Husband of actresses Rose Wood and Florence Roberts.
Father of actresses Rosabel Morrison (Mrs. E.J. Abram) and Adrienne Morrison (Mrs. Richard Bennett). Grandfather of actresses Barbara Bennett (Mrs. Morton Downey), Constance Bennett and Joan Bennett. Great-grandfather of television talk show host Morton Downey, Jr.
"Some sources claim that Moritz W. Morris is the correct spelling. Very little is known about his family history. After the Civil War, he changed his name to Lewis Morrison for unknown reasons. His great great grandson, Phil Downey, later claimed that Morris changed his name to escape his African and Jewish heritage."(An Online Reference Guide to African American History.)
Grand Rapids (Mich.) PRESS, Aug. 20, 1906, p.4: "Lewis Morrison, the 'greatest devil on the American stage,' whose subtle, witty, cynical Mephisto in 'Faust' was well known to the playgoers of Grand Rapids, is dead. He died suddenly in St. John's hospital in yonkers on Saturday afternoon from shock following an operation for a disease of the stomach. Mr. Morrison was sixty-one years of age and was of Hebrew extraction. Practically all of his life was spent on the stage. He served in the Civil war on the Union side and rose to the rank of lieutenant and brevet captain. His debut on the stage was made when he was twenty years old at New Orleans in the company of Lawrence Barret. Nearly a quarter of a century ago he began to play Mephisto in 'Faust' and he continued the part up to the end of the past season, meeting with great financial success."
Columbia (South Carolina) STATE, Mon., Aug. 27, 1906, p.8: "Lewis Morrison was born in Jamaica, W.I., 61 years ago, his father being English and his mother of Spanish descent. When he was only two years old his father's business took him back to England; then the child and his mother came to live with her brother, David Carvalho, in Brooklyn. Morrison was educated at a private school in Brooklyn, early becoming noted as one of the leading amateurs of the city."
As an actor he appeared in supporting roles with renowned actors Edwin Booth, with Lawrence Barrett, Tommaso Salvini, and Charlotte Cushman before forming his own touring company in 1884 with Florence Roberts, who became his second wife. He opened his most famous role, Mephistopheles in Faust, in New York in April 1889.
"An Actress Seeks A Divorce," New York TIMES, May 9, 1886.
*******************************************************************************
Contributed by USCT Cemetery Mgr. (I.D. 49120946):
Morris W. Morris, the first black Jewish officer in US history:
Lewis Morrison was born in Kingston, Jamaica on September 4, 1845. He was named Morris W. Morris at birth, although some sources claim that Moritz W. Morris is the correct spelling. Very little is known about his family history. After the Civil War, he changed his name to Lewis Morrison for unknown reasons. His great great grandson, Phil Downey, later claimed that Morris changed his name to escape his African and Jewish heritage.
Morris left Jamaica for the United States as a youth. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted in the 1st Louisiana Native Guard, the first official black military regiment in the Confederacy, with other free blacks. He soon rose to the rank of lieutenant, becoming the first black Jewish officer to serve in the Confederate Army. When the Louisiana State Legislature banned people of color from serving in the Confederate Army in February 1862, the regiment was disbanded. Morris and about 10% of the other former 1st Louisiana Native Guard joined the Union Army in September 1862 and were organized into a new unit that was assigned the same name. There Morris became the first black Jewish officer in the Union Army.
Morris W. Morris, the first black Jewish officer in US history
*******************************************************************************
1880 census: San Francisco
Name: Lewis Morrison
Age: 34
Birth Year: abt 1846
Birthplace: West Indies
Home in 1880: San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
Marital Status: Married
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: West Indies
1900 census: San Francisco
Name: Louis Morrison
Age: 54
Birth Date: Sep 1845
Birthplace: West Indies
Home in 1900: San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1855
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Florence Morrison
Marriage Year: 1890
Years Married: 10
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: Spain
CARVALHO
Jamaica, Select Births and Baptisms:
Name David Carvalho
Gender: Male
Baptism Date 09 Aug 1839
Baptism Place Trelawny, Cornwall, Jamaica
FHL Film Number 1291671
David Nunes Carvalho
Born 4 NOV 1785 in London, England.
Died 1860 Baltimore, Maryland.
