A family genealogy written in Kansas about 1936 or soon thereafter, while at least some of his grandchildren were still living, showed Peter's middle name as Piper. His grandson, Marshall Morton Morgan, is the one believed to have written this genealogy, which was then passed down in the Kansas branch of the family. Having grown up in Kansas close to his grandfather, Marshall was certainly in a position to have known his grandfather's middle name. The document shows Peter's death as May 1, 1886. On the other hand, the Burlingame Cemetery Book, shows him as having died May 1887. His tombstone has no dates on it, and the book simply states, "IR only", indicating that the date, May 1887, was taken from an interment record. Why, if that was the case, it would not show an exact date is unknown. This creates a question as to which date is correct. The Cemetery Book should be the last word, but is imprecise, and was apparently constructed well after the dates of burial, from a combination of the tombstones and the interment records. On the other hand, the family record is precise as to the exact day of death. This family genealogy has been repeatedly shown to have given accurate dates and descendants, including middle names and dates. (Update: the newly found obituary confirms that the tree passed down in the family had his correct date of death, and the Cemetery Book was incorrect).

Peter was very secretive as to his origins:

In the 1850 census he said he was born in Delaware
In the 1860 census he said he was born in Maryland
In the 1870 census he said he was born in Delaware
In the 1880 census he said he was born in Pennsylvania

We know all of these were him, due to his numerous children living with him.

Oral tradition passed down in the Kansas branch was that he or his ancestors were from Wales. Like him, his older children reported various states for his place of birth. However, at least two of his youngest children disagreed:

In the 1900 census his son Franklin Pierce Morgan showed his father as being from Wales.

In the 1900 census, his son Luther is listed on 1 June 1900 as living in Burlingame, Kansas and shows his father as born in Ohio. However, it appears that on 16 June, Luther was enumerated again in Leavenworth, Kansas, as a keeper in the prison there. In this census, Luther lists his father as from Wales. Luther was enumerated again in Leavenworth county in 1910 (here again he shows his father as born in Wales). Luther ultimately died in Leavenworth county, but was buried in Burlingame Cemetery.

In the 1880 census, Peter had living with him in Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio, a neice, named Bell Morgan, age 13. Her parents were both shown by Peter as born in Ohio (but knowing Peter's problem with place names, that could be wrong).

If one can find a Morgan in Ohio in 1870 with a 3 year old child named Bell, that might be Peter's brother (or unmarried sister).

Multiple searches have failed to reveal any other Bell Morgans of the proper age and place of birth. I also can find no Bell or Isabell Morgans of the proper age and Ohio birth whose parents were also born in Ohio. Then assuming that Peter had mis-stated (as usual) about her parents' places of birth, I can find only 3 possibilities after much searching:

There was an an Isabella Morgan with proper age and Ohio birth, daughter of Sarah and Thomas Morgan, enumerated in their household in the 1880 Census of Youngstown, Mahoning, Ohio. Thomas was born 1822 in Wales. Since this residence was more distant from Peter, than Muskingum County, it is less likely for Thomas to have been sending his daughter for a visit.

The second possibility is Isabella Morgan with proper age and Ohio birth, daughter of Rice and Anna Morgan, enumerated with them in 1880 in Denver, Arapahoe Colorado. Rice was born 1835 in Wales. Again the distance argues against sending his daughter for a visit.

The third and most likely possibility: there was also an Isabelle Morgan born March 1867 in Ohio, whose father is Dixon Morgan, born August 1829 in Delaware. They were living in Muskingum County, Ohio in 1900. Isabelle's siblings were listed in that census as James A. (b. Apr 1863), and Jennie (b. Nov. 1869). Dixon is without a wife in 1900. In 1860, however, he was living with his wife Margaret in Guernsey County, Ohio, with son John (b. abt 1856), and Samuel (b. abt 1858). In 1870 Dixon, and his wife and children are living in Adamsville, Muskingum, Ohio, and the children are listed as: John (15), Samuel (13), James (11), Jane (7), and Mary (3). Mary is the right age to be Isabelle, who would have been 3 years and 5 months old. And indeed, her Ohio death certificate lists her as Maria Isabel Morgan, with parents Dixon Morgan and Margaret D_?_.

In 1880 Isabella is enumerated with her parents in Highland, Muskingum Ohio. However, if she had stayed for a visit with Peter during that year, she could have been enumerated in his household as well. The difference of 23 years between the births of Dixon and Peter is great, but not impossible, especially if they had different mothers.

Dixon died in Ohio on August 6, 1916. His name is spelled Dickson Morgan on the death certificate, however the date of birth is correct for him, and the informant was his son, James A. Morgan. It shows his parents as John Morgan (b. in Delaware), and Anna Yarnell (b. in Pennsylvania). If Dickson/Dixon really is Peter's brother, as I believe, John Morgan and Anna Yarnell were Peter's parents too.

There was a John Morgan (born in Delaware, age 65) and wife Mary (2nd wife?) living in Muskingum County, OH in 1860. Coincidence?

Update: I now suspect that John Morgan was not the father of Peter. Why am I bactracking? I am backtracking because ThruLines at Ancestry.com has come up with precisely zero DNA matches between Peter's line and Dixon's line. That might be the case if none or few of Dixon's line had come down to the present. However, according to the family tree for Dixon's descendants at familysearch.org, there should be lots of current day Dixon Morgan descendants. And so the total lack of DNA matches between Dixon's line and Peter's is peculiar. Or perhaps I should say that no one in Dixon's current day descendants matches my DNA. If any of you Peter Morgan descendants out there have found you have matching DNA with any of Dixon'ss descendants, please drop me a line here at findagrave or at ancestry.com, where my member ID is gardener21504. Meanwhile, I think maybe we should stop showing John as the father of Peter in our Ancestry.com trees until this gets sorted out.

Further update: Peter's obituary has been found. See it attached in the photos. It says he was born in Wilmington Delaware, which is in Newcastle County. I searched the 1810 census of that county for Morgans. There were only two. And only one of them, Andrew Morgan, of Christiana, Newcastle County, had a son to be the right age to be Peter. I am a DNA match to many of the descendants of Morgan Morgan, b. 1688, who married a Garretson in Christiana, Newcastle county, Delaware, and who later founded the first white settlement in what is now West Virginia. Specifically Morgan Morgan settled in Berkely County. In 1810, Andrew had Garrettsons living close by on either side of him in Newcastle county.

In 1820, Peter still did not have a household of his own. Andrew had disappeared from Delaware, and so In the 1820 census, I searched nationwide for an Andrew Morgan of the proper age group. There were only 6, and of those 6, only 3 had a male child in the proper age group to have been Peter, who would have been 14. I researched these 3, and the Andrew Morgan who died in 1849 in Washington County, Pennsylvania ... both he and his wife had been born in Berkely County, Va, now WV. He was Andrew Morgan, b 14 Oct 1773. in Berkely, VA, m. Elizabeth Kinzell who was born 30 Dec. 1775. Andrew died 8 Mar 1849 in Frederickstown, Washington County, Pa. Elizabeth died 13 Jan 1854 in Washington County, Pa. I have to suspect that one or both are descended from one of Morgan Morgan's children or grandchildren, who had settled in Berkely County. I suspect that they had retained some ownership of land in Newcastle County, and gave it to Andrew when he was of age. I have tentatively added Andrew and Elizabeth to my ancestry.com tree (with a large disclaimer sign, that the relationship is unproven). However, already, Thrulines is showing that I have a DNA match with descendants of two of Andrew's daughters.