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- 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. [1]
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1766 - 1826 (60 years)
, d. 18 May 1801, Sunbury, Northumberland County, PA