U.S. Passenger Lists
Name:David N. Carvalho
Birth Year:abt 1787
Arrival Year:1820
Arrival Place:Charleston, South Carolina
Age:33
Source Publication Code:3250.7
Primary Immigrant:Carvalho, David N
1820-27: Merchant in Charleston, S.C.
1814, Charleston, S.C.: married Sarah Cohen D'Azevedo born 1793 in England.
U.S. Naturalization Records
Name: David N Carvalho
Age:33
Birth Date:abt 1787
Naturalization Date:11 Jan 1820
Residence:Charleston
State:South Carolina
Place of Origin:London, Great Britain
Court Type:District Court
Court Location:South Carolina
Naturalization Record Type:
Certificate of Naturalization
1850 census: Baltimore, MD
Name: Soloman N(Nunes) Carvalho
Age:35
Birth Year:abt 1815
Birthplace:South Carolina
Home in 1850:Baltimore Ward 9, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Gender: Male
Family Number:647
Household Members: Name Age
D W Carvalho 64 SC (David W)
Susan W Carvalho 54
Julia N Carvalho 30
Rachel N Carvalho 28
Clara N Carvalho 24
Sophia N Carvalho 23
Merian N Carvalho 10
Soloman N Carvalho 35
Sarah N Carvalho 25
David N Carvalho 2
Charity N Carvalho 0
Mary Hamilton 26
Sarah J Tripp 15
1855 NY State census
S N Carvalho (Solomon N)40
S N Carvalho 20
David Carvalho 6
C Carvalho 4
J Carvalho 2
Mary Welch 38
1870 NY Directory, p. 180:
p. Carvalho David N. agent, h E. 126th n Fourth av.
NY Passenger Lists
Name: S N Carvalho
Arrival Date: 15 Oct 1872
Birth Date: abt 1815
Age: 57 6/12
Gender: Male
Ethnicity/ Nationality: American
Place of Origin: United States of America
Port of Departure: Maracaibo, Venezuela
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Virginia
Find A Grave Memorial# 59655497
Solomon Nunes Carvalho
birth date 27 Apr 1812
death date 1894
SAR Membership 91398
Spouse: Sarah Miriam Solis
The Philadelphia Jewish Exponent Obituary Index
Husband of actresses Rose Wood and Florence Roberts.
Father of actresses Rosabel Morrison (Mrs. E.J. Abram) and Adrienne Morrison (Mrs. Richard Bennett). Grandfather of actresses Barbara Bennett (Mrs. Morton Downey), Constance Bennett and Joan Bennett. Great-grandfather of television talk show host Morton Downey, Jr.
"Some sources claim that Moritz W. Morris is the correct spelling. Very little is known about his family history. After the Civil War, he changed his name to Lewis Morrison for unknown reasons. His great great grandson, Phil Downey, later claimed that Morris changed his name to escape his African and Jewish heritage."(An Online Reference Guide to African American History.)
Grand Rapids (Mich.) PRESS, Aug. 20, 1906, p.4: "Lewis Morrison, the 'greatest devil on the American stage,' whose subtle, witty, cynical Mephisto in 'Faust' was well known to the playgoers of Grand Rapids, is dead. He died suddenly in St. John's hospital in yonkers on Saturday afternoon from shock following an operation for a disease of the stomach. Mr. Morrison was sixty-one years of age and was of Hebrew extraction. Practically all of his life was spent on the stage. He served in the Civil war on the Union side and rose to the rank of lieutenant and brevet captain. His debut on the stage was made when he was twenty years old at New Orleans in the company of Lawrence Barret. Nearly a quarter of a century ago he began to play Mephisto in 'Faust' and he continued the part up to the end of the past season, meeting with great financial success."
Columbia (South Carolina) STATE, Mon., Aug. 27, 1906, p.8: "Lewis Morrison was born in Jamaica, W.I., 61 years ago, his father being English and his mother of Spanish descent. When he was only two years old his father's business took him back to England; then the child and his mother came to live with her brother, David Carvalho, in Brooklyn. Morrison was educated at a private school in Brooklyn, early becoming noted as one of the leading amateurs of the city."
As an actor he appeared in supporting roles with renowned actors Edwin Booth, with Lawrence Barrett, Tommaso Salvini, and Charlotte Cushman before forming his own touring company in 1884 with Florence Roberts, who became his second wife. He opened his most famous role, Mephistopheles in Faust, in New York in April 1889.
