Marcus Morton (December 19, 1784 - February 6, 1864) was a lawyer, jurist, and politician from Taunton, Massachusetts. He represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and served two terms as Governor of Massachusetts, as well as a portion of an unexpired term in 1825. Morton was born in East Freetown, Massachusetts and graduated from Brown University in 1804. He read law in Litchfield, Connecticut before moving to Taunton and biginning its practice in 1807. He received his LL. D. from Brown in 1826, and again (as an honorary degree) from Harvard University in 1840.
After serving as clerk of the Massachusetts Senate, Morton was elected in as a Jeffersonian Republican to the House of Representatives in 1816 and served from 1817 until 1821. He lost his seat in the election of 1820.
In 1823 Morton served on the state's Executive Council and became Lieutenant-Governor. He served briefly as acting Governor after William Eustis died in office in 1825. Later that year he was named as associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and served there until 1840. Morton was elected Governor twice and served in 1840-1841 and 1843-1844.
Morton died at home in Taunton in 1864 and was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery there. His home in Taunton later became the original building of Morton Hospital and Medical Center. The Morton House in Taunton was demolished in the 1960s during hospital expansion. The Morton House of East Freetown was moved to Newport, Rhode Island sometime during the 20th century. His son, also Marcus was also a lawyer and would follow him on the state's supreme court.
