James Morris (sheriff)
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James Morris | |
|---|---|
| Sheriff of New York County | |
| In office 1798–1801 | |
| Preceded by | Jacob John Lansing |
| Succeeded by | John Stagg Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1764 |
| Died | September 7, 1827 (aged 62–63) Morrisania, New York |
| Spouse |
Helen Van Cortlandt
(m. 1796; died 1812) |
| Children | 12 |
| Parent(s) | Mary Walton Lewis Morris |
| Alma mater | Princeton University |
James Morris (c. 1764 – September 7, 1827) was an American lawyer who served as Sheriff of New York County.
Morris born at Morrisania, New York in c. 1764. He was the fourth son of Mary (née Walton) Morris and Founding Father Lewis Morris, third lord of the manor of Morrisania.[1] His father was a prominent landowner who was a signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a delegate to the Continental Congress from New York.[2]
Following the British conquest of New York in 1776, the family was driven from Morrisania, first to Philadelphia then to Rocky Hill near Princeton, New Jersey. He likely completed preparatory studies in Nassau Hall's grammar school before attending Princeton from which he graduated in 1784. While at Princeton, he was a member of the American Whig Society.[3]