Articles from Malden newspapers concerning the Morey family

From the files of Stephen M. Lawson


Three generations of the Morey family owned the house at 34 Hillside Avenue, Malden, MA, from its construction in 1845 to the sale in 1963. Built by David Brown and Almira (Bailey) Morey, it was also the residence of son Herbert E. Morey and wife Abbie Ellen Beale, and sold by grandson David Beale Morey. The builder, David Brown Morey, was the son of Ira Morey [Register Report] and grandson of Benoni Morey [family narrative].

Also available is additional Morey and Beal Family information, including the Beal family and home in Orfordville, NH, the Morey family and home in Malden, MA, and a brief Register Report of the Beal-Morey family line.

The news articles were located and shared by Stacey Moore, current resident of the historic Morey House.


Selected Malden, MA Newspaper Articles
(with minor editing of typographical errs by S. Lawson)

Malden Mirror
April 20, 1878
(pg. 4, col. 4)

The Unitarian Chapel.

   The need of a place for holding public worship has long been felt by the Unitarian society of this town, but it has not been until recently that they have been able to put their plans into definite shape, although many of the leading members of the society have worked hard and earnestly for that purpose. The society have for some time been creating a fund, and this in addition to the Winn fund and the kindness of Mr. David B. Morey who contributed a piece of land, has enabled them to commence work at once, and the chapel about to be erected will form a valuable acquisition to the public buildings in the town. The site selected is at the corner of Haskins street and Hillside avenue, and the work will be commenced on Monday next. The building will be of the gothic style of architecture, from plans drawn by Mr. Horace F. Burr of Boston, and the contract has been awarded to Messrs. Meade, Mason, & Co. of that city....

Malden City Press
April 4, 1885

OBITUARY

   Mr. David B. Morey died Tuesday night, March 31, at his residence on Hillside avenue. He ws born in Orfordville, N. H., in 1812, and at the age of twenty-one came to Boston in search of business. He obtained employment in the business of manufacturing britannia ware. From the first he displayed rare business qualities, and advanced so rapidly that at a comparatively early age he was enabled to go into business for himself, and became the senior member of the firm of Morey & Smith. He retired from business several years ago. Mr. Morey was a man of strong convictions and decided character, and was always active in measures of reform and public improvement. The city owes much to him for his public spirit and the activity he has shown, and the valuable assistance he has given in matters tending to the growth and welfare of the city. He was an Abolitionist when abolition was unpopular, and one of the most active and influential leaders in organizing the Republican party. He was a personal friend of Theodore Parker, and one of his most earnest supporters. The Unitarian Church of this city will especially feel the loss of his presence, counsel and generous support. He was one of the most valued and esteemed members of that society, and donated the land upon which the church stands. The funeral services took place Friday afternoon at the Unitarian Church.

Malden City Press
April 11, 1885

THE LATE DAVID B. MOREY.

   The funeral services of the late David B. Morey were held at the Unitarian church, Friday afternoon. The church was crowded with the friends of the deceased and those who, although not knowing him personally, yet desired to express their esteem for the sterling qualities which made him honored by all. The pastor, Rev. Mr. Bailey officiated.
   The casket, whose black velvet surface was almost entirely covered with flowers, was placed in front of the pulpit. After the reading of scripture and the singing by a quartette of "Just as I am," a favorite hymn with Mr. Morey and one which he especially requested should be sung at his funeral, Mr. Bailey spoke briefly but feelingly and then introduced Mr. Parker Pillsbury, who, he said, had known Mr. Morey for nearly a half century and could speak of him as of a brother.
   Mr. Pillsbury made an address of considerable length, referring especially to Mr. Morey's connection with the anti-slavery and temperance causes. He gave a graphic sketch of the rise of the movements and the difficulties which surrounded their advocates, the abuse which was heaped upon them and the courage it then took to espouse the cause. In those days, to be an abolitionist was to be a hero, for he must needs meet, not only with disfavor and dishonor, but often with violence. But Mr. Morey never faltered. He was in the midst of strife and conflict but he never wavered, and in all the great enterprise of reform, in advocating the cause of anti-slavery, temperance and woman suffrage, he ever had the courage of his convictions. His state has produced many great men and some whom the world holds very high among the sons of the Republic, the Websters, Greeleys, Masons, and scores of others, but among all those great names, there is not one who possesses, nor did they altogether possess, a moral or spiritual excellence which our departed brother did not show in his own life, and there is no man living who did not respect David B. Morey in all his ways, works and deeds. For such men, the economy of nature has no death and to-day he lives in the character he has left behind him for unflinching devotion to principle and unbounded love to his fellow men.
   The exercises closed with Whittier's hymn on Death, sung by the quartette.
Malden Evening News
March 12, 1902
(pg. 4, col. 6)

