Lewis Morris Jr. (September 23, 1698 – July 3, 1762) was an American judge, politician and landowner who served as speaker of the New York General Assembly from 1737 to 1738.
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Early life
Morris was born on September 23, 1698, at Morrisania, his family's manor in the southwest section of today's Bronx. He was the eldest son of Lewis Morris (1671–1746) and Isabella (née Graham) Morris (1673–1752). His younger brother was Robert Hunter Morris, who served as the deputy governor of New Jersey. His father was very prominent in public life and variously served as Chief Justice of New York and as the 8th Colonial Governor of New Jersey.
His paternal grandparents were Sarah (née Pole) Morris and Richard Morris, who was originally from Monmouthshire, Wales. His grandparents bought Morrisania from Samuel Edsall in 1670 and moved there from Barbados. His mother was the eldest daughter of James Graham, who served as the first Speaker of the New York General Assembly and the first Recorder of New York City. Graham, who was born in Midlothian, Scotland, was a grandson of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose.
Career
Upon his father's death in 1746, he inherited the manor, becoming the 2nd Lord of the Manor of Morrisania which eventually became over 2,000 acres. He also owned between forty and sixty slaves. Lewis is considered "representative of those colonial-born politicians who came to dominate public life in eighteenth-century British America, during a time of frenetic colonial economic and demographic growth."