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Hugo de Mors
(Moers/Morse) - Knight of Flanders
For years researchers have wondered where the Morse family of East Anglia
came from. It was presumed that they were the descendants of a Hugo de Mors
who first appears in the East Anglian records in the year 1358. The Morse Society, the
resident expert on Morse family members in America, have tried diligently for
years to verify the ancestry. Only now, has an independent researcher been
able to establish the lineage; not through English records, but through
Flemish and German.
The fourtheenth century was a treacherous century - filled with bad
weather, the Black Plague, political unrest, and religious crusades. Hugo de
Mors was born in the city of Moers, in what is today Westfalia, Germany. At
that time, it was considered part of Flanders and was governed by King Edward
III of England. Hugo came from a long line of Counts, including the last
Count von Moers, Herren von Moers, whose coat of arms was issued by the King
in the year 1186 A.D. The original Morse coat of arms, it is very unlike
the Moers coat of arms from England, but is indeed, the original that was
filed with the Heraldy Office in Westfalia, Germany. The county of Moers
became a city in the year 1300 and it was here that Hugo was born.
Hugo was the son of Deitrich the IV, Count of Moers. Unlike England, where
the title goes only to the eldest son and the other children are known as
Lord and Lady out of courtesy only, German heraldry allows each legitimate
child of a count to be called Count or Countess in their own right. When a
"Count" married, his wife was known as "Countess."
However, when a "Countess" married, she assumed her husband's
title.
Hugo was the youngest son and would never inherit due to his very large
family. Born during the Great Famine of Europe in the year 1316, he joined
King Edward III's retinue when he was but 16 years old, wishing to fight in
the crusades and in the company of a King. He participated in the Battles of
Crecy and Poitiers and later joined the Teutonic Knights bound for the Holy
Land before settling in East Anglia.
Young King Edward III of England was only a few years older than Hugo and
was obsessed with the wool industry in hopes that it would make England rich
and help pay for his wars; specifically his battle and disagreement with the
King of France over the French crown and the ensuing "Hundred Years
War." The Moers family was a very wealthy, ancient family in
Flanders and was very involved in the wool and sheep business. In 1351,
King Edward invited Count Hugo von Moers, along with many other Flemish
wooliers to settle in East Anglia. Hugo joined with the other wooliers and
resettled for several reasons, one of which was that his own, very large family
had been totally descimated by the Black Plague. His families lands were
devastated from the war and the wealthy were no longer respected in Flanders
after a peasant uprising. He felt his future was in England.
In England, Hugo von Moers was no longer known as "Count."
English law did not recognize foreign titles, and because his descendants
were not born in Germany, the title was presumed extinct. But still, he was
highly respected, very wealthy and considered landed gentry. He settled in the
area around Worstead in Suffolk and lived there until 1394 when he returned
to Flanders. He died in his native land at Moers Castle in 1395. However, he
left behind a son, Dietrich in East Anglia. Two of his grandsons are
well known clothiers; Thomas and William Morse from Stratford St. Mary's
in Suffolk. Another great-grandson, Wilhemni (William) Mors, moved to
Wiltshire and founded the Wiltshire branch of the Morse family at Castle
Eaton.
Although Hugo probably felt that the Moers line had died out during the
Black Plague, he had no way of knowing that he alone would propagate 100s of
thousands of descendants. For more information on the Moers of
Flanders and of East Anglia, please visit the following links.
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