ERNEST M. MOREY

   Ernest Manuel Morey, son of Henry E. and Abbie Ellen Beale Morey, died this morning at his home, 34 Hillside avenue, after a protracted illness, aged 20 years, 1 month, 9 days.
   The deceased was born in this city, and was a graduate of the Center grammar school.
   At the time of his illness, he was a pupil of the High school. He was a member of the High School Literary Society and also of the Omicron Delta Greek letter society of the school, also the school glee club. He was very popular among his friends, and during his illness was visited by his many friends who came with expressions of sympathy and kindly words of cheer.
   Mr. Morey had rare musical accomplishments, being well known as a violin and 'cello soloist. Parents, two brothers and two sisters survive him.

Malden Evening News
January 26, 1903
(pg. 1, col. 7)

MRS. MOREY PASSES AWAY.

One of Malden's Most Aged and Best Known Women Died Yesterday, nearly Eighty-Four Years Old.

ANTI SLAVERY WORKER
AND ARDENT UNITARIAN.


Daughter of Timothy Bailey and Widow of David B. Morey, She Was a Woman of Strong Personality.

   Mrs. Almira Bailey Morey, widow of David B. Morey, died at the Morey residence, 34 Hillside avenue, yesterday morning. She was born in Roxbury and would have been eighty-four if she had lived until September. Mrs. Morey had been in excellent health up to last Thursday, when she fell down stairs. No immediate effects were noticed from the fall, but it is now feared that she might have sustained internal injuries.
   Mrs. Morey was the second daughter of Timothy Bailey, the first president of the old First National Bank. She leaves besides a son, Herbert E. Morey, two brothers, George T. and John Bailey, both of this city.
   Mrs. Morey was a woman of strong personality and with her husband who was a successful Boston manufacturer of Britannia ware was greatly interested in anti-slavery and did a great deal for that cause. Both Mrs. Morey and her husband were charter members of Rev. Theodore Parker's church in Boston and pioneers in Unitarianism. They were deeply interested in starting an Unitarian parish here and gave the land on Eastern avenue where the present Unitarian chapel now stands. Mrs. Morey came to Malden when a little girl and went to school here. She had lived in the house where she passed away over a half century. Some sixteen years ago her husband died.

Malden Evening News
January 27, 1903
(pg. 1, col. 3)

ALMIRA BAILEY MOREY
WAS PIONEER ABOLITIONIST


   Mrs. Almira Bailey Morey whose death at the age of nearly 84 years was recorded in yesterday's EVENING NEWS was one of the early subscribers to William Lloyd Garrison's paper, the Liberator and recently presented the complete files of that famous abolitionist journal to the Malden Public library. Mrs. Morey and her husband associated with Garrison and Phillips in the emancipation movement and assisted slaves to escape to Canada.
   At the time of the breaking out of the rebellion, their house stood practically alone on the summit of the hill which is now covered with houses. The Union feeling was very strong, and the citizens of Malden were ordered to illuminate their houses on a certain evening following the proclamation of a Union manifesto. They refused to comply with this order until they knew whether it was to be a Union, "with or without slavery," and when the town officials notified them that they could not be responsible for injury to person or property, resulting from such a determination, they replied that all responsibility might rest upon them, added in characteristic terms, "Lights shall never burn in our windows to celebrate a Union founded on human slavery, and if the house itself be burned because of our refusal, its flames shall be a testimonial to the spirit of American freedom, to which the slave system is a shame and insult."
   Mrs. Morey was an active member of the Peace Society, founded by Lucretia Mott, and had one of the 25 autograph copies of the signers of its Constitution.
   She took active interest in the cause of temperance, and equal suffrage, education and property rights of women.
Malden Evening News
March 7, 1963
(pg. 8, col. 5)

