The Morgan Name
In a recently discovered pedigree of 1612, the Morgans of Tredegar
claim that the family had assumed the surname soon after 1334, but the
name had already been is use as a Welsh forename for many centuries. In
"Welsh Surnames"* the authors note that the Old Welsh form of the name
was "Morcant" thus implying that it was in use from at least the 8th
century. It became Morgan in the medieval period although the authors
note late variants such as Morgant, Morgaine and Morgraunt.
The Morgans had supported Owain Glyndwr's attempt to free Wales in the years after 1400 but by the 17th century they had long been closely associated with the aims of the English crown. In general, they supported the monarchist cause in the English Civil Wars and could expect little from the ensuing parliamentary regime. They had a long tradition of service overseas as soldiers and diplomats but for the first time some members of the dynasty had to consider the possibility of a kind of exile in distant lands. At the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 some of the Morgans returned to their homelands in Wales and lived to enjoy the fruits of their loyalty. Thomas Morgan was commemorated in a now lost church brass as "Most Faithful to his King, Most Dear to his Father, Most Courteous to All ... Who after sundry Journeys over the sea as far as the Indies exchanged Mortal for Immortal life ..." (in 1672). Henry Morgan of the Llanrhymney branch never returned to Wales, however, and was buried on the island of Jamaica.
By the time of the 18th and 19th century emigrations from Wales, Morgan had become quite widely used as a surname although, like many of the old Welsh names, it had become numerically insignificant by comparison with the Welsh surnames based on English and Biblical models.
On these pages I'd like to share interesting and medical stories about the individuals which make up our family tree. If you have an amusing, interesting or medical story about our family members please share them with me.
While I don't have concrete traces, the Morgan branch is rumored to trace back to Capt Henry Morgan, the pirate, and a Mohawk Indian Tribe.
Ancestry Report for Edith Lorene Morgan
Percy Wilford Morgan (Grandpa) Percy in El Dorado for three years and moved to Murrayville, IL in August of 1931. He worked on road construction with the highway department. Percy had great mechanical abilities and enjoyed clock and watch repair. His death was a result of a hunting accident. An old Winchester pump shotgun jammed and then discharged when he tried to clear it. *Percy Morgan Descendant Report*
Conrad Betz (4th G-Grandfather) Conrad was a Hessian Soldier sent to the colonies at the out-break of the Revolutionary War. He elected to remain and make his home in America. According to the obit for Conrad Betz, published in the "Lynchburg Virginian" 21June 1830 p.3 col.3 Conrad died at home in Taylor Store ( a small com. in Franklin Co., Va, not Snow creek) on the 11th of June 1830 after suffering a paralytic stroke two days earlier. He carried the title of P.M. (meaning police magistrate). He was a Hessian soldier who served with Howe and Clinton and deserted just before the battle of Monmouth, N.J. in 1778. In 1788 he emigrated to Franklin where he lived until his death. He was a member of the Dunkard (German Baptist church). He was in the 77th year of his age. he left an age wife and numerous offspring.
Evan T. Morgan (3rd G-Grandfather) Evan's family has been traced back to 1840. At that time he and the children (Adam, Mary and William) are living in Spencer County, Indiana. It is suspected that his wife likely died in childbirth about 1837. The 1840 census shows a female (age 15-19) that appears to be caring for the kids and keeping house. She is too young to be their mother. She may be a daughter of Evan's brother (Ezekiel), who lives a few houses away.