John S. Morgan was born sometime between 1854 and 1864 in Brooklyn, New York. One document put his date of birth in 1854, three indicated he was born in 1858, two said 1859, another two said he was born in 1860 and yet another indicated it was 1864. His parents were James Morgan (c.1827-1908) and Janet Stewart (c.1833-1893), both were born in Crossgates, Scotland and had immigrated to the United States. John was one of their eight children. He made at least two trips to Europe, the first in 1889 as a tourist returning on December 21st on the ship Lahn from Bremen, Germany and Southampton, England, the second trip in 1904 returning on July 17th from Liverpool, England on the ship Eturia. On this second trip he was accompanied by his father James Morgan, then 76 years old. In the 1880 the U.S. census enumerated John as an oil merchant. In 1892, the New York State census listed John as a salesman and in the 1900 United States census he was enumerated as a clerk for a piano company, presumably the Aeolian Company, where his father was president. In the 1905 New York census he was enumerated as a musician. In these three censuses John was living in his parent's home at 223 9th Street in Brooklyn. The 1910 U.S. census had him listed as unemployed and living with his sister Anna Morgan Nichol, her husband Jackson A. Nichol, and their daughter Janet S. on James Street in Brooklyn. In 1916, his occupation was listed as salesman. John S. Morgan died at age 52 on July 4, 1916 at the Methodist Episcopal Hospital located at 7th Street and 6th Avenue in Brooklyn. He was interred at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn on July 7, 1916 in the Morgan family plot (lot 28546, section 198).

Biography by Diana Druback

Sources:
Death Cert. 13951 (FHL Film 1324300)