Morris, Lewis, 1671-1746

Lewis Morris first served as a member of Governor Cornbury's Council for the province of New Jersey. Due to conflict with Cornbury, Morris was removed and, later, elected to the New Jersey Assembly. Under the administration of Robert Hunter, Morris became chief spokesman for the New York Assembly in 1710 and was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the province of New York in 1715. While serving as chief justice, Morris continued to serve on the Governor's Council under Burnet and Montgomerie. As a result of a dispute with Governor William Cosby, Morris lost his Chief Justice position and was, once again, elected to the Assembly. Upon the political split of New Jersey and New York, Morris became Governor of the province of New Jersey in 1738. Although Morris challenged previous governors, he was staunch against any question of his authority and often quarreled with the Assembly.