? A variant of Murray or Morey.
| At Ferryland: | Surrogate Court Records: 1784 - Matthew Morry - petitioned for land at the head of Caplin Bay. |
| Supreme Court Records: September 23, 1786 - Matthew Morry - Partner of : Thomas Gibbs. | |
| Supreme Court Records: September 23, 1786 - John Brazzel - Was contracted by (Matthew) Morry to build a shoreman's house on a piece of ground in Capelin Bay. | |
| Morry Papers: 1790 - Matthew Morry granted use of land at the head of Caplin Bay by Surrogate Jacob Waller. | |
| District Court Actions: October 4, 1791 - William Morry - One of a group of people who helped save but held onto 31 firkins of butter from a stranded boat belonging to : Hodge, M. | |
| Supreme Court Records: October 12, 1792 - ??? Merton - Sued over a dispute over a piece of ground at northside of pond in Caplin Bay: Matthew Morry and Co. | |
| District Court Actions: May 20, 1795 - James Connelly - Sued this winter agent for Matthew Morry of Capeland Bay for taking back his salt: Thomas Head. | |
| Surrogate Court Records: December 13, 1813 - Matthew Morry - Owed money by: Richard Grant, Senior, John , Richard Junior and William. Witnesses: William Sweetland, Richard Dunning. | |
| Surrogate Court Records: January 9, 1816 - William Morry, Junior, husband of Robert Carter's granddaughter: Ann Sanders, settled the division of fishing rooms with : Richard Sanders. Witnesses: Robert Sanders, Francis Tree and Benjamin Sweetland. | |
| Surrogate Court Records: August 20, 1816 - William Morry, Caplin Bay resident owed money to: John Morry. | |
| Surrogate Court Records: December 11, 1816 - Matthew Morry - Sold fishing rooms in Brigus to : John Morry. Witnesses: William Sweetland & Benjamin Sweetland. | |
| Surrogate Court Records: December 11, 1816 - John Badcock - Occupied fishing rooms sold to John Morry in Brigus. | |
| Surrogate Court Records: May 17, 1817 - Matthew Morry and Co. of Dartmouth and Caplin Bay sold property at the head of Caplin Bay to: John Morry. Witnesses: Noah Clift, William Sweetland. | |
| Colony of Avalon Website: Morry, George (died August 18, 1846) native of Dartmouth, England and long-time resident of Ferryland. | |
| Voter's List for Ferryland: 1849, 1852 - John Morry; 1855 - John & Henry Morry; 1859 - John , Henry and Arthur Morry. | |
| Lovell's 1871 Directory: Morry, Henry, - fisherman; Morry, John - farmer. | |
| Ferryland Anglican Cemetery: MORRY - John Morry died 15 April 1897 aged 79 years. | |
| At Caplin Bay: | Supreme Court Records: February 23, 1835 - Matthew Morry, ( Jr.) - Appointed surveyor of highways in Capelin Bay. |
| Ferryland Church of England Burials: June 29, 1836 - Matthew Morry - Dartmouth/Caplin Bay - Merchant - age 87. | |
| Royal Gazzette: February 20, 1838 - Mathew Morry, (Sr.) Member of Board of Commission for Roads and Bridges from Bay Bulls to Cape Broyle. | |
| Royal Gazette: February 21, 1843 - Mary Morry - Eldest daughter of Mathew Morry of Caplin Bay married Peter LeMessurier of St. John's at Ferryland on February 7th. Rev. Bowman performed the service. | |
| Ferryland Church of England Burials: July 30, 1854 - Matthew Morry - Caplin Bay - Planter - age 41. | |
| Royal Gazzette: July 8, 1856 - Mathew Morry, Esq. JP - Died at Caplin Bay at the age of 64 on June 26th. | |
| Ferryland Church of England Burials: June 29, 1856 - Matthew Morry - Ferryland - Magistrate - age 66. | |
| Royal Gazette: February 6, 1858 - Priscilla Ann Morry, Daughter of Mathew Morry, Esq., JP of Caplin Bay married W.W. LeMessurier. Service performed by Rev. Bayley on Wednesday last. | |
| Voter's List for Caplin Bay: 1840, 1842 - Matthew Morry, Esq.; 1844 - Matthew Morry Sr. & Matthew Morry; 1845, 1846 - Matthew Morry Sr. & Matthew Morry Jr.; 1847 - Matthew Morry Sr. J.P. & Matthew Morry Jr.; 1849 - Matthew Morry Sr., Esq. & Matthew Morry Jr.; 1852 - Matthew Morry Sr. Esq. , Matthew Morry Jr., Benjamin Morry, and William Morry; Matthew Morry Esq. Sr., Arthur Morry, & Benjamin Morry; 1855 - Arthur, Benjamin, Matthew Morry Esq. Sr.; 1859 - Benjamin Morry & Robert Morry. | |
| Lovell's 1871 Directory: Benjamin Morry, trader; Robert Morry; trader. | |
| McAlpine's 1894 Directory: Robert Morry, fisherman; Peter Morry, fisherman. | |
| McAlpine's 1898 Directory: Peter Morry, agent, Alan Goodridge & Sons, general merchants. | |
| Southern Shore Death Records: At Ferryland - Sept. 27 1930 - Elizabeth Morey- Senility - Aged 85. | |
