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James Morgan

Male 1846 - 1918  (71 years)

Personal Information    |    Media    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name James Morgan 
    Birth 06 Aug 1846  Trevethin, Pontypool. Monmouthshire Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2] 
    Christening 28 Apr 1858  Trevethin Parish Church, County of Monmouth, Wales Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 
    Gender Male 
    Immigration 1869  USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [4] 
    Year of immigration as given in the 1910 census. Naturalized by 1910. 
    News Paper Items 31 Jan 1885  Main Street, Nanticoke, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    Alleged hotel thief: James Morgan, proprietor of the North Branch Hotel at Nanticoke, had for some time missed cigars, liquors and cash from his bar. Suspicion fell on a boarder, George Bauman, a painter. One night Morgan and Chris Stevens lay in wait and caught Bauman approaching the bar room with a light; he escaped to his room, then left the hotel and was not seen again. 
    News Paper Items 3 Aug 1891  Main Street, Nanticoke, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [6] 
    Nanticoke news: James Morgan, proprietor of the North Branch Hotel, has refitted his place and now has the coolest place on Main street. Reichard's best beer always on tap and his table one of the best in town. 
    Residence Bef 1893  Nanticoke, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [7] 
    Lived at Nanticoke before moving to Lee Park about 1893 (obituary), which also says he conducted "the North Branch" for many years. 
    News Paper Items 26 Jan 1894  Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [8] 
    Liquor licence application, Hanover Township: James Morgan, restaurant, corner Barney and Division streets. 
    Occupation 1910  Lee Park, Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Hotel keeper (1910 census). Retired about 1912 (obituary). 
    News Paper Items 21 Feb 1910  Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [9] 
    Retail liquor licence granted by Judge Garman, Hanover Township: James Morgan, Denison street. 
    Census 15 Apr 1910  1 Lee Park Avenue, Lee Park, Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [10] 
    James Morgane, 64, head, first marriage, married 28 years, born Wales, immigrated 1869, naturalized; hotel keeper, employer; owns house free of mortgage. Wife Margaret, 69 (her second marriage; 4 children born, none living). Servant Margaret Owens, 55, widow. 
    Death 22 Apr 1918  1 Lee Park Avenue, Lee Park, Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [11, 12] 
    Burial Hollenback Cemetery, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location  [13] 
    Notes 
    • JAMES MORGAN IN PENNSYLVANIA (researched October 2026)

      James was the brother of Sarah Ann Morgan (Parker), and so the uncle of Sarah Ann Parker (Wilson) and Ann Louisa Parker. He emigrated to America in 1869 (1910 census) and lived first at Nanticoke, Luzerne County. His obituary says he "conducted the North Branch" for many years (the North Branch Hotel, Main Street, Nanticoke - see the note on the hotels). About 1893 he moved to Lee Park, in Hanover Township just south of Wilkes-Barre, and carried on the same business there. In January 1894 he applied for a licence for a restaurant at the corner of Barney and Division streets, Hanover Township; in February 1910 Judge Garman granted him a retail licence for Denison Street. In the 1910 census he is a hotel keeper and employer at 1 Lee Park Avenue, owning the house free of mortgage.

      About 1882 he married Margaret Evans, a widow, born at Beaufort, Monmouthshire, in 1841, who had come to America as a baby. Margaret had borne four children, none living by 1910 (1910 census). James had no surviving children: his obituary names only a brother and a sister in England, and Margaret's names only her husband and two brothers. Margaret died at Lee Park on 4 July 1911 after a series of strokes. James retired about 1912.

      THE 1913 VISIT. In April 1913 his widowed niece Sarah Wilson, her son Frank (aged 5) and her unmarried sister Louisa Parker sailed from Liverpool on the Celtic to join him. The manifest says they were going to "Uncle James Morgan, 3 Lee Park Ave, Hanover Township, Wilkes-Barre" and that their passage was paid by the uncle. They were back in England about five weeks later. INFERENCE (not stated in any record): a newly widowed and newly retired uncle invited his nearest family to join him, and the arrangement did not last. No record found so far says why they went home.

      He died at 1 Lee Park Avenue on 22 April 1918 of Bright's disease (kidney failure) after several months' illness, and was buried in Hollenback Cemetery, Wilkes-Barre. Funeral from David E. Jones's rooms, 17 Division Street, conducted by Rev. E. J. Morris of the Puritan Congregational Church.

      STILL TO FIND: his will and estate papers (Luzerne County Register of Wills, 1918), which should show who inherited the Lee Park property; the Hollenback Cemetery interment record; where Margaret is buried; a photograph of either hotel.
    • THE HOTELS (newspaper research, 21 October 2026)

      THE NORTH BRANCH HOTEL stood on Main Street, Nanticoke, and James was its proprietor in the 1880s and early 1890s. In January 1885 he and Chris Stevens sat up at night to catch a boarder, George Bauman, a painter, who had been stealing cigars, liquor and cash from the bar; Bauman got away and disappeared (Times Leader, 31 Jan 1885, p. 1). In August 1891 the Nanticoke column reported that he had refitted the hotel, that it was "the coolest place on Main street", with Reichard's beer on tap and one of the best tables in town (Times Leader, 3 Aug 1891, p. 4). (A different North Branch Hotel stood on Canal Street, Wilkes-Barre, in the 1870s; it is not his.)

