Corey

Although his headstone says Long Island, it seems Morris Corey was actually from Cortlandt Manor, which is in Westchester County. He did leave for Canada from Long Island and maybe that is where his son, who erected this headstone, had the idea of his birthplace. Morris' father, Griffin Corey, was a prosperous farmer with considerable personal property. But with his loyalty to the British side and with two of Morris' brothers in the New York Volunteers, a loyalist regiment, the family's downfall was almost inevitable. Westchester County saw the worst of the fighting and suffering being sandwiched between the two headquarters of the British and American sides. Griffin was imprisoned for several months until he took an oath of allegiance in order to be released. He apparently suffered greatly from the imprisonment and in 1778 he fled and took refuge with the British on Long Island. The Americans stripped the family of all their holdings and the Corey family were left destitute.  With the family reunited in Long Island, Griffin (and some of the children) had become ill and he died in 1780, which further exacerbated the situation for his family.  With the help of British officers, by 1783 Sarah Corey and her children were evacuated and granted land in New Brunswick. Morris would have been around 7 or 8 years of age. In spite of all her hardships, Sarah managed to accumulate enough to leave each of her surviving children something in her will. Morris got the family farm in Gagetown. He had married Sarah, (known as Sally, born in 1785)  in 1804 and they had 12 children, the first eight being born in Gagetown. By 1822 the family had moved to Saltfleet, though why or how the family made the long trek from New Brunswick to Ontario is a mystery.

Our dear parents have gone

to mansions beyond yonder sky

to gaze on the bountiful throne

of him who is seated on high

for a Taphophile Tragics