Catherine Ann Morrison

CATHERINE ANN MORRISON

Catherine Ann Morrison was the first of four Catherine Ann's in the family. She was born January 18, 1801 in White Clay Hundred of Delaware. This "Hundred" is an area of New Castle County, Delaware. According to Delaware Branch of the Morrison Family. by Rev. George Morrison, D. D., of Sweet Aire, MD, the woman our family knew as Catherine Ann was actually a twin. Our ancestor was named Catherine, and her twin sister Anne. I have seen that no where else and am not at all sure it is true.

Her parents were Douglass Morrison and Elizabeth Wilson. Douglass owned land in White clay hundred. The family was on the 1800 White Clay hundred Census, page 99. At that time Douglass lived with his two surviving brothers, so it was a large household. but they had only been married a short while and had just one child at the time. Catherine Ann would have been their second child.

Catharine married William Kelley on October 16, 1821 also of White Clay Hundred. He was a farmer. A news clipping from the Delaware Historical Society reads

"Oct 19, 1821 Married Tuesday evening by Rev. A.K. Russel
William Kelly to Catherine Morrison, daughter of Douglas Morrison.
Both of White Clay Hundred."

The 1850 Delaware Census lists the Kelley family in White Clay Hundred consisting of :
William Kelley age 65 born in Delaware
Catherine age 50 born in Delaware
Hannah age 13 born in Delaware

The 1899 History of the State of Delaware also lists children of William and Catherine Kelley to be:
George Kelley
Samuel Kelley
John Kelley
Elizabeth Kelley
Ann Kelley - We believe this Ann to be the Hannah of the 1850 Census Most likely the youngest child.

Catherine was widowed not long after this census. William Kelley died in 1854. The New Castle County Deed book G 7 page 201 contains the sale of land by Catherine Kelly to Thomas Higgins. This was most likely a relative of her husbands. He had a half sister Elizabeth Kelley who married Robert Higgins about 1800. Catherine M. Kelley was living with the family of her daughter Hannah (Ann) and Robert Taylor in Mill Creek hundred - just next to White Clay Creek Hundred on the 1870 and 1880 census. It is unknown where she was between 1854 and 1870.

She died October 18, 1891. They are both laid to rest in plot 62 of the White Clay Creek Presbyterian Church. It is on Kirkwood Highway at the intersection with Polly Drummond Rd on the outskirts of Newark.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

If you know the answer please CONTACT US

What are the birth dates of her children?
Read the 1860 census to find where she was during those years.
perhaps the Wilmington City Directory may help.

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Doc; gdmor010.html
Date created: 2/21/2000
update 10/29/2012
update 4/20/2015
Update 6/15/2019