• Born: 20 Apr 1826, Boston MA
• Marriage (1): Ann Elizabeth Hayden on 22 May 1849 in Cambridge MA
• Died: 1 Jan 1888, Yarmouth MA

  General notes:

Silversmith and jeweler

  Events in his life were:

• Apprenticed about 1839 to Hazen Morse in Boston MA
  

• He appeared on the 1850 census taken at Haverhill MA, listed as a jeweler.

• He worked in 1850 as an engraver in Boston MA
  Listed in the city directory at 228 Washington Street.

• He worked circa 1860-1888 as a diamond merchant and jeweler in Boston MA early in 1860, while still a partner in CROSBY & MORSE and later CROSBY, MORSE & FOSS, he constructed the first diamond cutting factory in America, The Morse Diamond Cutting Company. Working with his crew, Mr. Morse was constantly building, rebuilding and perfecting his diamond cutting machinery and also became an expert cutter and polisher in his own right. In or around 1875, Mr. Morse invented a sort of double lathe, which enabled two diamonds to cut each other by attrition produced by rapidly revolving machinery. He also invented the "Morse" gauge, an instrument for regulating all the angles to be cut on a stone. After much study, Mr. Morse discovered that the proper proportion for a diamond's profile is one-third above the girdle and two-thirds below it . The Morse-cut diamonds, with their round outline girdles and perfect profile proportions, were called "Boston Cuts". Believing in the equality of men and women, he trained the latter to cut stones, the first to do so.

• He was a partner in 1861-1863 with Francis Hunnewelland Samuel Trevitt Crosby in Boston MA as CROSBY, HUNNEWELL & MORSE ⁴

• He was a partner in 1864-1868 with Samuel Trevitt Crosby in Boston MA as CROSBY & MORSE, listed in the 1865 city directory at 240 Washington Street. ⁴

• Receipt, 1 Apr 1865
  Winterthur Library
  

• Advertised in the Lowell City Directory (Lowell MA), 1868, for CROSBY & MORSE.

• He was a partner in 1869-1875 with Samuel Trevitt Crosbyand Charles M. Foss in Boston MA as CROSBY, MORSE & FOSS. ⁴

• Tradecard for CROSBY, MORSE & FOSS, c 1876
  Private Collection
  

• Advertised in the The Massachusetts Register (Boston MA), 1869,

• He appeared on the 1870 census taken at Boston MA, listed as a jeweler.

• Still Life, 1872
  Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
  

• He appeared on the 1880 census taken at Boston MA, listed as a diamond merchant.

Henry married Ann Elizabeth Hayden on 22 May 1849 in Cambridge MA. (Ann Elizabeth Hayden was born on 30 Sep 1826 in Cambridge MA.)