John Foster Morris (c1800-1875)

John Foster Morris was born in approximately 1800. Later census records state that his place of birth was Chatham in Kent. A baptism record is yet to be found, so the names of John's parent's and siblings is currently unknown.

Marriage
John married on the 9th August 1823 at Frindsbury to Sarah Moore. She had been born in Shoreditch, Middlesex in approximately 1803, but other details about her early life are currently unknown.

John was employed as a shipwright and the couple settled in Chatham. They had six known children in the area before the 1841 census.

1841 census
In the 1841 census, John and family are living at Fort Pitt Street in Chatham. John is recorded as a shipwright with wife Sarah and children John (also employed as a shipwright), Richard, Mercy, Sarah and William (eldest daughter Mary, born in 1824, is no longer living with them).

1851 census
In the 1851 census, John and family are now living at 34 Coleman Street in Chatham. John is recorded as a shipwright, and is living with wife Sarah and the following children - Richard (a labourer) and William (an errand boy). Daughter Sarah is living only a few houses away at 22 Coleman Street with her new husband. It is believed that daughter Mercy had died by this time.

Death of first wife
John's wife Sarah died between January and March 1858 in Medway, Kent. Her death certificate has not been obtained at this stage to determine her cause of death.

1861 census
In the 1861 census, John is now living at 4 Skinner Street in Chatham. The only child living with him at this time is youngest son William, who is employed as a sawyer.

Second Marriage
Between July and September in 1870, John married for a second time to a Susannah Lodge (nee Cousens). The marriage occured in Medway, Kent. Susannah had been born in Monksleigh, Suffolk and was first married to a William Lodge between April and June 1859 in Sheppey, Kent. The couple had one daughter, Catherine, born in approximately 1863 in Sherness. What happened to her first husband is yet to be determined.

1871 census
In the 1871 census, John and wife Susannah are living at Skinner Street in Chatham. John is now employed as a shipwright supervisor.

Death
John died in Medway between January and March 1875. His death certificate is yet to be obtained to determine a cause of death. It is also not known where he is buried at this time. A death entry for second wife Susannah also is yet to be located.

Children

 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of John and Sarah Morris
 * colspan="3" bgcolor="#FFfce0" style="color: #000000;" |Children of John and Sarah Morris