If you have an interest in Freemasonry, you may have heard of Rob Morris or have seen his name on various documents, books, poems, and songs from the mid-1800s but don’t know much about him. A Place in the Lodge sets forth new facts about his early life and relationships and presents a slice of his life via previously unpublished family letters, sent while he was on the road.
Nancy Stearns Theiss, PhD., is the executive director of the Oldham County Historical Society. She has published several books and writes a weekly history column for the Louisville Courier-Journal and compiles oral histories in the Living Treasures Program for the Oldham Era newspaper.
As with all historic figures, errors and misconceptions occur over time, and the figure of Rob Morris is no different. For example, there was speculation about his birth and early years, with confusion over his birthplace and where he spent his youth. Some records and information indicated Morris was born in Taunton, Massachusetts, and that he was apprenticed out at an early age to the John Morris family, where he adopted the “Morris” surname. Other sources said that he was highly educated with degrees in medicine and/or law, presumably during his apprenticeship years.