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From: "Grace A. Gleason" <>
Subject: Morton Morton, from Biography of John Morton
Date: Mon, 06 Mar 2000 07:00:55 -0500

Hi Karen,

Here's the quote you wanted.

grace


Biography of MORTON, JOHN

32
Appendix I

THE MORTON LAND IN NORWOOD BOROUGH

When Andrew Mortonson, youngest son of Morton Mortonson, Sr.,
died, intestate, in 1722, his land was apportioned by the court
to his
five daughters, with suitable provision for an income for their
mother.
Andrew's widow of course remained in his home, which was on
the portion of land given to their youngest daughter Lydia. At
some time between the years 1734 and 1741 (dates are based upon
court and deed records--Wicaco Church marriage records for this
period are lacking), Lydia married Morton Morton, of Ridley, son
of another Andrew Morton. A parish census taken in 1752-1753
enumerates the members of their household: Morton Morton, his
wife Lydia, his mother-in-law Marget [Margaret], his son Anders
[Andrew], and his daughters Marget and Rebecca.

Widow Margaret Morton died in 1755, aged 76, and was buried
in the churchyard at Wicaco, as was her daughter Lydia, who died
the following year. Wicaco (Gloria Dei) Church records also tell
of the marriage of Morton Morton on August 8, 1758, to Mary Boon,
daughter of Andrew Boon, of Darby.

At the time of his second marriage, or shortly thereafter,
Morton
Morton built a new home (undoubtedly close to the old one) near
the place where the Muckinipattus flows into Darby Creek. He was
fortunate in his choice of a builder and of materials, and the
resulting
structure was a rather austere but gracefully proportioned house,
two stories high, fashioned of a pleasant salmon-colored brick,
with
black headers. The bricks were laid according to the Flemish mode,
and in varied patterns. A one-story kitchen wing, of the same ma-
terial, was distinguished for its great fireplace. Here, on the
outside
chimney wall, the builder set Morton's initials, "M M," which were
also those of his wife Mary.

Much of the Morton Morton dwelling still stands, though it is
sadly altered in appearance. During the nineteenth century a third
story, of brick quite inferior to that of the original structure,
was
added to the main house, completely destroying its symmetry. A
second story, of frame construction, was added to the kitchen, but
has now disappeared except for the mark its roof line made on the
brick of the main house. The kitchen itself has fallen into decay,
and only the foundation, the fireplace (from which the mantel has
been

33
removed and taken into the house for safekeeping), a few scattered
bricks, and part of the chimney (propped up by scaffolding) remain.
The letters "M M" are still to be seen, but their existence is a
precarious one.

When these initials were set into the wall, Morton Morton could
not have foreseen that in our own day they would cause the building
of the house to be mistakenly attributed to Morton Mortonson,
Sr., his
great-grandfather, or that "The Morton Mortonson House," in Nor-
wood Borough, would come to be esteemed as one of Delaware County's
earliest landmarks. As a representative, however, of the
considerable
number of good masonry homes built in this part of Delaware County
during the second half of the eighteenth century, it has real
historic
value. A full inventory of its contents, made at the time of Morton
Morton's death in 1781, will be useful when a restoration of the
house
is undertaken.
is undertaken.


Page 21
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