Morris, Charles III

  • DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN BIOGRAPHY ARTICLE: Donald F. Chard, “MORRIS, CHARLES (1759-1831),” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 6, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/morris_charles_1759_1831_6E.html
  • DCB profile:
    • Army and militia officer, surveyor, office holder, politician, and jp; b. 18 Nov. 1759 in Hopkinton, Mass., eldest son of Charles Morris and Elizabeth Bond Leggett, and grandson of Charles Morris, first surveyor general of Nova Scotia; m. 18 Nov. 1786 Charlotte Pernette, daughter of Colonel Joseph Pernette, in Halifax, and they had 15 children, including Frederick William; d. there 17 Dec. 1831.
    • Charles Morris probably came to Halifax in 1760, when his parents apparently arrived. In March 1778 he was commissioned a lieutenant in the Loyal Nova Scotia Volunteers, a regiment raised in the province, and in September 1779 exchanged into the 70th Foot, then in Halifax. Promoted lieutenant on 6 March 1782, he was placed on half pay at the peace in 1783. Some time afterwards he was evidently appointed a deputy surveyor by his father, surveyor general of Nova Scotia, and began assisting him in his office, which was particularly busy because of the arrival of the loyalists. Morris was at the centre of things, occasionally assuming the duties of his gout-ridden father (whom he would succeed in 1802).
    • Although Morris’s death attracted little attention, his career was noteworthy. Beset by family problems and plagued by the shortcomings of his staff, Morris in his writings gives the image of a harried functionary. However, he apparently managed to carry out his duties as surveyor general in a capable manner despite the difficulty of reconciling contentious land claims of individuals and of groups such as Acadians, Micmacs, and loyalists. In April 1831 he had been replaced by his son John Spry, who served until the office was merged with that of commissioner of crown lands in 1851. The Morris family thus held the position of surveyor general of Nova Scotia for its entire existence.
  • Son of United Empire Loyalist listed in Loyalist Directory: https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=6005
  • Find a Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/164125669/charles-morris