Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 39.djvu/27

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Morgan
21
Morgan


sack of Porto Bello, 30l. as the results of the Maracaybo expedition (ib. 23 Aug. 1669, p. 39), or two hundred dollars for Panama, bear an unjustly small ratio to what must have been the total amount of the plunder (cf. ib. 6 April 1672, No. 798). Two engravings of Morgan are mentioned by Bromley one by F. H. van Hove, the other prefixed to the 'History of the Buccaneers,' 1685.

Morgan married, some time after 1665, his first cousin, Mary Elizabeth, second daughter and fourth child of Colonel Edward Morgan, who died at St. Eustatius (ib. 16 Nov. 1665, No. 1085; Add. MS. 27968, f. 45), but left no children. Lady Morgan died in 1696, and was buried, also in St. Catherine's, on 3 March (ib. f. 29). By his will (copy, ib. f. 14), dated 17 June 1688, sworn 14 Sept. 1688, Morgan left the bulk of his property to his 'very well and entirely beloved wife' for life, and after her death to Charles, son of Colonel Robert Byndlos or Bundless and of Anna Petronella, his wife's eldest sister, conditionally on his taking the name of Morgan.

[Exquemeling's Buccaneers of America (1684), translated, through the Spanish, from the Dutch, and often reprinted wholly or in part (Adventure Series, 1891), forms the basis of all the popular accounts of Morgan. Exquemeling, himself a buccaneer who served under Morgan, and took part in some, if not all, of the achievements he describes, seems to be a perfectly honest witness. His dates are, indeed, very confused; but his accounts of such transactions as fell within the "scope of his knowledge agree very closely with the official narratives, "which, with much other interesting matter, may be found in the Calendars of State Papers, America and West Indies. They differ, indeed, as to the atrocities practised by the buccaneers; on which Exquemeling's evidence, even with some Spanish colouring, appears preferable to the necessarily biassed and partial narratives handed in by Morgan. Addit. MS. 27968 contains the account of many researches into Morgan's antecedents, though without reaching any definite conclusion. Other works are : The Present State of Jamaica, 1683; New History of Jamaica, 1740; History of Jamaica, 1774; Bridge's Annals of Jamaica; Journals of the Assembly of Jamaica, vol. i.]

MORGAN, J. (fl. 1739), historical compiler, projected and edited a periodical of great merit, entitled 'Phoenix Britannicus, being a miscellaneous Collection of scarce and curious Tracts… interspersed with choice pieces from original MSS.,' the first number of which appeared in January 1731-1732. Owing to want of encouragement it was discontinued after six numbers had been issued, but Morgan republished them in a quarto volume, together with an excellent index. Prefixed is a curiously slavish dedication to Charles, duke of Richmond, whom Morgan greets as a brother freemason. Three editions of the work are in the British Museum Library. In 1739 Morgan compiled, chiefly from what purported to be papers of George Sale the orientalist, an entertaining volume called 'The Lives and Memorable Actions of many Illustrious Persons of the Eastern Nations,' 12mo, London.

[Lowndes's Bibl. Man. ed. Bohn.]


MORGAN, JAMES, D.D. (1799–1873), Irish presbyterian divine, son of Thomas Morgan, a linen merchant, of Cookstown, co. Tyrone, and Maria Collins of the same town, was born there on 15 June 1799. After attending several schools in his native place, he entered Glasgow University in November 1814, before he was fifteen, to prepare for the ministry, but after one session there studied subsequently in the old Belfast college. In February 1820 he was ordained by the presbytery of Dublin as minister of the presbyterian congregation of Carlow, a very small charge, which, however, increased greatly under his care. In 1824 he accepted a call from Lisburn, co. Antrim, to be colleague to the Rev. Andrew Craig, and for four years laboured most successfully there. In 1827 a new church was opened in Fisherwick Place, Belfast, and he became its first minister in November 1828. The congregation soon became a model of wise organisation and active work. Morgan also became prominently associated with all benevolent and philanthropic schemes in the town. In 1829 he joined with a few others in founding the Ulster Temperance Society. He was also most active in promoting church extension in Belfast. In 1840, when the general assembly's foreign mission was established, he was appointed its honorary secretary, and continued to hold this position with great advantage to the mission until his death. In 1842 he helped to found the Belfast town mission, and became one of its honorary secretaries. He was appointed moderator of the general assembly in 1846, and next year received the degree of D.D. from the university of Glasgow. He took a foremost part in the establishment of the assembly's college, Belfast, which was opened in 1853. He died in Belfast on 5 Aug. 1873, and was buried in the city cemetery.

Morgan was a voluminous writer. For some time he was joint editor of 'The Orthodox Presbyterian.' His chief works, besides sermons, tracts, and other fugitive publications, were: 1. 'Essays on some of the