Morton, Thomas (1580–1647), colonist and writer, was born probably in the West Country of England. His identification on the title page of his New English Canaan (1637)—as “of Cliffords Inne gent”—shows that he had studied law. In his book he refers to himself as the son of a soldier and identifies himself as “having bin bred in so genious a way” that he “had the common use” of hunting hawks. Almost nothing is known otherwise of his parentage or his rearing. Morton was a traveler, for, in addition to his three trips to New England in the 1620s and 1640s, he reports that he had been so near the equator that “I had the sun for my zenith.” On 6 November 1621 he was married to Alice Miller, a widow. Other evidence shows that he was, according to the social standards of his day, a gentleman and a person of means....
