 The family's compound in Sayreville, New Jersey, known as Morgan Manor, was initially established by Margaret's father Nicholas Evertson.He attended the public schools in New Jersey, and later served as an officer in the New Jersey Line during the Revolutionary War.He went on to serve as a representative in the general assembly in Philadelphia, 1794–1799, and, later, was elected as a Democratic-Republican to the Twelfth Congress (March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1813).