INSIDE INFORMATION
By the Editor

   WHAT A WONDERFUL THRILL, it was yesterday to get a letter from one of the greatest athlete-coaches ever produced at Malden High School, David B. "Dave" Morey, one-time All-America footballer from Dartmouth, for two years -- 1918-1919 -- baseball coach at Malden High, short-time pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics under Connie Mack, and now, at age 74, enjoying retirement with Mrs. Morey down at Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard. Many local old-timers have had a chance to greet Dave the past few weeks as he has been in Malden closing the sale of the historical old Morey home on Hillside ave., Malden. Dave admits that he gets a "lump in his throat" when he returns to his native heath here, and among a bewildering collection of clippings and mementos of a full life of building men cherishes a clipping out the the Malden News "50 Years Ago Column," published June 17, 1959, which reported that as a high schooler he struck out 25 Everett batters, and which clipping some thoughtful person sent him only a few days ago. He writes us: "You should have seen the array of buttons which flew off my coat as my pride-ridden chest expanded. At this stage of the game, I can't even realize that I had a fast ball. (I guess Mr. Connie Mack held the same evaluation, for he released me and still survived)"

Malden Evening News
March 20, 1963
(pg. 12, col., 4)

Morey Among Greats...

The Sports Whirl
By Roy Carroll

   Anyone who can be included in a group of athletes of the ability of Jim Thorpe, Mickey Cochrane, Sam Chapman, Jackie Jensen, Jackie Robinson and Harry Agannis, to name just a few, is in pretty good company. These men have something in common: all were All America football players in college and went on to make the major leagues in baseball. Only one Malden man ever did that, Dave Morey, who was in town a short while ago to sell the old family home on Hillside Ave. While he was here, he stirred happy memories for many old time fans who insist that Malden hasn't seen his equal since and probably never will.
   Morey was an All America halfback at Dartmouth, picked by Walter Camp on THE team before everybody began selecting all stars. He was also a pitcher for Connie Mack's Athletics in 1913, a year the team won the American League pennant and topped the New York Giants in the World Series. Since his visit to Malden, several of his old friends have called to remark "Now, here was a real athlete," and from a look at the files, they are so right.
   Morey has had a long and colorful career in sports, both as player and coach. He was a standout in four sports at malden High; baseball, football and baseball at Dartmouth. At Dartmouth his exploits were almost legendary. In a game against Amherst, he ran for a touchdown, the play was called back. On four succeeding plays he took the ball and again carried across the goal line. And on each of those plays officials saw something they didn't like and called the play back. Morey led the immortal Jim Thorpe in touchdowns scored in 1912 when his season ended, but the famed Indian star had two games remaining and passed the Malden ace.
   He stepped from college into major league baseball at a time when professional athletes didn't hold college boys in the highest esteem. He joined the Athletics in July, 1913, when that team, winner of the 1910 and 1911 World Series and third place finisher in the league in 1912, was in the middle of a hot pennant fight. With two of his pitching staff sidelined because of injuries, Connie Mack called on the young player and threw him into a game in relief on his first day with the team. Morey limited the opposition to one hit, his mates got him a few runs and he passed his first big league test. He didn't stay around long, however. When Mack wanted to send the young pitcher to the minors, Morey said that he wouldn't play if he wasn't good enough for the majors. With that he turned to coaching.
   He developed great teams at malden High, Dartmouth, Middlebury, Auburn, Bates, Wilbraham Academy, Marblehead High and ended his career at Lowell Tech. His Bates teams were the best he produced, probably, and he brought that team its first Maine title in 23 years.
   When his 1932 team went to New Haven to face a powerful Yale team, one of the best in the nation, the Yale Daily News chided the school's athletic association for scheduling such a game and then charging 50 cents admission to see it. Two of Morey's best backs were left in the infirmary at Lewiston that day and it appeared that the Yale writer may have had something. When Bates held the highly regarded Blue to a scoreless tie, Morey told a reporter for a wire service that he was overjoyed with the result, especially since he hadn't brought along his 75 cent halfbacks.


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