      LEE PARK. A Lee Park Hotel existed by 1892, apparently kept by the Arnold family (Times Leader, 28 May 1892, p. 8; Thos. R. Arnold, hotel, Barney Street, in the 1894 licence list). James applied in January 1894 for a licence at the corner of Barney and Division streets, and in 1910 was licensed for Denison Street. His house and business were at No. 1 Lee Park Avenue.

      WHO HELD THE LICENCE FOR No. 1 LEE PARK AVENUE (annual retail liquor licence lists, Court of Quarter Sessions):
      - January 1912: Hanover Township commissioners to meet 'at the house of William Walters, No. 1 Lee Park avenue' (Times Leader, 22 Jan 1912, p. 2).
      - 1913, 1914 and 1916: Patrick J. Brislin (Times Leader, 28 Jan 1913, p. 11; 26 Jan 1914, p. 11; 25 Jan 1916, p. 11).
      - 1917: Frank Scanlon, marked as an old house with a new applicant (Times Leader, 24 Jan 1917, p. 12).
      - 1918: James Morgan himself, marked '(1) New House and New Applicant' (Times Leader, 4 Feb 1918, p. 15), about eleven weeks before he died.
      - May 1919: Carl Krugar listed at 1 Lee Park avenue (mercantile list, Times Leader, 1 May 1919, p. 14).

      So after he retired about 1912 James let the business to others, and in early 1918 applied to take the licence back in his own name. INFERENCE: he owned the building throughout (he owned the house free of mortgage in 1910 and died there). No photograph or display advertisement of either hotel has been found.
    Person ID I513983494  Walsh - Wilson Family Tree
    Last Modified 22 Oct 2026 

    Father Charles Morgan,   b. Abt 1821, Trevethin, Pontypool. Monmouthshire Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Mar 1888, Pontypool. Monmouthshire Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 67 years) 
    Mother Ann Morgan 
    Marriage 25 Sep 1841  Trevethin Parish Church, County of Monmouth, Wales Find all individuals with events at this location  [14, 15] 
    Marriage Witnesses 26 Sep 1841  Trevethin Parish Church, County of Monmouth, Wales Find all individuals with events at this location  [16] 
    Witnesses: John Morgan, James Saunders 
    Documents
    Marriage certificate of Charles Morgan and Ann Morgan - 25 Sep 1841    		Marriage certificate of Charles Morgan and Ann Morgan - 25 Sep 1841
    Married in Trevethin Parish Church after Banns. From the Pontypool Register Office
    Family ID F505778199  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Margaret Evans,   b. 14 May 1841, Beaufort, Monmouthshire, Wales Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 4 Jul 1911, 1 Lee Park Avenue, Lee Park, Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 70 years) 
    Marriage Abt 1882  [17] 
    Family ID F601968844  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 22 Oct 2026 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 06 Aug 1846 - Trevethin, Pontypool. Monmouthshire Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - - Hollenback Cemetery, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Documents
    1851 U.K. Census - Charles and Ann Morgan and Family - Sowhill, Trevethin, Monmouthshire    		1851 U.K. Census - Charles and Ann Morgan and Family - Sowhill, Trevethin, Monmouthshire
    The 1851 census shows Charles Morgan (age 30, born in Trevethin) a coal miner, living with his wife Ann (age 29, born in Nantey [sp? could be Nantyden, six miles south east of Abergavenny]). With them are their children Charles (age 9), Sarah A. (7), James (5), Mary A. (2), and Rachel (8 months). The five children are all born in Trevethin, and are all students.

    Class: HO107; Piece: 2449; Folio: 127; Page: 43; GSU roll: 104188-104189. Ancestry.com. 1851 Wales Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1851.
    1861 Welsh Census - Charles and Ann Morgan and their Family - Residing at Late Victory [?] - Trevethin, Pontypool, Monmouthshire    		1861 Welsh Census - Charles and Ann Morgan and their Family - Residing at Late Victory [?] - Trevethin, Pontypool, Monmouthshire
    The 1861 census shows Charles Morgan (age 40, a collier) living with his wife Ann (age 40) and his children: Charles (19, a collier), James (16, a haulier), and students Mary A. (13), Rachel (11), Susan (6), John C. (4), and Alma (1).

    Class: RG9; Piece: 4007; Folio: 39; Page: 13; GSU roll: 543220. 1861 Wales Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005. Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1861. Data imaged from the National Archives, London, England.

  • Sources 
    1. [S4932] Trevethin Parish Record Transcripts, 28 Apr 1858 (Reliability: 2).

