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Morton is one of more than fifty surnames represented in the Scottish settlement around Caledonia Presbyterian Church on the Switzerland/Jefferson County border. The family came from West Calder, a parish Southwest of Edinburgh. Among other Scottish immigrants coming from West Calder were James Bell, Agnes Graham, wife of Thomas Thompson, Robert Gray, and Walter Weir. Although Gray married Jean Morton, possibly in Scotland, and may have been come with the Morton family, we know of no relationship for Weir, although two of his children married Mortons after coming to Indiana.

The Bishop family may also have been related. In a letter dated Jan. 22, 1837, William Morton, then living in Switzerland County, advised Thomas Bishop to go to Greenock as the port for departure to America. Bishop lived in Kentucky, then on Pleasant Ridge and was buried at Caledonia Cem. Other families that came to Indiana lived nearby, Robert Gray (1786 1863), who was to marry Jane Morton, was born in Edinburghshire as was Daniel Miller (1788 1868), buried at the Pleasant Cem. Andrew Anderson (ca. 1781 1848), buried Caledonia, was born at Bathgate a handful of miles north of West Calder. Alexander Thompson (1784 1872) was born in Linthicoshire,

The relationship of these families to the Mortons, if any, and to other Caledonia families who lived in Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, and Roxboroughshire, cannot be established. What is known is that most came from 1817 to 1819, although Scottish families continued to move to Indiana in smaller numbers through the 1840s.

The Mortons stem from John Morton (11 Feb.1759-9 Apr. 1832), who was born in Scotland, and died in Switzerland County. He married Susan Forrest in Edinburgh. John is proved by parish records to be the son of James Morton ca. 1720-28 Aug. 1795 (age 75) and wife Jean Wilson, ca. 1720-5 Dec. 1810 (age 88). They were married on 20 May 1748 and are buried in a church cemetery in West Calder. The only other facts known about them are that they had daughters, Kathrine b. 31 March 1751, another Kathrine b. 24 June 1756, son John, the immigrant, and daughter Elizabeth, b. 24 May 1761. A good deal of the information on the Mortons in Scotland was sent to me by Charlotte Morton. However, most of this information has been verified by me.

John Morton and Susan came to America on the ship, Alexander, which landed in Philadelphia on 14 June 1819. They were accompanied by their children: Andrew, Jean, James, John Jr., William, George, Henry, and Susan, according to arrival records at the port of Philadelphia. There are two sections entered by a John Morton in Shelby Twp. One is the NW1/4 Section 29 Twp. 5N Range 12E, entered on 12 Nov. 1819. The other is the West 2 NW1/4 Section 31, entered by John Morton on 1 Sept. 1821. Whether John and or his son John are represented here would require researching deeds. John and Susan owned 80 acres in the W1/2SW1/4 Sec. 21 Twp. 5N Range 12E which they sold to James Morton on 28 June 1826. (Switzerland County Deed Book C-320) for $10. This section is bordered today by State Road 129 on the East, 250 on the north and the Jefferson County line on the West. They also owned 80 acres in the E1/2 SW1/4 of the same Section which they sold to Robert Gray the same day, also for ten dollars.

(Much information about this family’s origins was sent to me by Charlotte Morton. However, in most cases, I have rechecked the original records to verify the information she sent.) Susan, age 94, lived with her son Henry in Brown Township in 1860.

John Morton and Susan Forrest
1. ANDREW MORTON (2 Dec. 1789-after March 1862) Born in West Calder per parish records, he was listed as an alien in 1819 in Jefferson County. He registered again in 1830 so it seems clear the first listing is a registration, not a citizenship record. He was taxed in 1827 in Shelby Twp. for 160 acres of second-rate land, the NW1/4 Section 29 Twp. 5N Range 12 E, which he had acquired by patent. He was also taxed for two horses and two oxen. He m. on 19 Dec. 1829 in Switzerland County, Ann Vannice, who died in Dec. 1840 age 34 yrs, both buried Caledonia Cem. He was a trustee of the Pleasant Presbyterian Church in 1825 when land was deeded to the church. He was an officer of Caledonia Church when it was founded in 1827. He was listed in Shelby Township in 1850. He wrote his will 22 March 1862 in Jefferson County. He had moved to Madison as his will leaves a house and lot there to daughter Leah. He was a member of the Madison Associate Presbyterian Church while he lived in Madison.

