Justin Morgan
Biography
Justin Morgan (February 28, 1747 – March 22, 1798) was a U.S. horse breeder and composer.
He was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts, and by 1788 had settled in Vermont. In addition to being a horse breeder and farmer, he was a teacher of singing; in that capacity he traveled considerably throughout the northeastern states. He died in Randolph, Vermont, where he also served as Town Clerk.
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He owned the horse "Figure", who started the eponymous breed of horses, the Morgan horse. He received Figure, a runt, and one other horse Bub as payment for a debt. As Figure grew older, people began to recognise his skill in a variety of areas. Figure became a prolific breeding stallion and his descendants make up the first American breed of horse to survive to today. His offspring are still noted for the versatility and friendly personality that made their ancestor great. Figure's grave is marked by a stone in Tunbridge, Vermont.
Morgan was a composer, best known for his hymns and fuguing tunes. While not as famous as those by William Billings, his works share the same characteristic roughness, directness and folk-like simplicity.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.