| Family History: | The family history of the Morry family in the Caplin Bay /Ferryland area begins with the first of three generations of Morry men all named Matthew. Matthew Morry I was born in Dartmouth, Devon , England in March 1750. Matthew's name first appears in Newfoundland records in a 1784 petition to Governor Campbell asking for possession of property at the head of Caplin Bay. This petition was a departure from the norm, which at that time dictated that the captain of the first ship to enter a bay or harbor in the spring, was the admiral there for that fishing season. As admiral, the captain could claim the best fishing room and he was also given the power and right to administer law within the immediate area. This centuries old tradition meant that property could change hands every year, with possession highly dependent on fair winds and good weather on the voyage across the Atlantic. |
| We can surmise from the various histories that have been written about Newfoundland that Matthew Morry I would probably have been considered a bit of an "upstart" for his boldness in looking to possess land. History seems to paint the picture that it was mainly Matthew's contemporaries, the West Country merchants, who actually discouraged land possession, a right that they felt would inevitably lead to large-scale settlement. If settlement were allowed, they feared that they would lose most of their lucrative trade and industry to a local population. To enforce this argument, they claimed one had only to look at what had happened in "the colonies", in what was now the United States of America. Possession of land there had allowed the local inhabitants to become dominant. Through rebellion, these local inhabitants had seized the properties of English subjects and forced out those who wished to remain loyal to the King. In the end, they had declared themselves an independent country and great were the losses to his Majesty and his loyal subjects. | |
| After Matthew Morry I submitted his petition, and finding further support for his request from the influential Carter family at Ferryland, he obviously felt fairly confident that his petition would be received favorably. As he had done before, he gambled that he could hold the property by leaving his winter agent, Thomas Head, at Caplin Bay to hold "his" property and to ensure his early claim to it the following spring. Records show that in 1786, he hired a carpenter, John Brazell, to build a "shoreman's house" on the property. Finally in 1790, after what were probably six long anxious years, a decision was received from a Newfoundland surrogate, Jacob Waller, which allowed Matthew Morry to "possess the same, so long as you shall employ the said space for the advantage of the fishery". This was obviously a compromise decision that sought to both please and appease all parties involved, but stopped just short of outright ownership. Matthew's right to this property may have been challenged in 1792 but it appears that the surrogate's decision was upheld. | |
| Matthew Morry I was first married in 1773 and he and his wife, Mary Graham, had a large family that were all born and raised in Dartmouth. Mary died there in 1796. From the information that can be gleaned from surviving records, Matthew's earliest relationship with Newfoundland appears to have been seasonal, the same as that of most West Country merchants. In 1799/1800, Robert Carter was requested by Governor Pole to compile a list of inhabitants and their activities in Ferryland District. What Carter compiled was a three part document that gives a detailed view of the area, including a list of inhabitants and all those involved in the business during both the summer and winter months. We learn from these documents that Matthew Morry I is still returning to Dartmouth during the winter and his agent, Thomas Head, is looking after his interests at Caplin Bay. | |
| Sometime after 1800, probably about 1813, Matthew Morry I married for the second time. His second wife, Anne, had been twice widowed and was been living at Ferryland. Anne was the daughter of Robert Carter and Ann Wyley of Devon and Ferryland. Little is known of Anne's first marriage to Samuel Hill, but records show that from her second marriage, to Henry Sweetland of Devon and Ferryland, she had three sons. We can speculate that with this marriage, and his advancing age, Matthew may have decided to settle in Newfoundland and forego the yearly voyages across the Atlantic. There is much speculation as to where Matthew Morry I lived after he married for the second time. His wife, Anne, is known to have had considerable property on the Downs at Ferryland, left to her by her second husband, Henry Sweetland. Records also show that in 1806, Matthew Morry I bought a house and some property on the south side of Caplin Bay. This property is believed to be the Rocky Park property mentioned in later voter's lists. From the description of the property and later references to other adjacent property, Morry & Co. headquarters appears to have been in the area to the south west of what eventually came to be known as Keough's Cove. | |
