Philip Morr

Male 1766 - 1826  (60 years)


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Generation: 1

  1. 1.  Philip Morr was born on 1 Jan 1766 (son of Pvt Andrew Morr and Catharina Elizabetha Renninger); died on 13 Apr 1826.

    Notes:

    Philip Morr was the younger of the two sons of Andrew Morr. He was born Jan 1, 1766; died of hemorrhage of the lungs, April 13, 1826. He lived in what was known as the Morr homestead, where he was engaged in farming. He kept store in one of the apartments of the old log house built by his father. In 1813, Governor Simon Snyder, who was an intimate friend of Philip's father, appointed Philip Morr, with Daniel Caldwell and Frederick Gutelius a Board of County Commissioners for the county of Union, a new county, just formed out of part of Northumberland. The Act for its erection passed the Legislature March 22d of the same year, and the territory embraced that part of Northumberland county lying west of the Susquehanna river. The County Commissioners entered upon the duties of their office November 11. The Courts were held at Mifflinburg; until the Board decided that New Berlin, the most central town in the county, should be the county seat. Here justice was dispensed for forty- two years, or to the time (1855), when Snyder county was carved out of Union. Philip Morr retired from the office as County Com- missioner after one year's service.
    Philip Morr was the owner of considerable real estate located within the present limits of the counties of Snyder, Centre and Lycoming, Pa., and like his brother, John George Morr, passed through a severe panic. To meet the obligations incurred by the purchase of the real estate, he sold a large grist mill, together with several hundred acres of land on Middlecreek, to Jacob K. Boyer, of Reading, Pa., for $10,000. This was considered a good sale and he might easily have paid his debts had he not been swindled. The swindle happened in this wise : Sonic time after the sale of this property Mr. Morr traveled to Reading on horse back, the custom of the period, in order to have a settlement with Boyer. The distance was ninety miles and the journey was made in one day. No sooner had he stated the object of his visit when he was handed a paper for his signature. He was informed it was a receipt for $100 and the balance would be paid him in a short time. Mr. Morr, who was unable to read English, had implicit confidence in Boyer that he was dealing fairly and honestly with him, signed the paper and returned home in good cheer. Some time afterward Mr. Morr repeated his visit to Boyer only to learn how the latter had swindled him. When he made his demands for the amount due him he was frankly informed that the paper he had signed during his previous visit to Reading was not for the $100 which he received but "in full for all demands." A lawsuit followed, but the receipt which Mr. Morr had signed was produced in evidence against him and he lost his case. This threw Mr. Morr into financial embarrassment, necessitating the selling of his vast estate which all passed into strange hands, excepting the old homestead near Freeburg which was purchased by his son John Jacob Morr. Philip Morr became greatly distressed through his misfortune and passed many sleepless nights in consequence. In May, 1S29, several years after Mr. Morr's death, this same Boyer, who had dealt so dishonestly with him, came to grief. "Jacob K. Boyer, of Reading, 11 says Linn's Annals of Buffalo Valley, "who had done a large mercantile business and bought a great deal of wheat through Buffalo Valley, was convict- ed of passing counterfeit money. He was said, by the district attorney, to be guilty of the most expert, extensive and whole- sale counterfeiting ever known in the United States.''
    Philip Morr's death was sudden. He was a member of the Lutheran Church, buried in the Morr Cemetery. He was twice married. His first wife was Elizabeth Gemberling, who resided in that portion of Northumberland county, Pa., now known as the vicinity of Salem, Snyder county, Pa., She came from a family that was one of the earliest settlers of that neighborhood. She had inherited a strong, robust constitution, yet death claimed her as a victim in the very prime of life. In the Morr Cemetery a tombstone bears the following inscription: "Here rest the mortal re- mains of Elizabeth Morr, wife of Philip Morr, a born Gemberling, was born July 13, 1768; died Aug. 11, 1811, aged 18 years and 28 days." His second wife was Mrs. Mary Ebly, of Sunbury, Pa., who remained his widow a brief period, then married Jacob Kline. She died a widow while living at Freeburg, Pa., November 20, 1856, aged 79 years, 9 months and 22 days. She is buried in the Lutheran and Reformed Cemetery at Freeburg. List of Children with first wife:
    Philip.
    Infant Son.
    Michael.
    Catherine.
    Elizabeth.
    Anna Mary.
    Lydia.
    John Jacob.


Generation: 2

  1. 2.  Pvt Andrew MorrPvt Andrew Morr was born on 20 Apr 1727 in Baden-Baden, Germany; died on 18 May 1801 in Sunbury, Northumberland County, PA; was buried in Zion-Morr Lutheran Church Cemetery, Freeburg, Snyder County, PA.

