Steven Butler's Family History Website

BIOGRAPHIES INDEX

Biographies

The Moore Family

By Steven R. Butler

The Moore Family
Rory O'More (ak.a. Roger Moore) | James Moore, Sr. (Governor of South Carolina
Roger "King" Moore | George Moore | James Moore

THE MOORE FAMILY

Documentary evidence confirms that I am related to the Moore family by virtue of the marriage of my great-grandfather Isaac H. Tate to Sarah A. West, daughter of Mary Caroline Strahan West, daughter of Ann Maria Moore Strahan, daughter of James Moore, I am a DNA match to other Moore family descendants.

RORY O'MORE (a.k.a. Roger Moore)

You may read a biography of Rory O' More, Irish Rebel, HERE

JAMES MOORE, Sr. (Governor of South Carolina)

You may read a biography of James Moore, Sr., Governor of South Carolina, HERE

ROGER "KING" MOORE

You may read a biography of Roger "King" Moore HERE

GEORGE MOORE

You may read a biography of George Moore HERE

JAMES MOORE
(1749-ABT. 1835)

By Steven R. Butler, Ph.D.

Introduction

I am a descendant of James Moore by virtue of the marriage of his daughter, Ann Maria Moore, to Neill Strahan, whose daughter, Mary Caroline Strahan, married William Riley West, whose daughter, Sarah Augusta West, married Isaac A. Tate, whose daughter, Alice May Tate Butler, wife of Herman H. Butler, had an extra-marital affair with her next-door neighbor, Charles W. Miles, whose son, Raymond Joe Butler, was my father.

Biography

James Moore, not to be confused with either the Governor or General of the same name, was born in February 1749 in New Hanover County, North Carolina. For a while, I harbored some doubt as to his parentage. Why? Because one researcher, John H. Croom, believes that James' father was Dennis Moore, Jr., son of a German immigrant named Dennis Moore, Sr., which seemed possible, although there is not a lot of documentary evidence to support that notion. For a number of years, I have held that James' father was George Moore "of Moorfields," who named a son, James, in his will, which would mean that his mother was Mary Ashe Moore. George Moore's father was Roger Moore and his grandfather was James Moore, an early acting governor of South Carolina. But which of these lines is the correct one? Owing to the fact that I am a DNA match to several other Moore family researchers who are descendants of no fewer than four of George Moore's other children, I think it is safe to say that "our" James Moore was in fact the son of George Moore "of Moorfields," and not Dennis Moore.

According to his own account, James Moore spent his entire life in New Hanover County. In 1775, at the age of twenty-six years, he enlisted for military service in the Revolutionary War. Here is a transcript of his Revolutionary War pension application, describing the nature and extent of that service, which included taking part in the Battle of Moore's Creek:

State of North Carolina, New Hanover County

On this the 12th day of September A.D. 1833 before me Washington Collins a Justice of the Peace in and for said County personally appeared James Moore Senior, a resident of New Hanover County and the State of North Carolina aged eighty-four years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June 7th 1832.

That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated.

1st In a company of New Hanover militia under Captain Thomas Bludworth [Thomas Bloodworth] in a Regiment commanded by Colonel Lillington [John Alexander Lillington] in the fall of the year 1775 and served five months as a private, his other officers he forgets, that he was a volunteer; that when he entered the service he resided in New Hanover County N. C. that he was in the battle at Moore's Creek bridge in February 1776 [February 27, 1776] between the Tories and Americans and saw Captain McLeod killed; that his company embodied at Moore's Creek bridge and were stationed there guarding the bridge as it was apprehended the Tories would aim to pass and join the enemy below on board their ships of war in Cape Fear [River]; --From Moore's Creek bridge he marched into South Carolina, to Charleston where he was taken sick and put into the hospital remained there about a fortnight and discharged; that he recollects no Continental regiments or soldiers, nor any regular officers; that he has no documentary evidence now, but had not long since a discharge given him at the hospital in Charleston, it is now lost or misplaced, and he knows of no person now alive by whom he can prove this service.

2. In a company of New Hanover militia his Captain nor any of his company officers he cannot recollect as he is very aged and has consequently lost his memory, but he was in a Regiment commanded by Colonel Thomas Bludworth and according to the best of his recollection he served three months as a private, that he was a volunteer; that it was in the first of the year 1781 that while he was in this service there was a skirmish near the Big Bridge in this County on the East side, this declarant being stationed on the West or opposite side, that he did not march out of the County being stationed at the Big Bridge, that he has no documentary evidence and knows of no person now alive by whom he can prove this service.

3. He again volunteered in a company of New Hanover militia in the summer of 1781 and served according to the best of his recollection two months as a private in a Regiment commanded by Colonel Thomas Bludworth his other officers he forgets, he recollects however that Colonel James Kenan was at Rockfish where he was stationed and where there was a skirmish [May 13, 1781] with the enemy, that he has no documentary evidence and knows of no person now alive by whom he can prove his service.

Answers of James Moore the aforesaid applicant to the questions propounded to him by the Justice of the Peace aforesaid as prescribed by the War Department.

  1. I was born in New Hanover County N. C. in February 1749.
  2. I have no record of my age.
  3. I have always lived in this (New Hanover) County N. C.
  4. I always volunteered.
  5. I recollect no regular officers, nor no Continental regiments; the militia regiments, I remember were Colonel Lillington's, Colonel Caswells [sic, Richard Caswell], Col. Kenan's, and Colonel Bludworth's; the general circumstances of my service as well as I can recollect them are related in my declaration.
  6. I never received but one discharge, and that was given me at the hospital in Charleston S. C. who gave it me I don't recollect and it is either lost or mislaid.
  7. Nicholas Bowden, Anthony D. Bourdeaux, Washington Collins, Esq., Jacob Wales, John Moore, James D. Cruz, Daniel Bourdeaux, Rev'd William Armstrong and others I could name.

He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.

Sworn to & subscribed the day & year aforesaid.

James Moore signature

Test: S/ W. Collins, JP

[William Armstrong, a clergyman, and Samuel Rivenbark gave the standard supporting affidavit.]

[Moore was pensioned at the annual rate of $26.66 beginning March 4, 1831, for service as a private for 8 months in the North Carolina militia.]

Read about the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge, in which Private James Moore, a North Carolina militiaman, took part in 1775.

About 1790, or earlier, James Moore was married to a woman whose name has unfortunately been lost to history. Together, they had the following named children (which are verified by the deed records of New Hanover County, NC):

  1. James Moore, Jr., born about 1794 in New Hanover County, NC.

  2. Moses Moore, born about 1797 in New Hanover County, NC.

  3. Ann Maria Moore, born about 1802 in New Hanover County, NC; married Cornelius [Neill] Strahan and moved to Meriwether County, Georgia.

  4. William Roger Moore, born about 1806 in New Hanover County, NC.

  5. John Moore, D.O.B. unknown, probably in New Hanover County, NC.

If "our" James Moore was the son of George Moore, he was twenty-nine when his father, died, and in his will, left James "that part of my plantation called Moorfield," adjoining the land of John Ashe, a total of about 400 acres of land. At the time, James was apparently unmarried, or at the very least had no children because George stipulated that if James should die "without lawful begotten by his body," Moorfield would then become the property of his brother, George Moore, Jr. who was left "all the residue of my plantation. Son Thomas Moore was bequeathed 500 acres "joyning another piece," son William Harding Moore was left a plantation in Brunswick County, and son Frederick Moore was given 500 acres of land "in Mount Misery Neck." The remainder of George Sr.'s land in Mount Misery Neck and the Hawfields was to be divided into equal parts and distributed among all his sons, including the previously unmentioned John Baptista Moore, with lots drawn to determine who would get which piece.

Throughout James Moore's long lifetime (he lived into his eighties) there were as many as three men with the same name living in New Hanover County, which makes research difficult when documents do not distinguish between one James Moore and another. The names of witnesses to deeds and other documents, geographic place names, and other data helps to some degree in determining to which James Moore a document may refer, but this sort of information is not always available. One of these other men was General James Moore (son of Maurice Moore), who had a son named James Moore that went to live in Williamson County, Tennessee.

There was also a "Capt. James Moore" living in New Hanover County in the early nineteenth century. He is also believed to be a grandson of a Dennis Moore, Sr., who came to America from the Palatinate in Germany, and the son of Pettigrew Moore (which, if "our" James Moore is also a grandson of Dennis Moore, Sr., makes Capt. James Moore first cousin to "our" James Moore). Thankfully, the frequent reference to his military rank in documents helps distinguish him from "our" James Moore.

Most records dated prior to 1777, the year that General James Moore died, pertain to the General. Those dated 1778 or later could refer to any one of the younger men named James Moore.

Here is a list of North Carolina State Land Grants in New Hanover County that are believed to be applicable to "our" James Moore--a total of 500 acres of land granted between 1780 and 1812:

  1. File No. 2010, Grant No. 104, Warrant No. not given, Entry No. 27, 100 acres on the north side of Burgaw, entered September 10, 1778, issued April 13, 1780, Land Patent Book No. 37, p.194. It took 1 year and 7 months to issue the grant. Also New Hanover County, NC Deed Book I, p.260.

  2. File No. 2418, Grant No. 504, Warrant No. not given, Entry No. 943, entered June 24, 1796, issued September 9, 1796, 180 acres on east side of Long Creek, Land Patent Book No. 88, p.531. It took 3 months to issue the grant. Also New Hanover County, NC Deed Book L-2, p.639.

  3. File No. 0457, Grant No. not given, Warrant No. 1862, Entry No. not given, 100 acres southeast side of Long Creek, entered February 4, 1804, land patent book and page number not given.

  4. File No. 2900, Grant No. 988, entered May 4, 1812, issued November 30, 1812, Warrant No. not given, Entry No. 271 for 50 acres on Long Creek in New Hanover County, Land Patent Book 127, p.145. It took 7 months to issue the grant.

  5. File No. 2902, Grant No. 990, issued November 30, 1812, Warrant No. not given, Entry No. 270 for 70 acres on east side of Long Creek in New Hanover County, Land Patent Book 127, p. 146; also New Hanover County, NC Deed Book BB, pp.212-13. It took 7 months to issue the grant.

FILE 2010
 FILE 2418
 FILE 0457
FILE 2900
 FILE 2902

Here is a list of New Hanover County, North Carolina property transactions involving a James Moore, which are almost certainly applicable to "our" James Moore:

  1. April 2, 1795: From Samuel Ashe, for £2,000, a plantation or tract of land on White House Creek on New Topsail and on New Topsail Banks. Wit: Doctor N. Hill and W. H. Hill. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book L-2, pp.627-8.

  2. April 2, 1795: To William Henry Hill, for £2,000, 400-acre Red Hill Plantation at Rocky Point, part of Moorefields, devised by the late George Moore to James Moore. Wit: A. Hill and Samuel Ashe. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book L-1, pp.155-6.

  3. May 11, 1816: From John Stokely, for $292, 207 acres on the west side of Long Creek near Keith Branch. Wit: Jos. H. Lamb and John Moore. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book Q, p.225.

  4. November 12, 1820: From John Stokely, for $50, 200 acres on west side of Reeve [?] Swamp. Wit: John Moore and William R. Moore [James Moore's sons]. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book BB, p.349.

  5. May 9, 1821: To son John Moore, for "natural love and affection," 197 acres on the north side of Long Creek. Wit: W. Sharpley, Hardy Croom, William Croom. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book R, p.382.

  6. October 22, 1821: To daughter Ann Maria Strahan, for "love and affection," 207 acres "more or less" on east side of Long Creek. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book R, pp.370-1. SEE ITEM #11.

  7. March 11, 1823: From son-in-law Cornelius [Neill] Strahan, 207 acres on east side of Long Creek. Deed signed by Neill Strahan and wife Ann M. Strahan [James Moore's daughter]. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book S, p.234. THIS SALE WAS APPARENTLY MADE JUST PRIOR TO THEIR MOVE TO GEORGIA.

  8. August 25, 1823: To Major Croom, for $150, 207 acres on east side of Long Creek. Wit: John Moore and James A. Moore. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book S-1, p.337. THIS IS THE SAME LAND THAT JAMES GAVE TO ANN AND THEN WAS SOLD BACK TO HIM BY SON-IN-LAW NEILL STRAHAN.

  9. August 25, 1823: To son James Moore, Jr., for "natural love and affection," a certain tract of land on east side of [Hurry Duck?] branch. Wit: Moses Bourdeaux and Samuel R. Rivenbark. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book S, pp.197-8.

  10. May 20, 1824: To son Moses Moore, for "natural love and affection," 155 acres on west side of Long Creek. Wit: Moses T. Bourdeaux and Daniel Mullin. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book S-1, pp.340-1.

  11. January 7, 1825: From Samuel S. Strahan (son of second wife, Mary Stucky Strahan Moore and brother of son-in-law Neill Strahan) and William Walker, $3,000 bond. "The condition of the above obligation is such that if the aforesaid Samuel S. Strahan or Wm. Walker shall ever trouble or cause to be troubled any of the estate of James Moore, Senr. or account of Mary Moore or any other name the above obligation to be in full force, other[wise] to be void." Wit: James A. Moore. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book S-1, p.316, and also New Hanover County, NC Court Minutes, 1820-1825, p.439.

And here is a list of New Hanover County, North Carolina property transactions involving a James Moore, which may or may not be applicable to "our" James Moore:

  1. January 12, 1794: To Henry Watters, for £900, 500 acres on east side of Northwest River below Mount Misery and including Mount Misery Bluff. Wit: Thomas H. Hooper and John Swann. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book M, p.152.

