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Author: HuntingtonV
Surnames: Morgan, Blakely, Copsey, Gilbert, Bliss, Everston, Street, Nixon, Bundy, White,
Hill, Rich, Emerson, Shoemaker
Classification: biography
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Message Board Post:
From Biographical Memoirs of Huntington County, Indiana, 1901, pages
355-358
Henry Chapin Morgan was born in Spartansburg, Randolph county, Indiana, June 19, 1877.
His father was then engaged in the dry-goods business. When Henry was about six years of
age his father moved to a farm near Winchester Indiana, where they lived for about four
years. In the meantime attended the country school in Greensfort township, Randolph
county, Indiana.
His father then moved to a farm near Warren, Huntington county, Indiana, where Henry
attended country school during four or five months of the year, spending the remainder of
the time attending to the duties connected with farm life. At fifteen, having creditably
finished his studies in the district schools, he entered the high school at Warren,
Indiana, where he spent two years, taking the complete high-school course in that time,
after which he attended school at the Central Normal College, Danville, Indiana. About
this time he began the study of law, and soon after entered the law office of Levi
Simmons, of Warren, Indiana, where he spent eighteen months under the direction of Mr.
Simmons. He then entered the Indiana Law School at Indianapolis, Indiana, where he
remained two years and had the degree of L. B. conferred on him. He also spent some time
studying and reading under Pierre Gray, son of ex-Governor Gray, in the year 1898-99, and
later was under the direct sup!
ervision of Judge Leander J. Monks, judge of the supreme court of Indiana. The months
intervening between June and September he spent in the law office of Maurice L. Spencer,
Huntington, Indiana, and was admitted to the bar of Huntington county June 20, 1899. On
June 1, 1900, he began the practice of law at Huntington, Indiana, where he is now
located.
In politics Mr. Morgan is a Republican, and takes an active part in local and state
politics, having at one time been the state secretary of the State Republican College
League, but resigned this position to take up the practice of law. He is a member of
Colonel C. E. Briant Camp, No. 8, Division of Indiana, Sons of Veterans; of La Fontaine
Lodge, No. 42, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; of the Indiana State Bar Association; of
the Indiana Sons of the American Revolution, under State No. 197 and National No. 11722;
he is also a member of the Christian church of Warren, Indiana, having united with that
church January 1, 1899.
On December 2, 1900, he was married to D. Maurine Blakely, of Peru, Indiana, the elder
daughter of Richard and Mary Blakely, and a talented violinist-having received a
scholarship at the Metropolitan School of Music at Indianapolis, Indiana, studying under
Hugh McGibony, a graduate of Brussels, Germany.
Richard H. Blakely was born near Wapakoneta, Auglaize county, Ohio, on September 7, 1850;
his wife, Mary B. (Lacey) Blakely, was born near the same place January 13, 1853. Richard
was the son of Joseph Monroe Blakely and Nancy Copsey.
William Morgan, the earliest ancestor of whom our subject has any knowledge, was the son
of Sir John Morgan, who was a descendant through a long line of Ivors, Llewellyns and
Morgans, who were descendants from Cadivorfaws, a chieftain in Dryfed or Pembrokeshire,
who died in 1089.
Captain Miles Morgan, the emigrant and founder of the family in America, was born at
Llandaff, Wales, in April, 1616, and died at Springfield, Massachusetts, May 28, 1699,
aged eighty-three years. He was the youngest son of William Morgan, who moved from
Llandaff, Wales, to Bristol, England, and became a merchant there prior to 1635.
In February, 1636, John, Joseph and Miles Morgan sailed from Bristol, England, to try
their fortunes in the "Land of Flowers" (America). They arrived at Boston the
following April, 1636, and resided at Roxbury, Massachusetts, for a short time. Miles
later settled at Springfield, Massachusetts, where he was married to Prudence Gilbert, of
Beverely, having met the lady of his choice on his passage to America. To them were born
nine children. The wife (Prudence) died on November 14, 1660. Miles was again married,
the second time to Elizabeth Bliss, on February 15, 1669. Nathaniel, their only son, was
born June 14, 1671. Miles Morgan died May 28, 1699, aged eighty-three years. He fought
in King Philip's war, particularly at the sack of Springfield.
Nathaniel Morgan was born in 1671 and married in 1701. To this union were born nine
children, Captain James Morgan being the fifth son.
Captain James Morgan was born in the year 1710. He enlisted in the Revolutionary war
September 8, 1776, in the Eighth Regiment for the New York campaign, as ensign, and the
same day was promoted to the rank of captain, under Colonel Nathaniel Heard. In 1781 he
was a defender at Fort Griswold, where he was severely wounded with fifteen bayonet stabs
and left on the field; surviving this massacre, he was afterward captured and confined
several months in New York. It is said of Captain James Morgan the "he served
everywhere-surrendered nowhere-served to the end of the war."
James Morgan was married to Margaret Everston in 1733. To this union two children were
born. His second marriage, in 1744, was to Catherine Street. To this union two children
were born, the second being Charles, who was born about 1747.
Charles Morgan was married, first, to Susanna Nixon, May 17, 1771; second, to Lydia Bundy,
January 25, 1786. To his first marriage six children were born: Benjamin, born in North
Carolina July 1, 1772, and moved to Back Creek, Randolph county, Indiana, about 1796, and
later to Richmond.
Benjamin Morgan was married, first, to Naomi White, daughter of Isaac and Catherine White,
she being born July 24, 1773, and having died June 8, 1811. Their eldest son, Micajah,
born November 10, 1798, and died September 12, 1860. On March 31, 1819, Micajah was
married to Hannah Hill, and this union was blessed with four daughters and seven sons, six
of the latter having served in the war of the Rebellion.
George F. Morgan, being the sixth son of Micajah Morgan, was born December 6, 1845, at
Richmond, Wayne county, Indiana, and lived there until he enlisted in Company K, One
Hundred and Twenty-fourth Indiana, in 1863. After the war was over he returned to
Richmond and spent a few months, when he went to Topeka, Kansas, and engaged in
railroading for the next fifteen years, after which he returned to Spartansburg, Randolph
county, Indiana, where he engaged in the dry-goods business. He now lives in Warren,
Huntington county, Indiana. On September 1, 1876, he was married to Mary, daughter of
Samuel and Diadem Rich. To this union were born two children, Henry C. and Chester R.
The mother of these children was born in Darke county, Ohio. Her father, Samuel J. Rich,
was born at Lebanon, Warren county, Ohio, December 9, 1824, and died at Winchester
February 25, 1898. He was married September 17, 1844, to Diadem Emerson, who was born in
1820, and died January 17, 1862, she bei!
ng a first cousin of the poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson. He was again married, to Hester A.
Shoemaker, who now resides at Winchester, Indiana. He was the son of Samuel Rich, who was
born September 9, about 1800, who was the son of Samuel Rich, who was born September 9,
1744, who was the son of Joseph Rich, who was born January 9, 1721.
Our subject is now in partnership with Judge C. W. Watkins in the practice of law, and
resides at No. 26 La Fontaine street. His life work has been eminently successful from a
financial standpoint, having not only a large and lucrative practice, but extensive
real-estate interests.
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