Joseph Morse (1613-1652)

Biography
Joseph Morse came to America with his father and mother in the ship "Increase", which sailed from England in April 1635. He was 20 years of age.

Joseph was among the first subscribers to found the town of Medfield. But while he was building a house at Medfield, Mass., his family were at Dorchester, Mass. He died before the family went to Medfield.

Watertown Founders Monument
He is listed on Watertown Founders Monument, commemorating the first settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts. The town was first known as Saltonstall Plantation, one of the earliest of the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlements. Founded in early 1630 by a group of settlers led by Richard Saltonstall and George Phillips, it was officially incorporated that same year. The alternate spelling "Waterton" is seen in some early documents.

He came to Watertown, Massachusetts. He took the oath of freeman in 1635 and was a member of the first church at Watertown.

Joseph Morse went from Watertown, Massachusetts to Dedham, Mass. in 1637, where he was number 29 among the signers of the Dedham Compact. He received the maximum alottment of 12 acres of land.

Marriage & Family
He married Hannah Phillips in 1638, probably at Watertown. It is not known whether Hannah Phillips was sister or cousin or how she was related, if at all, to Henry Phillips and the pastor George Phillips of Watertown. she was most likely sister of Henry Phillips.

Disproven Nobility Ancestry
The listing for nobility ancestry is generally proven false: