[I need to add an extra note into this blog post and don't know best place to do it....so here it goes....My Moore buddies are some of my favorite genealogy buddies because each and everyone of them have such special genealogy gifts. Two of them helped with editing suggestions after reading this post. Pat asked me to clarify just exactly who was being discussed in this post. It is my 7-gr-grandfather, Richard Moore who is the son of John and Jane Cureton Moore. I believe him to be 3rd generation on these shores. There is no indication that the first generations (James and Rose Moore) were Quaker. However, James and Jane Cureton, who were second generation Moore family were Quaker and Richard and his family, who were third generation, were also Quaker}
The Schuykill River flows through the middle of Berks County and is of interest to my research as it separates the townships of Robeson and Exeter. Robeson is on the southwest while Exeter is on the North East. Oley is just north of Exeter. The book above has large maps of each of these townships. The maps are too late to show my ancestor's points of reference, but they are excellent for showing geographical details. And the Friends Meeting house in Robeson is shown on the Robeson map and the Exeter Township map shows the Friend's District and the location of the Exeter Friend's Meeting House.
The library had a plat map that showed the original Warrants for Berks County. The librarian showed me how to access this on the Pennsylvania archives website:
http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r17-522WarranteeTwpMaps/r017-Map2594-Berks-RobesonWeb.pdf
It is possible to zoom in and view the land on which many of Richard Moore's buddies lived. Moses Embry 1737, John Scarlet 1737. But Richard Moore is not on the map for Robeson Township. So the question is: Did he own land? Is he in another township? Did he buy land instead of receiving a warrant and thus would be found in the deed book instead of on the Warrant map.
"The third settlement of Friends was in Robeson township, on the west side of the Schuylkill River about the year 1740. Moses Embree, Owen Humphray, John Scarlet, Sr., John Scarlet, Jr., Thomas Thomas, Robert Long, Peter Marsh, Richard Moor, Evan Thomas, David Cadwallader, David Jenkins, John Wells, David Morris and Ephraim Jackson were the earliest Friends in this territory. “
While researching this time period for the Moore family, the librarian in the Berks County Historical Society library explained that in 1682 Penn formed Philadelphia County. The East side of what is now Berks County which is the land on the east side of the Schuykill River was in Philadelphia County. The land that is now in Berks County on the west side of the Schuykill River was in Chester County. In 1729 Lancaster County was formed out of Chester. So from 1729 until 1752 the land to the west of the Schuykill River was in Lancaster County. I found many of Richard Moore’s buddies land on a plat map while I was there as they were given the original grants for their lands. But Richard did not show up. It is possible that he was a blacksmith and didn’t own land. But it is also possible that I have not looked everywhere for his deed if he bought the land from someone who had originally obtained land from Penn or Penn’s land agent.
[Ok, second note. Joseph pointed out that while James (first generation on these shore) was a blacksmith as was his son John, there is no indication that Richard had followed that trade. In fact, Joseph reminded me: Also, remember that the only record found thus far of Richard's trade was his purchase of the 30 acres in Philadelphia Co., when he was named as a "mason." ]
The other significant information that I received from this trip was that I am now quite convinced that these Quaker families moved south to North Carolina because of the Indian problems in the area. The Lenni Lenape Indians had lived in the area that became Robeson Township. They were part of the Delaware Nation. Lenni Lenape means original people. A book that I looked at told about the Walking Purchase. This transaction is explained in Chapter 3 of the book:
The library had a plat map that showed the original Warrants for Berks County. The librarian showed me how to access this on the Pennsylvania archives website:
http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r17-522WarranteeTwpMaps/r017-Map2594-Berks-RobesonWeb.pdf
It is possible to zoom in and view the land on which many of Richard Moore's buddies lived. Moses Embry 1737, John Scarlet 1737. But Richard Moore is not on the map for Robeson Township. So the question is: Did he own land? Is he in another township? Did he buy land instead of receiving a warrant and thus would be found in the deed book instead of on the Warrant map.
"The third settlement of Friends was in Robeson township, on the west side of the Schuylkill River about the year 1740. Moses Embree, Owen Humphray, John Scarlet, Sr., John Scarlet, Jr., Thomas Thomas, Robert Long, Peter Marsh, Richard Moor, Evan Thomas, David Cadwallader, David Jenkins, John Wells, David Morris and Ephraim Jackson were the earliest Friends in this territory. “
While researching this time period for the Moore family, the librarian in the Berks County Historical Society library explained that in 1682 Penn formed Philadelphia County. The East side of what is now Berks County which is the land on the east side of the Schuykill River was in Philadelphia County. The land that is now in Berks County on the west side of the Schuykill River was in Chester County. In 1729 Lancaster County was formed out of Chester. So from 1729 until 1752 the land to the west of the Schuykill River was in Lancaster County. I found many of Richard Moore’s buddies land on a plat map while I was there as they were given the original grants for their lands. But Richard did not show up. It is possible that he was a blacksmith and didn’t own land. But it is also possible that I have not looked everywhere for his deed if he bought the land from someone who had originally obtained land from Penn or Penn’s land agent.
[Ok, second note. Joseph pointed out that while James (first generation on these shore) was a blacksmith as was his son John, there is no indication that Richard had followed that trade. In fact, Joseph reminded me: Also, remember that the only record found thus far of Richard's trade was his purchase of the 30 acres in Philadelphia Co., when he was named as a "mason." ]
The other significant information that I received from this trip was that I am now quite convinced that these Quaker families moved south to North Carolina because of the Indian problems in the area. The Lenni Lenape Indians had lived in the area that became Robeson Township. They were part of the Delaware Nation. Lenni Lenape means original people. A book that I looked at told about the Walking Purchase. This transaction is explained in Chapter 3 of the book:
Prodded on by the French the Indians began taking their revenge on the settlers during the French and Indian War. The atrocities took place between 1754 and 1763. Most of the depredations did not occur any further south than Schuykill Couty. But in all 150 inhabitants were killed and 30 captured in Berks County.
The Moore family stayed in Berks Co PA at Exeter MM until 1755. The certificates from Exeter were received by Cane Creek MM in Orange Co NC on 6-4, 1757, for Richard Moore, his wife Sarah (Jenkins?), their son John and their daughter Prudence.
I find it impossible to rule out that the peace loving, non-violent Quaker families decided that it was time to move to safer land.
I also copied some pages from the History of Robeson Township compiled and edited by Shirley Shirey and Paul F. Seidel. These pages are in my cubby for Moore in my office. There is more information about the founding of the Quaker Meeting houses in those pages.
A man by the name of John E. Eschelman was well known as a local Quaker authority and as a regional Historian. His valuable manuscript book, The Quakers of Berks, is available on line as well:
http://www.readingfriendsmeeting.org/our_history.html
And finally while I was at the Berks County Library, I looked at a typewritten volume that was compiled from the original by John E. Eschelman. It is the births, deaths and meeting records of the Exeter; Maidencreek; Pottstown; Reading; Robeson; and Tulpehocken Meetings, Berks County, PA. I have not looked to see if this is available at Family Search nor on Ancestry. It is possible that it is. On page 232 both Joseph Moore and Richard Moore's families are listed. I have also filed these pages in the cubby for Moore in my office. As I read the pages tonight I interpret what I am reading in the following ways:
Joseph Mooney died in Wrightsboro Ga 10-2-1774 he married Mary Moore daughter of Richard and Sarah in 1747 in Robeson. John Moore married a Perkins female while Abigail Moore married a Thomas in 1764. I think it likely that Mr. Eschelman annotated the records with research of his own on latter happenings of each of the families.
I also bought the book: "Rememb'ring our Time and Work is the Lords" The Experiences of Quakers on the Eighteenth-Century Pennsylvania Frontier by Karen Guenther. It is also in the cubby in the office labeled Moore. This is the book that talks about Richard Moore's financial problems.
I already owned a book called Oley Valley Heritage The Colonial Years: 1700-1775 by Philip E. Pendleton that I bought many years ago. I wish I could remember what I was visiting when I visited. However, I think that at the time I believed that my Webb family line was the Webb family intermarried with the Boone family. I have never proved that fact nor have I disproved that fact. This book is on the shelf in the office.
The Moore family stayed in Berks Co PA at Exeter MM until 1755. The certificates from Exeter were received by Cane Creek MM in Orange Co NC on 6-4, 1757, for Richard Moore, his wife Sarah (Jenkins?), their son John and their daughter Prudence.
I find it impossible to rule out that the peace loving, non-violent Quaker families decided that it was time to move to safer land.
I also copied some pages from the History of Robeson Township compiled and edited by Shirley Shirey and Paul F. Seidel. These pages are in my cubby for Moore in my office. There is more information about the founding of the Quaker Meeting houses in those pages.
A man by the name of John E. Eschelman was well known as a local Quaker authority and as a regional Historian. His valuable manuscript book, The Quakers of Berks, is available on line as well:
http://www.readingfriendsmeeting.org/our_history.html
And finally while I was at the Berks County Library, I looked at a typewritten volume that was compiled from the original by John E. Eschelman. It is the births, deaths and meeting records of the Exeter; Maidencreek; Pottstown; Reading; Robeson; and Tulpehocken Meetings, Berks County, PA. I have not looked to see if this is available at Family Search nor on Ancestry. It is possible that it is. On page 232 both Joseph Moore and Richard Moore's families are listed. I have also filed these pages in the cubby for Moore in my office. As I read the pages tonight I interpret what I am reading in the following ways:
Joseph Mooney died in Wrightsboro Ga 10-2-1774 he married Mary Moore daughter of Richard and Sarah in 1747 in Robeson. John Moore married a Perkins female while Abigail Moore married a Thomas in 1764. I think it likely that Mr. Eschelman annotated the records with research of his own on latter happenings of each of the families.
I also bought the book: "Rememb'ring our Time and Work is the Lords" The Experiences of Quakers on the Eighteenth-Century Pennsylvania Frontier by Karen Guenther. It is also in the cubby in the office labeled Moore. This is the book that talks about Richard Moore's financial problems.
I already owned a book called Oley Valley Heritage The Colonial Years: 1700-1775 by Philip E. Pendleton that I bought many years ago. I wish I could remember what I was visiting when I visited. However, I think that at the time I believed that my Webb family line was the Webb family intermarried with the Boone family. I have never proved that fact nor have I disproved that fact. This book is on the shelf in the office.
