General Notes

Virginia Baptist Ministers 1760-1790(A biographical Survey)By Wm S. Simpson Jr.
Morris,William,Regular,born 15 Nov. 1755 in Princess Anne Co.,(now Virginia  Beach)VA.,the son of Wm Morris & his second wife Isabella Gisborn (? Howe).Reared in the Church of England. Became a Baptist through the preaching of Henry Abbot & was baptized by Abott into Pungo Church(now Oak Grove Church) ,Virginia Beach City,1784.Likely began exhorting & preaching during the early 1780's. Ordained 1784. Planted Eastern Shore Church(Later Upper Princess Anne Church, now London Bridge Church) Virginia Beach City 1784. Minister of Eastern Shore Church,1784-1802. Opposed slavery:"continued some lengh of time(as minister of Eastern Shore Church)with the friend of slavery after he was convinced of(slavery being a moral evil"  Moved to KY. 1802;settled in Clark Co. Minister of Strode's Station Church(later Friendship Church) Clark Co.,1802-1807."He & some more "left Strode's Station Church because of their opposition to slavery,1807. Minister of Goshen Church,Clark Co.,abt.1807-1809. Moved to Breckenridge Co.abt. 1810. His ministeral activity there uncertain,probably preached occasionally at nearby Mount Zion Church & conducted Baptisms,weddings & funerals as requested. Died 16 Oct. 1837 in Breckenridge Co.,KY.,& according to family tradition,was buried in Mount Zion Church cemetery(location of cemetery:going north from Westview on Leitchfield Rd.(State Route 79-259)travel about 1 mile & turn right on a paved road. Proceed about 400 feet to a cemetery along left side of road. The cemetery is adjacent to a small open-air revival shelter located on the site of Mount Zion Church,a meeting house which served the community through many generations until it was demolished about 1996. The cemetery is well maintained, but Morris'tombstone was nowhere to be seen in Nov.2001. Married first,about 1778 Sarah(Sally) Godfrey 11 Feb.1760-26 Mar.1817;md second,about 1818 Anna Barrett (18 Dec.1769- after 1837) widow of Philip Crume & Jacob Marks.Survive by his second wife,two sons & 1 daughter.Robert B. Semple spoke of Morris"who,after serving (Eastern Shore Church)faithfully about 17 or 18 years,in 1802 took a dismission to KY. This was a matter of great grief to his affectionate people".
Sources:Carter Tarrant,A History of the Baptised Ministers and Churhes in KY.,etc.,Friends to Humanity(Frankfort,KY. 1808), Jean Kennedy,Charles Allen Wilson,Westview,KY. ,County Clerk for location of Cemetery in which Morris is buried),A Goff Bedford:Land of Our Fathers: History of Clark Co.,KY.(Mount Sterling,KY. 1958) pp 328-329-332-333-339-343.  Morris will in Breckenridge Co. Will Bk.1 pp89-90