Surname Saturday: Morlan

One of the reasons I chose Family Tree DNA's 'family finder' DNA test was to hopefully find some answers on the Morlan side of the family.  Rumors have persisted for years that there was Native American blood in our branch of southern Iowa Morlans.  And, this rumor, at least, appears not to be true.  Here is what I do think I know about my Morlans:

William Morlan and Louisa Jane Jones were my great-great-grandparents.   Although the tree above lists Elijah as his father, I have not been able to really prove this. William was born 17 Mar 1821 somewhere in Tennessee.  He married Louisa Jane Jones 16 Sep 1841 in Putnam County, Indiana.  By 1850 they had moved on to Appanoose County, Iowa, where they resided the remainder of their lives.  Their names can be found in the census records spelled Morlan, Moreland, Morland, and just about every other variation.


 This is the gravestone of Louisa Jane (Jones) Morlan.  I have not been able to find William's grave.  This gravestone is located in Jones Cemetery, Wayne County, Iowa.

Where in Tennessee did William come from?  What nationality is he?  Where is William's gravestone?  Is Elijah his father?  Is William related to the other Morlans in southern Iowa?

So many questions....

Do any of you have answers?

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