"An Actress Seeks A Divorce," New York TIMES, May 9, 1886.
*******************************************************************************
Contributed by USCT Cemetery Mgr. (I.D. 49120946):
Morris W. Morris, the first black Jewish officer in US history:
Lewis Morrison was born in Kingston, Jamaica on September 4, 1845. He was named Morris W. Morris at birth, although some sources claim that Moritz W. Morris is the correct spelling. Very little is known about his family history. After the Civil War, he changed his name to Lewis Morrison for unknown reasons. His great great grandson, Phil Downey, later claimed that Morris changed his name to escape his African and Jewish heritage.
Morris left Jamaica for the United States as a youth. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted in the 1st Louisiana Native Guard, the first official black military regiment in the Confederacy, with other free blacks. He soon rose to the rank of lieutenant, becoming the first black Jewish officer to serve in the Confederate Army. When the Louisiana State Legislature banned people of color from serving in the Confederate Army in February 1862, the regiment was disbanded. Morris and about 10% of the other former 1st Louisiana Native Guard joined the Union Army in September 1862 and were organized into a new unit that was assigned the same name. There Morris became the first black Jewish officer in the Union Army.
Morris W. Morris, the first black Jewish officer in US history
*******************************************************************************
1880 census: San Francisco
Name: Lewis Morrison
Age: 34
Birth Year: abt 1846
Birthplace: West Indies
Home in 1880: San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Self (Head)
Marital Status: Married
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: West Indies
1900 census: San Francisco
Name: Louis Morrison
Age: 54
Birth Date: Sep 1845
Birthplace: West Indies
Home in 1900: San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1855
Relation to Head of House: Head
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Florence Morrison
Marriage Year: 1890
Years Married: 10
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: Spain
CARVALHO
Jamaica, Select Births and Baptisms:
Name David Carvalho
Gender: Male
Baptism Date 09 Aug 1839
Baptism Place Trelawny, Cornwall, Jamaica
FHL Film Number 1291671
David Nunes Carvalho
Born 4 NOV 1785 in London, England.
Died 1860 Baltimore, Maryland.
U.S. Passenger Lists
Name:David N. Carvalho
Birth Year:abt 1787
Arrival Year:1820
Arrival Place:Charleston, South Carolina
Age:33
Source Publication Code:3250.7
Primary Immigrant:Carvalho, David N
1820-27: Merchant in Charleston, S.C.
1814, Charleston, S.C.: married Sarah Cohen D'Azevedo born 1793 in England.
U.S. Naturalization Records
Name: David N Carvalho
Age:33
Birth Date:abt 1787
Naturalization Date:11 Jan 1820
Residence:Charleston
State:South Carolina
Place of Origin:London, Great Britain
Court Type:District Court
Court Location:South Carolina
Naturalization Record Type:
Certificate of Naturalization
1850 census: Baltimore, MD
Name: Soloman N(Nunes) Carvalho
Age:35
Birth Year:abt 1815
Birthplace:South Carolina
Home in 1850:Baltimore Ward 9, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Gender: Male
Family Number:647
Household Members: Name Age
D W Carvalho 64 SC (David W)
Susan W Carvalho 54
Julia N Carvalho 30
Rachel N Carvalho 28
Clara N Carvalho 24
Sophia N Carvalho 23
Merian N Carvalho 10
Soloman N Carvalho 35
Sarah N Carvalho 25
David N Carvalho 2
Charity N Carvalho 0
Mary Hamilton 26
Sarah J Tripp 15
1855 NY State census
S N Carvalho (Solomon N)40
S N Carvalho 20
David Carvalho 6
C Carvalho 4
J Carvalho 2
Mary Welch 38
1870 NY Directory, p. 180:
p. Carvalho David N. agent, h E. 126th n Fourth av.
NY Passenger Lists
Name: S N Carvalho
Arrival Date: 15 Oct 1872
Birth Date: abt 1815
Age: 57 6/12
Gender: Male
Ethnicity/ Nationality: American
Place of Origin: United States of America
Port of Departure: Maracaibo, Venezuela
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Virginia
Find A Grave Memorial# 59655497
Solomon Nunes Carvalho
birth date 27 Apr 1812
death date 1894
SAR Membership 91398
Spouse: Sarah Miriam Solis
The Philadelphia Jewish Exponent Obituary Index
Inscription
Lewis Morrison
Family Members
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