Page 680, The first we know of Bryant Morton he was a citizen of Falmouth (Cape Elizabeth) about the year 1738. He was a tax payer there in 1743. We do not know from whence he came, although his descendants claim to have been English. By record we find him as of Cape Elizabeth, September 28, 1750 when he purchased Augustus Bearse’s right in Gorhamtown. In 1751, June 28, the Proprietors of Gorham deed him land, at which time he is styled as of Gorhamtown. He probably came here between these two dates.

He was a large dealer in lands. Few men in town bought and sold more lots than Bryant Morton. He owned and lived on the thirty acre lot, 15, at Gorham Corner. His dwelling house stood back and near to where Mr. Emery’s brick store now stands, and his barn was on the lot opposite, across the street, near where the Methodist church now stands. Back of the barn were a number of graves, where some of the early settlers were buried, but not a stone or mark of any kind remains to tell their names, and tradition has preserved but a few of them. As the first wife of Captain Bryant Morton must have died before 1771, it is probable she was buried on this corner lot, then owned by Mr. Morton, back of the present Masonic building. This was before Mr. Hamblen presented the Corner burial yard to the town in 1771.

In 1772 Mr. Morton was one of the Committee of Safety and Correspondence; and was a delegate to the Provincial Congress held at Cambridge. He rode to Cambridge on Horseback, with Benjamin Chamberlain behind him to bring back his horse. He was Representative to the General Court several years; and a captain in the army, during the Revolution. He had command of a company of 80 men, called Sea-coast Guards; and was stationed at Fort Hancock, on Cape Elizabeth. This Fort was located on the spot now occupied by Fort Preble, and consisted of a battery of several cannon for the defense of Portland, then Falmouth.

For several years Mr. Morton was a firm supporter of the old Congregational church, and was one of its ruling elders in 1758-59. With many others be became dissatisfied with the ministrations of Mr. Lombard, and with them drew off, built a new meeting house and settled the Rev. Ebenezer Townshed. Captain Morton in his latter years became a zealous Free Will Baptist. Before his second Marriage he provided well for his children. His homestead at Gorham Corner he conveyed to his son Bryant, who by his deed conveys “the lot, No. 15, with the Bryant Morton House, and the lot opposite, where the Bryant Morton barn stands,” to Cary McLellan. After his second Marriage, Captain Morton moved on to a small farm since called the “Chamberlain place,” situated on the road leading from Main St. near the house formerly owned and occupied by Mr. James Phinney, to Scarborough. At his death his estate, real and personal was appraised at about 700 dollars.25