2. JEAN/JANE MORTON (22 Aug.1792-1870/80) Born in West Calder parish, she m. Robert Gray, who died Feb. 20, 1863, age 77, buried Caledonia Cem. They lived 1850 Pleasant Twp. Their marriage has not been found, but probably took place in Scotland. In the 1850 census, their oldest child was age 30, so born 1819/20. She was probably the Jane Gray dismissed by certificate from Caledonia on 29 March 1865. She headed a household in Monmouth City, Warren County, Iowa, in 1870. She cannot be found in the 1880 census

3. JAMES MORTON (2 Nov. 1794-21 Dec. 1871) (LDS transcribed Scottish parish records do not show his birth date) He m. on 7 Dec. 1833 in Switzerland County, Ann Jackson (26 July 1815-30 Dec. 1891), both buried Caledonia Cem. James applied for naturalization in the October 1838 of the Jefferson County Circuit Court. They were listed in Pleasant Township in 1850. Ann wrote a will on 5 Oct. 1889 and was recorded on 6 Jan. 1892. She named Thomas A. Spencer as her executor. Her will named her daughter, Lizzie B. Morton, who was to receive all person property, and sons Robert, Jimmie, John and Henry. It also mentioned land in Jefferson County will to her by her father John Jackson.

4. JOHN MORTON (7 Sept. 1797-12 Sept. 1857) Born in West Calder, he was shown as an alien in 1825 in Jefferson County. He was taxed in 1827 in Shelby Twp. for 80 acres in the W1/2 NW1/4 Section 29 Twp. 5N Range 12E, which he had acquired by patent. He m. on 29 Nov. 1833 in Jefferson County, Jennet Weir, 1811-2 Feb. 1875, age 61 years, wife of John Morton, per her tombstone transcription, both buried Carmel Cem. They lived 1850 Pleasant Township. They moved to Hanover Township about 1856, according to a son’s biographical sketch. He was dismissed by certificate from Caledonia on 24 Aug. 1857. On 3 Feb. 1859, Jennette Morton was named guardian of William, Jennette, Mary, Elizabeth, Robert, Jane, Susan, and Ann, heirs of John Morton. (Guardianship Book) The biographical sketch of son John W. Morton says that the family moved to Jefferson County in 1857 and that John Sr. died that same year.

5. WILLIAM MORTON (28 Feb. 1799-21 Aug.1885) He was born in West Calder parish.
He was taxed in 1827 in Shelby Twp. for one tithable. He m. on 15 June 1841 in Switzerland County, Flora Culbertson, who had married 1st James Glenn, who died 19 Mar. 1839, age 29 yrs, buried Caledonia Cem. They were listed in Pleasant Township in1850; in Monroe Township in 1860 and 1870. Flora lived ca. 1820-3 Apr. 1867 (in her 7th year) Both William and Flora were buried in the Monroe Presbyterian Church Cem. Their stones were removed to Caledonia when Monroe was relocated because of the formation of the Jefferson Proving Ground. William was listed in the household of his daughter Susan and son-in-law Charles Tait in 1880.

6. ROBERT MORTON (b. 1801) He was christened on 1 Nov. 1801 in West Calder as son of John Morton and Susan Forrest. He was taxed in 1827 in Shelby Twp. with one tithable; no further record.
7. SUSAN MORTON (12 March 1804-28 Feb. 1883), buried Monroe Cem. She m. on 1 Nov. 1841 in Ripley County, William Weir, who was born about 1810 in Scotland. William was named as a brother-in-law and executor by Andrew Morton in his will. He was listed in Jefferson County in 1830. He was listed in Milton Township as William Weyer in 1840; and in Monroe Township in 1850 and 1860 and Madison Township in 1870 with the same spelling. William had two land patents, both entered on 16 Sept. 1835. These were for 40 acres in the SE1/4 NW1/4 Sec. 31 Twp. 5N Range 12E and also 40 acres in the NE1/4 NW1/4. This land is on Scott's Ridge in Shelby Twp. and represents the Eastern half of the NW1/4. It is bordered by land in the Western half of the NW1/4 entered by John Morton.

8. GEORGE MORTON (1806-after 1880) On 2 Sept. 1834, he patented 40 acres in the NW1/4 SW1/4 Sec. 29 Twp. 5N Range 12E in Ripley County. He m. on 2 Jan.1841 in Switzerland County, Jennet Culbertson, who was born in 1823 in Indiana. They were listed in Brown Township, Ripley County, in 1850. Both were dismissed from Caledonia on 19 Feb. 1864. George and Mrs. Jannette Morton were the first two names on the Caledonia records, which resume in 1854 after earlier records were destroyed by fire. One record says they moved to Monmouth, Ill. They were listed in Twp. 11N Range 4E in Henderson County, Ill., in 1870. They were listed in Monmouth, Warren County, Ill., in 1880.

9. HENRY MORTON (1812-17 May 1878) He m. on 3 Feb. 1841 in Jefferson County, Jane/Jennie Buchanan Ralston, who was born on 18 Sept. 1820 in Paisley No children, both buried Fairmount Cem. They were listed in 1850 Brown Twp., Ripley County. His will was written 27 June 1873 in Jefferson County (Book B-351) and recorded. 7 June 1878. It names his wife Jane. She was probably the Jane Morton dismissed by certificate at Caledonia at on 24 Aug. 1857.