Mårten Mårtensson and his Morton Family

by Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig
Fellow, American Society of Genealogists
Fellow, Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania
Historian, Swedish Colonial Society

originally published in Swedish Colonial News,
Volume 1, Number 13 (Spring 1996)

In the year 1750, Peter Kalm borrowed the church books of Gloria Dei and copied various entries that caught his fancy. Among these were three burial records, which read, in translation, as follows:

• 31 May 1706. Old Mårten Mårtensson at Ammansland, born in Finland in Sweden, and said to be 100 years old.
• 8 Feb. 1713. Mårten Mårtensson's widow Helena, born in Sweden, 97 years old.
• 3 Dec. 1718. Old Mårten Mårtensson at Calcon Hook, born in Sweden, came to this land when 8 years old, died in his 75th year.

The first and third entries suggest that the father Mårten Mårtensson was born in Finland and later moved to Sweden, where his son Mårten was born. Helena, Mårten Sr.'s widow, was not, however, the mother of any of his children. She was the widow of Mårten's partner, Johan Grelsson, who died about 1684.

Mårten Måtensson arrived in New Sweden on the Eagle in 1654 and was among the "new freemen" pledging loyalty to Governor Rising at Tmicum Island, 9 June 1654. Initially, Mårten made his home near Fort Trinity (now New Castle), where, in September 1655, he pledged allegiance to the Dutch after their capture of that fort. Dissatisfied with living under Dutch rule, Mårten soon moved to join the Finnish settlers at Ammansland.

Ammansland, meaning land of the wet-nurse in Swedish, first had been cleared for settlement under Governor Rising in the winter of 1654-1655. Ammansland extended along Darby Creek between Crum Creek on the west and Muckinipattus Creek on the east. This area, which became known as Ridley Township after the creation of Pennsylvania, was the principal settlement of Finnish settlers in Pennsylvania under English rule.

Mårten Mårtensson built his cabin at the present site of the Morton Homestead. His partner Johan Grelsson's cabin was a short distance away, on Ammansland Run. Between them, they owned 728 acres, extending from Ammansland Run to Muckinipattus Creek. In 1685, after marrying Johan Grelsson's widow. Mårten Mårtensson and his stepson, John Archer, acquired 500 acres on the upper side of Raccoon Creek in Gloucester County.

In 1694, the Ammansland plantation was divided between Mårten Mårtensson and Johan Grelsson's sons. Mårten retained the strip containing the Morton Homestead and Johan Grelsson's old home lot. John Archer obtained a 137-acre strip immediately to the east. All lands east of John Archer went to Mårten, who paid £40 for the half he didn't own. (See map, Swedish Colonial News, Fall 1991 issue, page 3.)

Mårten Mårtensson, Sr., was one of the signers of the Swedes' 1693 letter to Sweden, requesting new ministers and Swedish Bibles, using the same distinctive mark as appears on the 1654 oath of allegiance to Rising. After the arrival of the new ministers, Mårten pledged £1.10 per year for Rudman's salary in 1697. Thereafter, he ceased to be active in either church or court affairs.

In lieu of a will, Mårten Mårtensson signed two deeds in May 1703, dividing his lands between his two youngest sons. The home plantation (the Morton Homestead) was given to his son Matthias "for taking care and maintaining of me and my wife during the remainder of our natural lives." The rest of Mårten's lands at Ammansland and on Raccoon Creek were divided between Matthias and Andrew.

Mårten Mårtensson probably had three wives during his lifetime. This is inferred from the gap in ages between his two eldest sons and his four younger children. He had 34 grandchildren and at least 147 great-grandchildren, the most famous of whom was John Morton, signer of the Declaration of Independence. John Morton's wife Anna Justis was also a great grandchild.

Mårten Mårtensson's children were:

1. Mårten Mårtensson, Jr., born in Sweden c. 1645, married c. 1672 Margaret Bärtilsdotter, daughter of the Finn Bärtil Eskilsson, and established his residence at Calcon Hook, Lower Darby Township, where he died in 1718. They had nine children:

• Catharina Morton, born 1673, married Peter Boon c. 1693. They moved to Boughttown in Upper Penn's Neck, Salem County NJ, in 1705. After his death, she married John Savoy. Three sons by first marriage.
• Morton Morton, born 17 June 1675. Died unmarried and without issue, 1700.
• Lars Morton, born 5 Oct. 1678, married Brigitta (parents not identified) and died in Calcon Hook in 1713. Two children.
• Andrew Morton, born 8 Sept. 1681, married Anna Van Culen c. 1704 and owned plantations at Ammansland and Raccoon Creek. Died in NJ after 1741. Four children.
• John Morton, born I June 1683, married Mary, daughter of John Archer, c. 1724. Died in Ammansland 1725 on plantation he had been given by his uncle, John Bärtilsson. One
  posthumous child, John Morton, the signer of the Declaration of Independence, who was raised by his English stepfather, John Sketchley.
• Jacob Morton, born 24 May 1686, died unmarried and without issue in 1701.
• Margaret Morton, born 27 March 1688, married George Van Culen of Ammansland by 1705. Still living in 1753. Nine children.
• Matthias Morton, born 8 Sept. 1690, married Brigitta Johnson, died in 1736 in Ammansland. His widow moved to New Castle County, where she married [2] Peter Peterson Smith, Jr., and [3] Thomas Elliott. Four Morton children.
• David Morton, born 20 Feb. 1695, married first cousin Helena Justis c. 1718, died Calcon Hook in 1738. His widow moved to New Castle County where she married Israel Peterson. Three children.