    2. [S5197] Wilkes-Barre Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), (Newspapers.com), 24 Apr 1918, Times Leader, 24 Apr 1918, p. 5 (Newspapers.com image 94274512) (Reliability: 3).
      Obituary gives birth as 4 Aug 1845 at Sow Hill, Trevethin, Pontypool. (TNG birth date 6 Aug 1846 is from the baptism register; the PA death certificate says 14 Aug 1845. Unresolved.)

    3. [S4932] Trevethin Parish Record Transcripts, 28 Apr 1858 (Reliability: 2).
      Baptism records show father's name as Charles, occupation collier. Mother's name Anne, residence Cwmffrwdwr. Date of birth obtained from baptism register. Baptised on same date as sisters Sarah Anne Morgan (born 24 Dec 1843) and Mary Anne Morgan (born 22 May 1848).

    4. [S48] 1910 United States Federal Census, 1910, Year: 1910; Census Place: Hanover, Luzerne, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1367; Page: 10b; ED 0033 (Reliability: 3).
      Immigrated 1869; naturalized (Na).

    5. [S5197] Wilkes-Barre Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), (Newspapers.com), 31 Jan 1885, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, the Evening News (Daily News-Dealer), 31 Jan 1885, p. 1 (Newspapers.com image 425740936) (Reliability: 3).
      "Alleged Hotel Thief." James Morgan, proprietor of the North Branch Hotel at Nanticoke ...

    6. [S5197] Wilkes-Barre Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), (Newspapers.com), 3 Aug 1891, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, 3 Aug 1891, p. 4 (Newspapers.com image 395000420) (Reliability: 3).
      Nanticoke column: "James Morgan, proprietor of the North Branch Hotel, has re-fitted his place ..."

    7. [S5197] Wilkes-Barre Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), (Newspapers.com), 24 Apr 1918, Times Leader, 24 Apr 1918, p. 5 (Newspapers.com image 94274512) (Reliability: 3).
      Obituary (paraphrase): resident of Lee Park 25 years, before that Nanticoke; conducted the North Branch for many years, then the same business at Lee Park until about six years ago, when he retired.

    8. [S5198] The Union Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), (Newspapers.com), 26 Jan 1894, The Union Leader, 26 Jan 1894, p. 5 (Newspapers.com image 390518819) (Reliability: 3).
      List of licence applications, Hanover Township: "James Morgan, restaurant, corner Barney and Division streets."

    9. [S5197] Wilkes-Barre Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), (Newspapers.com), 21 Feb 1910, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, 21 Feb 1910, p. 12 (Newspapers.com image 395184227) (Reliability: 3).
      The following retail licenses were granted by Judge Garman in Hanover Township: ... James Morgan, Denison street.

    10. [S48] 1910 United States Federal Census, 1910, Year: 1910; Census Place: Hanover, Luzerne, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1367; Page: 10b; ED 0033; FHL 1375380 (Reliability: 3).
      Household at 1 Lee Park Avenue, sheet 10B, lines 72-74.

    11. [S5004] Ancestry.com, 22 Apr 1918, Pennsylvania, U.S., Death Certificates, 1906-1970 (Reliability: 3).
      James Morgan, died 22 Apr 1918, Hanover Township, Luzerne County; born 14 Aug 1845; father Charles Morgan, mother Ann. Certificate no. 43325.

    12. [S5197] Wilkes-Barre Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), (Newspapers.com), 24 Apr 1918, Times Leader, 24 Apr 1918, p. 5 (Newspapers.com image 94274512) (Reliability: 3).
      Death of James Morgan. Died Monday at his home, 1 Lee Park avenue, after an illness of several months from Bright's disease. Resident of the community 25 years, before that Nanticoke. Born at Sow Hill, Trevethin, Pontypool, 4 Aug 1845. Wife died about seven years ago. Survived by one brother and one sister in England.

    13. [S5197] Wilkes-Barre Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), (Newspapers.com), 24 Apr 1918, Times Leader, 24 Apr 1918, p. 5 (Newspapers.com image 94274512) (Reliability: 3).
      Funeral from the undertaking rooms of David E. Jones, 17 Division street; Rev. E. J. Morris of the Puritan Congregational Church officiating; interment in Hollenback Cemetery.

    14. [S4971] Pontypool Register Office, 25 Sep 1841, 7512/14 (Reliability: 3).

    15. [S4932] Trevethin Parish Record Transcripts, 26 Sep 1841 (Reliability: 2).
      Records of the Trevethin Parish Church show marriage on 26 Sep 1841, marriage certificate shows 25 Sep 1841.

    16. [S4932] Trevethin Parish Record Transcripts, 26 Sep 1841 (Reliability: 3).

    17. [S48] 1910 United States Federal Census, 1910, Year: 1910; Census Place: Hanover, Luzerne, Pennsylvania; Roll: T624_1367; Page: 10b; ED 0033 (Reliability: 3).
      Married 28 years at the 1910 census (so about 1881-82); his first marriage, her second.



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