William Morris - Silversmith, Daguerreian, Photographer, Farmer

I found this tintype in Missouri.  There were a couple of things about this particular one that struck me.  The image was clear and in beautiful shape and instead of being dressed in his Sunday best, the young man is wearing heavy leather gloves and appears to be dressed for work.

There was no way to identify the man in the photograph but an old label stuck on the back made me think it might offer some clues and I might figure out what his occupation was.

Trying to date the photograph by his clothing turned out to be a lesson in futility. After viewing hundreds of tintypes, occupational and otherwise,  I found only one photo of a man in work gloves.  His photograph included a shovel. He was a coalman for the railroad.

And the railroad did play an important role in the history of Calhoun, MO. so it is a possibility.

There was also a tintype of 2 brothers on eBay. The style of clothing was similar and one of the brothers even looked like a slightly older version of the man in my tintype.

And I was surprised to read in the description that the brothers were from the right part of the country too. They were railroad regulators in Indian Territory. They were not wearing gloves.

Eventually I decided to give up trying to date my working man's clothing and concentrate on the label on the back of the tintype, hoping if I could identify the photographer, I might at least be able to date the picture.

The back label was worn off in places but I could still make out …

William Morris
Photographer
Calhoun, MO.

William Morris was not an easy man to track down.

From what I’ve learned I believe William’s parents, William Morris and Elizabeth Danforth (30) came to America from England in 1840 with 3 of their children; William (8), Thomas (6) and Mary (4).

I found my first record of young William (19) in 1850,  living in Niagara, NY with his recently widowed mother, Elizabeth (40), brother Thomas (16), sister Mary (14) and infant brother, Melvin (0).  William's occupation is "silversmith."

In 1855 William (23) marries Mary J. (18).

Census records indicate that William and Mary’s first two sons, Theodore (1858) and Hiram (1860) were born in Ohio.

From 1859-1860 I find William Morris listed as a daguerreian in Perrysburgh, Ohio.

I haven‘t yet found any record of William Morris‘ Civil War years but I may have found one clue. There's headstone in a cemetery in the Oberlin, Ohio where William passed away. There are no dates on the stone.  It simply reads ...

“Wm. Morris”
"Co.E 42nd Ohio INF"

In 1864 William reappears in NY with the birth of a son Charles.  Three years later in 1867 a daughter, Lily is also born in NY.

But it is in 1870 where I find William’s connection to Henry. Co., Missouri …

1870 Tebo Township, Henry Co, MO - PO Clinton
Jul 29 1870

MORRIS William - 38 wm (1832) photographer - England
MORRIS Mary J. - 33 wf (1837) keeps house - New York
MORRIS Theodore - 12 wm (1858) - Ohio
MORRIS Hiram - 10 wm (1860) - Ohio
MORRIS Charles - 6 wm (1864) - New York
MORRIS Lilly - 3 wf (1867) - New York
MORRIS Ruby - 1/12 wf (1870) - Missouri

Ruby’s birthdate gives me my start date for when William Morris first appeared in Missouri … 1870.

My end date can be found in the 1880 census. William Morris (49) no longer lists his occupation as “photographer“, but as “farmer”.

All of William's children are still living in his household in 1880, including a few additions, Daisie (1874), Gudie (1876) and May (1879).

Only the name of his wife is different. Instead of wife Mary J. born 1837 in NY, The 1880 census shows his wife as Ophelia (34) born ca.1847 in NY.

I had the dates I was searching for, even if I still didn't know what his occupation was. William Morris took this photograph sometime in the 1870’s.

But by now I was more interested in the photographer than the photograph and I wanted to follow the story to its conclusion. So I kept looking. 

There is no 1890 census but my best guess is that William left Missouri sometime between 1883 - 1885.

The information in the 1900 census is more than a little confusing. William Morris (70) is listed as head of household and living in Bent, Colorado.  Living with him are his daughter Lily (30) and a 5 yr. old, John Hilton who is listed as a “boarder“. There is no record of his wife living in the household yet William lists his marital status as …

Marital Status:	Married
Years Married:	45
Estimated Marriage Year:	1855

　
And that’s one I haven’t figured out. The marriage year and number of years married matches up with wife Mary J. but not wife Ophelia, and that leaves me wondering if there were 2 wives? And what happened to them? With the exception of the one time each woman appears in the census, I haven’t found a single record for either of them.

In 1910 William (80) is still living in Bent, Colorado. His marital status is widowed. His daughter Lily (44) is married to George Nelson (36).  George is listed as head of household.

The 1910 census is the last one that William appears in. Sometime prior to 1917 he returns to Ohio to live with his son and daughter-in-law, Sarah Morris. It is Sarah Morris who fills out the record of his death on June 20, 1917.  Cause of death is listed as cancer. 

And to further confuse matters, William’s marital status is once again listed as married.

I guess he was … to somebody … for a long time.

William Morris
Born: England
July 20, 1832
Died: Oberlin Village, Ohio
June 20, 1917.
Aged 84 yr. 11 mos.

Silversmith Daguerreian Photographer Farmer

Now if I only I could find a photograph of him.