The horrifying story of Nancy Randolph Morris
If I had to guess which of these things Gouverneur Morris had done in his twenties and which he’d done in his fifties, I would have been wrong:
Get married
Write the preamble to the Constitution
We’re gathered here today to discuss his marriage (which happened when he was 57). Or, more specifically, we’re here to talk about his wife — Nancy (Ann Cary Randolph Morris).
I can’t read about Gouverneur Morris without chuckling but hadn’t really known about his wife before and holy cow this is complicated and tangled and tragic and appalling. My jaw was on the floor when I read about this in Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation, by Cokie Roberts. On. The. Floor.
At 57 years old, Morris married Nancy (Ann Cary Randolph). He’d first met her when she was just 13 years old. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Her father was important and distinguished, entertaining the likes of Washington and Lafayette.
Her family was wealthy.
When she was 15, her mom died. A year later, her dad married again — a girl not much older than Nancy. Her new stepmom kicked her out and/or made her feel unwelcome.
Nancy moved in with her sister and brother-in-law/cousin… on Bizarre, their aptly named plantation.
Two of Nancy’s siblings are shown in blue; the purple guys are also siblings. Then all of the blue people and purple people are cousins. Patsy is also cousins with the blue, and I think maybe also purple, but I’m not positive.
Nancy was being courted by Richard’s brother Theodorick, so he moved in as well.
Another brother, John, was also into Nancy and not happy when he learned his brother planned to marry her.
Also, Richard (her cousin/brother-in-law) was also in love with her.
Three brothers were all in love with Nancy; she was in love with and engaged to Theodorick.
Nancy’s brother Thomas was married to Patsy Jefferson Randolph… Patsy was both Nancy’s cousin and also friend. And now sister-in-law.
Theodorick died of TB.
Everyone was worried about Nancy — she wasn’t herself and she was gaining weight. She seemed down in the dumps, which is hard to believe given that her mom had died, her new stepmom didn’t want her around, all these men kept falling for her, and her love died.
Nevertheless, she went to a party with her family around that time — and during the night, woke everyone with her screams.
The next day, a dead baby was found by some of the people enslaved on the plantation.
Rumor was that Nancy had Richard’s baby and then he killed the newborn.
Sister-in-law/cousin Patsy wrote to her father that “amid the distress of her family she alone was tranquil” adding that “I am one of the few who have always doubted the truth of the report.”
Richard had a weird and misguided idea to attack the accusations head-on, with a notice in the paper saying he would “render myself a prisoner before the court”… “to answer in the due course of law…” He wasn’t expecting a sheriff to be there when he arrived. Oopsie.
Tossed in jail.
But then represented by “the dream team of the era” — Patrick Henry and John Marshall. Ended in acquittal, with Nancy having to go home with Richard and Judith.
Holy cow all of these players were young…
Two possible suspicious deaths? The baby was definitely murdered. And possibly the a-hole that maybe murdered him was poisoned? Or maybe not.
Three years later (at 26!) Richard died. High fever and stomach pain.
John took over Bizarre. Super prosperous. Elected to Congress at 26 years old. Cokie Roberts describes him as “quotable, if not likeable” due to his venom-laced speeches.
Though initially supportive, Judith starts wondering how much of the story was true… Nancy and Judith’s relationship becomes strained.
John, still smarting that she turned him down all those years ago, kicks Nancy out. (Ohmygodgetoverit, John!)
Not yet thirty years old. From a wealthy and influential family — out on her own with no resources whatsoever.
John continued to spread rumors about her.
Eventually, she connected with Gouverneur Morris, who needed a housekeeper and liked the idea of hiring a “reduced gentlewoman.”
He did some background checks on her, learning from then Chief Justice John Marshall that Nancy was probably the victim, with everything “probably invented by the malignant.”
They got married on Christmas Day and had a baby… enraging Morris’ family, who had assumed after decades of bachelorhood that they’d inherit everything.
He’d been a bachelor for more than five decades, so his nieces and nephews got really comfortable with the idea that they’d inherit everything. Not happy that he got married and also had a baby.