    Notes:

    From Genealogy of the Meyer Family by Henry Meyer. 1890.
    Philip (son of Jacob, son of Gr. Meyer) was married to Margaret Morr, sister of his brother John Jacob's wife Julia, daughters of Andrew Morr, one of the early settlers in the region where Freeburg, Pa., is now located. The respective family histories of the Meyers and Morrs have been running in parallel streams for over a century with frequent intermingling of their branches all along their course. The first record of marriage between the two families is that of Philip Meyer and Margaret Morr, which occurred about the year 1780 ; and the members of the families still continue to intermarry in Ohio. Philip was the oldest of the sons ; heavy built, muscular and active, but not as tall as his brothers. He was a noted wrestler in his day, and was not averse to contests of a more serious nature, as his numerous experiments in that line seem to demonstrate. But that was in an age when physical power was at a premium. The man who could leap the greatest distance, could kick the highest and hit the hardest blows was a hero and received the applause of society. There was a vast amount of hard work to do in those pioneer days, and for want of labor-saving machinery; it had to be accomplished by sheer physical force. Hence, any exercise which tended to muscular development, or exhibited physical vigor in its greatest perfection, was cherished and applauded. - Philip served in the Revolutionary War, being a member of Capt. Ben. Weiser's company. Adam Schaeffer was Lieutenant of the company, and subsequently became captain by promotion.

    Note. - Andrew Morr came from Germany, and settled near the present site of Freeburg, Pa., sometime prior to 1770. He took up a large tract of land and improved it. There was erected on his farm a stockade for protection against the Indians. He and Jacob Meyer were near neighbors, and both pioneers in the new country. Morr was a prominent member of the Lutheran Church; and a man of influence in his neighborhood. He died in 1805, and is buried at Freeburg, Pa. There were seven children. I copy a partial list from a sketch prepared by Miss Mary E. Morr, West Salem, 0., for a Reunion of the Morr family, June 9, 1887. Of the seven children, Miss Morr names only four, viz: -
    I. George, oldest child; died in 1818; buried at Aaronsburg, Pa. Married to Catharine Diefenbach. Had been a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Moved to Centre County, Pa., in 1792. Had twelve children : - George, Philip, Peter, Mary, Andrew, Elizabeth, John, Adam, Michael, Daniel, Benjamin, Samuel. All but Adam moved to Ohio.
    II. Philip, lived at Freeburg; died in 1826. John Jacob was one of his sons.
    III. Margaret, born August 20, 1759; died March 12, 1829. Married Philip Meyer.
    IV. Julian, born July 18, 1770; died Nov. 8, 1824. Married John Jacob Meyer.


    Name:
    Pvt Andrew Morr, II

    Buried:
    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10517767/andrew-morr

    Andrew married Catharina Elizabetha Renninger. Catharina was born on 17 Apr 1732 in Baden-Baden, Germany; died in 1795 in Freeburg, Snyder County, PA; was buried in Zion-Morr Lutheran Church Cemetery, Freeburg, Snyder County, PA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]


  2. 3.  Catharina Elizabetha RenningerCatharina Elizabetha Renninger was born on 17 Apr 1732 in Baden-Baden, Germany; died in 1795 in Freeburg, Snyder County, PA; was buried in Zion-Morr Lutheran Church Cemetery, Freeburg, Snyder County, PA.

    Notes:

    Buried:
    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10517813/catherina-elizabetha-morr

    Wife and Mother of Revolutionary War soldiers

    Children:
    1. Christina Morr was born on 4 Aug 1757 in Freeburg, Snyder County, PA; died on 6 Jun 1793 in Freeburg, Snyder County, PA; was buried in Zion-Morr Lutheran Church Cemetery, Freeburg, Snyder County, PA.
    2. Margaret Morr was born on 20 Aug 1759 in Pennsylvania; died on 12 Mar 1829 in Centre County, PA; was buried in Saint Peters Lutheran and Reformed Cemetery, Rebersburg, Centre County, PA.
    3. John George Morr was born on 3 Aug 1761 in Northumberland County, PA; died on 20 Oct 1817 in Centre County, PA; was buried in Zion-Morr Lutheran Church Cemetery, Freeburg, Snyder County, PA.
    4. Mary Magdalena Morr was born on 22 Oct 1763 in Lebanon County, PA; died on 26 Nov 1800 in Snyder County, PA; was buried in Zion-Morr Lutheran Church Cemetery, Freeburg, Snyder County, PA.
    5. 1. Philip Morr was born on 1 Jan 1766; died on 13 Apr 1826.
    6. Catherine Elizabeth Morr was born on 25 Dec 1768; died on 24 Jun 1849; was buried in Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Montgomery Township, Ashland County, OH.
    7. Julia Morr was born on 18 Jun 1770 in Pennsylvania; died on 08 Nov 1824 in Lycoming County, PA; was buried in Pine Creek Cemetery, Jersey Shore, Lycoming County, PA.