Morse Society FAQ

The Morse Society

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Morse Society?

The Morse Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to researching and compiling Morse, Mors, Morss and Moss genealogical and family history records in the United States and Canada.

What Morse lines does the Morse Society research?

We strive to cover all of the North American Morse lines, as well as related overseas lines. We have done research on over 100 different lines so far, and are discovering new ones all the time. The Society's database files represent our biggest and most important ongoing project, and as such they are continuously updated, expanded, corrected, and annotated by the Research Team.

Are the separate Morse branches in North American related?

Of the five New England progenitors, Anthony and William were brothers, and there is a possibility that Joseph and Samuel were either half-brothers or distant cousins (see MS Newsletter No. 107).
In August 2003 the Morse Society started its DNA Project, testing established members of each line to see if they share a common ancestor. Preliminary test results, reported in October 2004, have confirmed that (a) Anthony and William were indeed brothers, and (b) the Samuel/Joseph clan and the Anthony/William clan are totally separate haplogroups — i.e. they do not share a common ancestor within the time span of recorded history.

Am I related to Samuel F. B. Morse?

Samuel Finley Breese Morse (1791-1872), American portrait artist and inventor of the telegraph, is a seventh generation descendant of Anthony Morse, who arrived in Newbury, Mass. in 1635. His ancestry is: Anthony(1-2), Peter(3), John(4), Jedediah(5-6), Samuel F.B.(7). Check the family tree at the Library of Congress SFB Morse page.

Who are the Morse Society “Shepherds” and what do they do?

The Shepherds are researchers who volunteer to help people with their own Morse ancestral lines. The Shepherd handles the research and data entry and is responsible for maintaining the master Morse Society database for that line. They are available to help members research their lines at no charge.

Anthony Morse line- Lisa Murdough

Joseph Morse line- Robert H. Morse

William Morse line- Stafford-Ames Morse

Samuel Morse line- Jen Schmidt

John Moss line- vacant

Undetermined or unknown lines- Kathie Halvey

Who runs the Morse Society?

The Morse Society is run by a board consisting of four elected officers, five elected at-large members, and four appointed committee chairpersons (Research, Newsletter, Website, and Convention). Elected board members hold their seats for two years. Board proceedings are conducted by email and votes are taken on all decisions. In addition to electing the officers and at-large board members, the general membership also approves dues increases, life membership fees, and bylaws changes. Members are also urged to provide input and participate in the activities of the society. All positions in the Morse Society are unpaid and voluntary.

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