Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/446

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408
MORREY
MORRILL

MORREY, or MURREY, Humphrey, first mayor of Philadelphia, b. in England about 1650 ; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1716. He was a Quaker, and probably settled first in New York, removing to Philadelphia before 1685. as Robert Turner, in a letter to William Penn, dated at Philadelphia, 3 Aug., 1685, says of him : " Humphrey Murray from New York has built a large timber house with brick chimnies." During this year he was commissioned a "justice of the peace and of the courts of the county of Philadelphia," in which office he served many years. In 1687, and again in 1690, he was chosen to the assembly, and in the charter of 20 March, 1691, by which Philadelphia was for the first time incorporated into a city, Murray is ap- pointed to be mayor, so that he was the first mayor of Philadelphia. This honor was given to Ed- ward Shippen until 1887, when Boies Penrose and Edward P. Allinson, in their researches incident to the writing of " Philadelphia, a History of Munici- pal Government," discovered the original charter signed by Thomas Lloyd. In 1698 Murray was one of the judges that became involved in the contro- versy with George Keith, Thomas Budd, and others, and before whom these, with William Brad- ford, the printer, were tried. In 1700 he was se- lected by Penn to be a member of his council, but he does not appear to have served after 1701.


MORRICE, David, Canadian merchant, b. in St. Martin, Perthshire, Scotland, 11 Aug., 1829. He was educated in his native town, afterward gained a knowledge of mercantile aft'airs, and in 1855 emigrated to Canada. He was subsequently engaged in business in Toronto for several years, and in 1863 settled permanently in Montreal, and established a firm that has attained wide reputa- tion. It has wholesale warehouses in Montreal and Toronto, and controls about forty cotton- and woollen-mills in different parts of the country. Mr Morrice is chairman of the board of management of the Presbyterian college at Montreal, and, in addi- tion to contributing freely to its support and en- dowment, he erected for the college in 1882, at a cost of $80,000, a convocation hall, library, dining- hall, and additional dormitories for students. In 1876-7 he also contributed liberally to the erection of the Crescent street Presbyterian church, one of the costliest religious edifices in the city. He has also given liberally to the Young men's Christian association, the General hospital, the Sailors' insti- tute. House of refuge, and similar institutions.


MORRIL, David Lawrence, senator, b. in Epping, Rockingham co., N. H., 10 June, 1772 ; d. in Concord, N. H., 28 Jan., 1849. After receiving an academical and medical education, he began to practise at Epsom, Merrimack co., N. H., in 1793, but in 1800 turned his attention to the study of theology, was licensed to preach, and served as pastor of the Congregational church at Goffston, N. H., from 1802 ^tilf 1811. Prom 1807 till 1830 he again practised medicine, and he sat as a repre- sentative in the general court from 1808 till 1817, being elected speaker in 1816. He was chosen U. S. senator as an Adams Democrat, and served from 1 Dec, 1.817, till 3 March, 1823, when he was sent to the state senate and elected its president. In 1824 he was a candidate for governor, and, there being no choice by the people, he was elected by the convention. In the two following years he was chosen by the people. In 1831 he removed to Concord, where he edited the "New Hampshire Observer," a religious journal. He received the honorary degree of M. D. from Dartmouth college in 1821. and that of LL. D. from the University of Vermont in 1825. He was connected with many charitable, medical, and agricultural associations, and published several sermons, orations, and con- troversial pamphlets.


MORRILL, Anson Peaslee, statesman, b. in Belgrade, Kennebec co.. Me., 10 June, 1803 ; d. in Augusta, Me., 4 July, 1887. He received a com- mon-school education and devoted himself to mer- cantile pursuits in his native town. He soon bought an interest in a woollen-mill, and subse- quently became connected with several extensive manufactories. In 1833 he was elected as a Demo- crat to the legislature, in 1839 he was made sher- iff of Somerset county, and in 1850 he became land-agent. In 1853, when the Democratic con- vention decided to oppose prohibition, he cut loose from that party, and was a candidate for governor on the Free-soil and Prohibition tickets, but was defeated. The following year he was again a can- didate, and, although there was no choice by the people, he was elected by the legislature, being the first Republican governor of Maine. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election, being de- feated in the legislature through a coalition be- tween the Whigs and Democrats. The party that Gov. IMorrill had formed served as the nucleus for the movement in 1856 when the National Republi- can party first took the field, and he was a delegate to the convention that nominated John C. Fremont for president. He was elected to congress in I860, and served from 4 July, 1861, till 3 March, 1863. Declining a re-election, he became largely interested in railroads in his native state, and remained out of politics until 1881, when he was sent to the legislature. He removed to Augusta in 1876. — His brother. Lot Myrick, secretary of the treasury, b. in Belgrade, Kennebec co., Me., 3 May, 1813 ; d. in Augusta, Me.. 10 Jan., 1883, entered Waterville college (now Colby university) in 1835, but did not remain through the year. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1839. He removed to Augusta, estab- lished himself in prac- tice, and was an ac- tive member of the Democratic party in Maine. In 1854 he was elected to the legislature, and on his re-election in 1856 he was chosen presi- dent of the senate. Subsequently Mr.

Morrill denounced

the course of his party on the question of slavery in Kansas, severed his connection with his former associates, was nomi- nated in 1857 by the Republicans for governor, and elected by over 15,000 majority. Pie was twice re- elected. In 1860 Gov. Morrill was chosen to the U. S. senate to fill the vacancy caused by Hannibal Ham- lin's election to the vice-presidency. He entered the senate, 17 Jan., 1861, was placed on important com- mittees, and attended the Peace conference of that year. During the two that followed he took an active part in public affairs, and in 1863 was elected senator for the term that ended in 1869. In the Republican caucus for a successor, Mr. Morrill was defeated by a single vote : but, as William P. Fessenden died in 1869, Morrill was appointed to serve out the remainder of Fessenden's term. In 1871 he was again elected senator, and in the dis- charge of his duties devoted much attention to <:^C^Co^<:Cty>T-*~-^Ai^-