• Name: Morton, Thomas
• Gender: Male
• Birth Date: 16  January  1764
• Death Date: 28  March  1838
• Occupation: playwright

See DNB.

Morton, Thomas (bap. 1764, d. 1838), playwright (DNB). Godwin indicates 'S R' after his name, and Morton was famous for his play School of Reform, an 'immensely poular' 5-act comedy performed in 1805 and revived many times. Identity can be confirmed by the entry on 25.1.1832:
'theatre, Rent Day; adv. Gent and Morton. Morton born 16 Jan. 1764 Reynolds 10 mos earlier [bracket] 52 ½ / 54 ½''.
The DNB does not have a d.o.b. for Morton but gives 24.2.1764 as the date of baptism, so this fits the date Godwin gives for Morton's birth.

Further proof is given by 'Write to Morton, Pangborne' (17.7.1820) as Morton's DNB entry includes that 'For many years he resided at Pangbourne, on the Thames'.

Entries to E/ED/Edw Morton, M Morton have been coded but with less certainty: E and M Morton do seem to be related, appearing together on three occasions. It seems likely that they are the two eldest sons of Thomas Morton. This assumes that the second son, John Maddison Morton, born 3 January 1811, died 19 December 1891,was known to Godwin by his middle name (but several of his obituaries do refer to him as Maddison Morton). It seems that Godwin first meets Maddison Morton on his own, aged 16, at the Kenney's. Some months later he meets '4 Mortons' at the Kenneys. The use of E and M Morton may be driven by alphabetical order, but may also indicate that E is the older of the two.
16.11.1827 M Morton
18.3.1828 Edw. Morton
25.3.1829 E and M Morton
29.12.1829 Ed. Morton
18.10.1830 M Morton
26.5.1831 M Morton
13.9.1831 E and M Morton
18.6.1832 E and M Morton

• DNB

This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.