Existing comment:
Lewis Morris, 1726-1798
As third lord of the manor of Morrisania (today the Bronx), Lewis Morris possessed thousands of acres of land worked, in the feudal tradition, by tenant farmers and slaves. His assets increased when he married Mary Walton, the daughter of a successful merchant, in 1749 (just about the time that John Wollaston, a trained English artist, arrived on the scene).
Morris entered into New York's rough-and-tumble provincial politics in 1768, and was one of the bold ones who pushed cautious New York toward rebellion. Chosen as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress, Morris was on duty as brigadier general in the Westchester Militia when the Declaration of Independence was adopted, but he returned to Philadelphia and signed the document in September.
by John Wallaston, c 1750 |