Morallee, Thomas

Thomas Morallee was a slaveholder and militia officer who lived in Leesburg. He was married to Sarah Purcell and may have had a son named Michael. His birth year is unknown; he died in 1829 in Leesburg. 

Morallee served in the Virginia militia during the War of 1812, first as a lieutenant in the 6th regiment and then as a captain in the 57th regiment. He was listed as part of the militia in Loudoun County until at least 1825.   

Morallee owned an unknown number of enslaved people. He freed at least one of them, however, in 1829, the same year Morallee died—a man named Henry, who was around twenty-two years old. Morallee may have been inspired to emancipate Henry because of his own impending death, or perhaps his religious beliefs. Morallee may have either owned no other enslaved people or may have freed them as well, as his wife, Sarah, had no enslaved people in her household in 1830. 

Though Thomas Morallee died in 1829, his estate was not settled until 1834. Michael Morallee, likely his son or his brother, served as executor of his estate. Thomas’s affairs were in such poor shape that it took a long time to settle his accounts. His widow Sarah Morallee died in 1847, at the age of sixty-five years old. In her will, she wrote that she wanted the headstone on Morallee’s grave replaced by a new one inscribed with his proper name, age, and the phrase “The Lord giveth & the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord.” She wanted the same information and phrase on her tombstone. Sarah was buried in the Old Stone Cemetery at the former Old Stone Methodist Church in Leesburg; Thomas Morallee was likely buried there as well. 

by Caroline Greer