2. Lars Mårtensson, probably born in Sweden about 1650, was living with his father at Ammansland in 1677. In the following year he moved to New Castle County where the court granted him and his partner Justa Paulsson 100 acres, 5 March 1677/8. Lars died before 24 Oct. 1680, when the patent was issued to Gustaf Paulsson alone. No known children.

3. Anna Mårtensdotter, born c. 1662, married Gustaf Gustafsson of Kingsessing c. 1681. They lived for several years on her father's land on Raccoon Creek, but by 1693 returned to Kingsessing where she died between 1717 and 1721. Nine children:

• John Justis, born c. 1682, moved to Red Clay Creek, New Castle County, where he married [1] Christina Stalcop in 1704, and [2] Christina Colesberry, widow of Walraven Walraven, in 1737. Died in Newport by 1749. Five children.
• Måns Justis, born in 1684, also moved to Red Clay Creek, where he married [1] Catharina Walraven by 1709 and [21 Catharina Robinson, widow of Henry Snecker, 1756. Måns died between 1766 and 1774. Twelve children.
• Justa Justis, Jr., born 8 Feb. 1686, married Christina Lycon c. 1712 and moved to Mill Creek Hundred, New Castle County. He died in Newport in 1760. Five children.
• Morton Justis, born in 1689, also moved to New Castle County, where he married Brita Walraven in 1713 and settled at Bread & Cheese Island, where he died in 1765. Eleven children, including Anna Justis who married John Morton, the signer of the Declaration of Independence.
• Andrew Justis, born in 1691, married Sarah Månsson of New Castle County in 1716. They returned to Kingsessing, where Andrew died 1757. No children.
• Peter Justis, born in 1693, died in his youth.
• Helena Justis, born in 1695, married her first cousin, David Morton. (See above.)
• Charles Justis, born 15 Oct. 1697, married [1I Margaret Boon by 1722 and [2] Rebecca Cleneay, 1753. He died in Kingsessing in 1761. Three children.
• Maria Justis, born c. 1702, married Jonas Walraven of New Castle County in 1727 and died in 1757. Two children.

4. Brigitta Mårtensdotter, born c, 1667, married Andrew Hendricksson of Ammansland by 1690. She was buried 8 Dec. 1702, after having four children: .

• Hendrick Hendrickson, born 1691, moved to Gloucester County NJ, where he married Regina Peterson and died in 1749. Ten children.
• Jacob Hendrickson, born 1693, died in 1749 in Gloucester County, unmarried and without issue.
• Helena Hendrickson, born 1696, married John Jones in Gloucester County by 1722. She died by 1754, seven children.
• Catharina Hendrickson, born 1701, married Peter Dalbo by 1721, died by 1754. Eleven children.

5. Matthias Mårtensson, born in 1669, was married in 1690 to Anna, daughter of Johan Gustafsson and Brita Månsdotter. He built a log cabin at the Morton Homestead, adjacent to his father's. Matthias' cabin is the oldest log cabin still standing in America today. He inherited the Morton Homestead property with the duty to care for his father and stepmother, but died in December 1708. His widow and children moved to New Castle County, where Anna married [2] the widower Jonas Walraven, and [3] the widower Charles Springer. Children:

• Andrew Morton, born 1691, moved back to Ammansland to become the third owner of the Morton Homestead, where he died after 1740. By two wives, Maria and Catharina (parents not identified), he had five known children, the eldest of whom (Jonas, c.1714-c. 1781) became the fourth owner of the Morton Homestead and built the ferry house which now stands on the site of Mårten Mårtensson's original log cabin.
• Morton Morton, born 1692, married Christina Walraven in 1718. He died in New Castle County c. 1766. Ten children.
• Maria Morton, born 1695, married John Stalcop of Red Clay Creek, New Castle County, c. 1711. She was still living in 1764. Ten children.
• John Morton, born 14 April 1697, married Margareta Stalcop and made his home on the south side of Christina Creek in New Castle County, where he died in 1742. Five children.
• Christina Morton, born 23 Oct. 1699, moved to New Castle County, where she married [1] Samuel Peterson in 1720 and [2] Jesper Walraven in 1752. She was still living in 1764. Ten children.
• Peter Morton, born c. 1702, died unmarried and without issue in New Castle County after 1741.
• Matthias Morton, born c. 1704, shared land on the south side of Christina Creek in New Castle County with his brother John. Matthias married Elizabeth Hyland c. 1728 and died in 1771. Five children.

6. Anders Mårtensson, born 1671, married Margaret (parents not identified) on 13 Jan. 1703. He inherited the eastern end of his father's large Ammansland tract and built his cabin about a mile east of the Morton Homestead site. After the death of his brother Matthias in 1708, he assumed the burden of caring for Mårten's widow Helena until her death in 1713. Anders died in Ammansland in 1722; his widow died in 1755. Children:

• Letitia Morton, born c. 1704, married Hans Torton of Ammansland by 1729, died 1772. Three children.
• Helena Morton, born c. 1706, married Adam Archer of Ammansland by 1730, died childless in 1731.
• Catharina Morton, born c. 1708, married Charles Grantham of Ammansland in 1728, died c. 1746. Four children.
• Rebecca Morton, born c. 1710, married Andrew Boon c. 1730, died 1735 without issue.
• Lydia Morton, born c. 1712, married c. 1734 her cousin Morton Morton (1705-1781), son of Andrew Morton and grandson of Mårten Mårtensson, Jr. They built a brick house which still stands in Norwood. She died in 1756. Three children.