of Amariah RAWSON
and Betsey CARPENTER); Malintha Emerette married Levi W. SMITH; Mary
Emeline married first Alexander HERRING, and second Warren M. KING;
Almeron Warren married Helen CHURCH; Louisa C. married Henry MASON; and
Eliza.
- A child - b. 1798; d. Oct. 20, 1801, Orford, Grafton Co., NH.
- Elizabeth - b. May 31, 1802, Orford, Grafton Co., NH.
Eli and Sophronia (Mason) Morey
Eli MOREY - b. Jun. 24, 1781, Orford, Grafton Co., NH;
d. Apr. 28, 1853, Lee Center, Lee Co., IL; bur. Inlet
Grove Cemetery [photo],
Lee Co., IL. Son of Benoni MOREY and Huldah
BROWN. Eli's grave marker, photographed in 1987, gives age
as 71 years 10 months. His birth is on record in the Orford Clerk's
office (Book 1, 1781). Eli lived near his father at the time of
the 1810 census of Caledonia
Co., VT. He appears in the 1820
census
of Preble, Cortland Co., NY: 100010/12020. The Cortland
County state censuses record 3 males and 4 females in 1825, and
2 males and 2 females in 1835. The 'other woman' in the household
was Mary ATWOOD, sister of Sophronia. Eli joined the Preble
Presbyterian
Church in Aug. 1813. The following minutes of the Session of the
Preble Presbyterian Church give some background leading to the
excommunication of Eli MOREY on May 19, 1828 [the "former
records" referred to have not been located]:
Dec. 31, 1827. The case of Eli Morey was then called up -- But
this: Eli Morey not having been duly notified of the present meeting of
the Session, process in his case was deferred till Monday the 14th of
Jany to wait on him the aforesaid Eli Morey as recorded at the last
meeting of the Session.
Jan. 14, 1828. The case of Eli Morey was again called up, but the
above named Eli Morey having been duly notified of the present meeting
of the Session & requested to appear comes not -- Therefore
resolves by the Session now here the Br. Eli Morey be admonished for
his sin of intemperance & frequent violation of the Sabbath whereof
he stands convicted on his own confession (see former records p. 172)
& that he be cited to appear at the next meeting of the Session at
the house of Oliver Cravatt on Monday the 28th at 5:00 pm.
Eli appears in the 1830
census of Cortland Co., NY. He moved to Calhoun Co., MI in
1837, and was elected a Justice of Peace of Pennfield Township
in Apr. 1838. He appears in the 1840
census
of Penfield, Calhoun Co., MI as a male age 50-60, with
a male age 15-20 (probably son Edwin), and a female age 40-50
(probably wife Sophronia) in the household. In the 1850
census of Calhoun Co., MI, Eli and his sister-in-law Mary
were living next door to Elijah Mason MOREY's family. Subsequently,
Eli lived with son Edwin, in whose home he and Mary (MASON) ATWOOD
died. Eli and Sophronia were married about 1804.
Sophronia MASON - b. Feb. 21, 1781, Pomfret, Windsor
Co., VT; d. by 1850, probably in Calhoun Co., MI. Sophronia joined
the Preble Presbyterian Church in Aug. 1813 by letter, and was
dismissed in Oct. 1836. Daughter of Elijah
MASON
and Sarah CHILD.
Children of Eli and Sophronia Morey
- Sarah - b. Sep. 5, 1804, Peacham, Caledonia Co., VT. Married
first before 1837 Mr. WRIGHT (d. before 1850), and second Mr. LAKE.
Children: Bela and Ellen F. WRIGHT; Daphne LAKE; and perhaps Phebe S.
LAKE.
- Lydia - b. Oct. 6, 1808, Peacham, Caledonia Co., VT; d. by Dec.
1832, Cortland Co., NY. Married Daniel CRANDALL, a farmer of Homer, NY.
- Isabelle - b. Mar. 9, 1812, Peacham, Caledonia Co., VT. Married
Dec. 2, 1832, Preble Presbyterian Church, Cortland Co., NY Daniel
CRANDALL, her sister's widower.
- Elijah Mason - b. May 2, 1815,
Preble, Cortland Co., NY; d. Aug. 13, 1850, Penfield Township, Calhoun
Co., MI.
- Edwin - b. Sep. 13, 1820, Preble, Cortland Co., NY; d. Jun. 29,
1888, Lee Co., IL; bur. Inlet Grove Cemetery. His grave marker gives
death date of Jun. 29, 1888 (photographed 1987,
with other family grave markers). Married Mar. 28, 1849, Amboy, Lee
Co., IL, Harriet Harper MAYO (b. Oct. 17, 1829, Winsor, Broome Co., NY;
d. Feb. 5, 1915, Wheaton, IL; bur. Inlet Grove Cemetery, Lee Co., IL),
daughter of Nicholas MAYO and Philotia. Photos of Harriet and eight of her
children were shared by descendant Norma Ore. Children of Edwin and
Harriet MOREY: Mason L.; Mary Sophronia married Oliver Perry JOHNSON;
Albert H. did not marry; George Edgar married Ella Rebecca DERR; Lettie
Emily married Dr. Gustave SCHREIBER; Frank E. died at age 11 months;
Sarah Isabelle married William Owen MORRIS; Charles Marion married
Grace Augusta McLAUGHLIN; Elsie R. married Charles T. CAMPLAN; Edwin
Lee.
- Lucy C. - b. 1823; d. Dec. 1898, Battle Creek, MI; bur. Dec. 30,
1898, Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle Creek, MI. Married at Battle Creek, MI,
Elisha ANDRUS (b. 1812; d. Aug. 1873, Battle Creek, MI; bur. Aug. 22,
1873, Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle Creek, MI). Children: Charles F.;
Marion F.; Eddie; and Jennie L. married David J. BARBER.