| We do not know how many of Matthew Morry's I children came to Newfoundland but, early in the 1800s, the records show the names of Matthew II, William and John Morry in the area. On November 6, 1813, Matthew Morry I (1750 - 1836) empowered his son, Matthew Morry II (1791-1856) with Power of Attorney in all matters affecting the Morry business in Newfoundland. In this document, Matthew Morry I stated that he resides in Dartmouth and Matthew Morry II is also from Dartmouth but "lately resides in Caplin Bay". Thus Matthew Morry II became "heir apparent" to guide the next generation of Matthew Morry & Co. of Caplin Bay. Matthew Morry II married Anne Saunders about 1811 and, between 1812 and 1837, they had 14 children. In the fall of 1816 and spring of 1817, it appears that there was a sale of property from Matthew Morry (I or II?) to John Morry. We can only speculate whether this John was Matthew Morry I eldest son John, or John Morry Jr. (son of John), who would have been only 17 years old at that time. The property bought was at Caplin Bay and Brigus South where the Morry's appear to have had a sizable operation. John Morry Jr. died at Caplin Bay in 1837 at the age of 37 years and some of the Morry property, belonging to Matthew II and "John Morry, deceased" at Brigus South was sold to members of the Gregory and Battcock families in 1839. William Morry appears to have stayed in the area as well. A headstone in Ferryland Anglican Cemetery shows William Morry died in 1851, aged 60 years. Although he never appeared in any voter's list, a George Morry, "native of Dartmouth, England and long-time resident of Ferryland" died there on August 18, 1846. | |
| By the early 1840, when Matthew Morry's II sons started to come of age, several of them decided to establish their own business interests. About 1844, Matthew Morry III (1813- 1854) moved to the north side of Caplin Bay and set up his operations in the area known as Athlone. However within ten years, the Morry business at Caplin Bay suffered a major setback with the deaths of Matthew Morry III in 1854 at the young age of 41 and his father Matthew Morry II, two years later in 1856, at the age of 66. Although there were still members of the Morry family at Caplin Bay, their business presence seemed to decline there and their numbers waned through the last four decades of the nineteenth century. Out migration to Ferryland, St. John's and British Columbia, and deaths due to diphtheria accelerated the demise of the Morry family name at Caplin Bay until by 1900, there was only one member left. The family name disappeared from Calvert in 1930 with the death of Miss Elizabeth Morry, eldest daughter of Matthew Morry III. | |
| In 1844, John Henry Morry, son of Matthew Morry II , in partnership with his brother-in-law, Peter Paint LeMessurier, bought the old Holdsworth plantation on the north side of Ferryland. Although the Morry family previously had many business dealings in Ferryland, it appears that John Henry Morry was the first of his family to establish a large-scale business there. He was joined at Ferryland in the mid 1850s by at least two of his brothers from Caplin Bay and later by other brothers after the family business went into decline there. The business at Ferryland was carried on by three more generations of Morry men, all of whom had served in the military. Thomas Graham Morry was the next to inherit the reins of the family business from his father John. Thomas had served with the North West Provisional Battalion of Infantry of the Active Militia of Canada. In 1873/1874, his battalion was sent to Fort Gary, Winnipeg, Manitoba from Montreal (County of Hochelaga) to quell the Riel Rebellion. Howard Morry, Thomas' son, enlisted in the army early in WW I. Although he married in Scotland in 1915, he returned to Ferryland to take over the family business. Howard's son William (Bill), a WW II veteran, was the last to inherit the family business at Ferryland. | |
| Local Place Names: | Morry's Cove. This is the small cove on the north side of Calvert where Matthew Morry III lived and established his fishing premises in the 1840s. His home, known as Athlone Cottage, was situated on the cliff overlooking this cove. |
This page was last updated: Friday 10th February, 2006