Roger Morris (British Army officer)

Roger Morris (January 28, 1717 - September 13, 1794) was a colonel in the British Army who fought in the French and Indian War.

Born in England, he become a captain in the 48th Regiment of Foot. Morris came to American with General Edward Braddock and served as his aide-de-camp. Morris was wounded during Braddock's Defeat near Fort Duquesne in western Pennsylvania. Transferred to the 35th Regiment of Foot in 1758, Morris served in Fort Frederick in Nova Scotia. Morris joined the Louisbourg Grenadiers (a special corps made up of the Grenadiers of the 22nd, 40th and 45th Regiments [ [http://www.militaryheritage.com/40thregt.htm 40th Regiment of Foot , Grenadier Company - French and Indian War ] ] ) during General James Wolfe's invasion of French controlled Quebec where he participated in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham on September 13, 1759. During the battle the Louisbourg Grenadiers suffered a loss of fifty-five killed and wounded. [ [http://www.militaryheritage.com/40th.htm The 40th Regiment of Foot in North America - The Seven Year War Website - French and Indian War ] ] In May of 1760, Morris was promoted to lieutenant-colonel of the 47th Regiment of Foot shortly after the Battle of Sainte-Foy, and participated in General Jeffrey Amherst's assault and capture of Montreal on September 8, 1760 ending French rule in North America.

Morris retired from the army in 1764 and settled in New York City with his American wife, Mary Philipse (daughter of Frederick Philipse) who had married in 1758. The following year, he had a large mansion named "Mount Morris", later called the Morris-Jumel Mansion, built on a hilltop in northern Manhattan in Harlem Heights. [ [http://www.morrisjumel.org/ Morris-Jumel Mansion ] ]

When the Revolutionary War began in 1776, Morris, who was a Loyalist, and his wife returned to England. [http://www.washington-heights.us/history/archives/morrisjumel_mansion_45.html/] He died in York, England at age 77. His wife died in 1825 at the age of 96. [ [http://www.americanrevolution.org/women18.html Women of the American Revolution - Mary Philipse ] ] A monument is erected over their graves in St Saviour's Church, St Saviourgate in York. Two of their sons became captains in the Royal Navy.

References

External links

* [http://www.morrisjumel.org/ Morris-Jumel Mansion website]
* [http://www.washington-heights.us/history/archives/morrisjumel_mansion_45.html Washington Heights & Inwood Online]