  2. May 26. 1795: From James Standley, for £15, 27 acres on east side of Long Creek and north side of Stony Run. Wit: M. Holden and Samuel Rivenbark. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book L-1, pp.164-5.

  3. August 26. 1795: To William Taylor, for £30, 30-acre tract on the east side of a branch of Long Creek. Wit: John Holden. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book L-1, pp.226-7.

  4. January 1, 1799: To James Howard, for £39, 91 acres on New Topsail Sound on west side of Mullet [Creek?]. Wit: Jeremiah Nichols and Henry Buford. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book L-2, p.705.

  5. February 25, 1800: To William Blanks, for $500, a 115-acre tract of land called Larkins' Neck and a 170-acre tract of land. Wit: Samuel Ashe (a distant cousin) and John Holden. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book M, p.467-8.

  6. February 16, 1804: From Joseph Lamb, for £23, 57 acres. Wit: Thomas Larkins and Daniel Stokely. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book M, p.552.

  7. February 13, 1806: From Hillory Simmons, for $200, 320 acres on east side of Long Creek. Wit: Joseph Lamb and John Revinal [?]. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book N, p.264.

  8. February 11, 1807: From John Kinnear, for 70 silver dollars, 79 acres on northwest side of Long Creek. Wit: S. Stanley and John Byrns. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book N, p. 265.

  9. February 10, 1812: From James Portivent, for $200, 207 acres on the east side of Long Creek, near the mouth of Beaver Branch. Wit: S. Buxton and Joseph Lamb. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book O, p.248.

  10. February 1815 (exact date not given): From Samuel P. Ashe, for $300, 640 acres of land patented to Samuel Ashe in 1763 and later conveyed to Samuel P. Ashe. Wit: John Hendry and Jesse Rorks[?]. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book P, pp.268-9.

  11. September 22, 1815: From Daniel Byrd, for $27½, 50 acres of Byrd's survey. Wit: G. W. Pennerman or Bennerman, John Bourdeaux, James Moore [Jr., presumably]. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book S-1, p.331.

  12. February 8, 1816: From Daniel B. Ritter, for $152½, 110 acres on Stony Run, a branch of Long Creek. Wit: John Murphey and Nicholas Bowden. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book Q, p.170.

  13. November 12, 1820: From John Stokely, for $25, 100 acres north side of Reeve [?] Swamp. Wit: John Moore and William R. Moore [James Moore's sons]. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book BB, p.350.

  14. February 8, 1821: From Samuel Stanley of Hancock County, Georgia, for $195, 130 acres of land. Wit: D. Mae Duffy and James Moore [Jr., presumably]. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book R, pp.483-4.

  15. February 8, 1821: From John Stanley of Hancock County, GA, for $195, 130 acres in New Hanover County, NC. Wit: D. Mae Duffee and James Moore [Jr.?]. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book R, pp.483-4.

  16. November 18, 1825: To William C. Mott, for $120, one piece of land on west side of Widow Moore's Creek and one piece on west side of Moore's Creek, containing 58 acres, and "one other piece." Wit: William Mott and Samuel S. Moore. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book S-2, p.616.

  17. March 7, 1827: To John Croom, for $60, 40 acres on Keth [?] Swamp. Wit: G. W. Collins and A. Cours [?]. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book S, p.600.

  18. December 14, 1827: From George Moore, for $90, three lots of land "on which William Moore lived and possessed before his decease." Wit: R. Callance [?] and William Mott. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book S-2, p.805.

  19. March 10, 1828: From James H. Smith, $40 for 200 acres on east side of Black River. Wit: Hezekiah Bonham. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book S-2, pp.784-5.

  20. March 14, 1828: From John Larkins, for $500, in the town of Wilmington, Cellir? A, Lots 141-145 on Red Cross Street and Second Street. Wit: W. W. Campbell. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book S-2, pp.791-2.

  21. December 4, 1828: From John R. Moore, for $100, 90 acres on east side of Widow Moore's Creek. Wit: William Moore and P. W. Moore. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book T, pp.331-2.

  22. March 8, 1829: From William Mott, for $100, 22 acres on the east side of the Widow Moore's Creek. Wit: Wm. J. Wright. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book

  23. March 28, 1829: From William Mott, for $100, 35 acres on east side of Widow Moore's Creek. Wit: William B. Wright. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book T, p.332.

  24. April 6, 1829: From Thomas O. Larkins to James Moore and Chas. Henry, for $20, 401 acres plus mills built by Larkin, to satisfy several debts. Wit: William Landder [?] and Archibald Cameron. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book T, pp.299-302.

  25. March 27, 1830: Transfer of the above to Ebenezer Withington. Wit: Robert S. Sharpless. New Hanover County, NC Deed Book T, pp.523-4.

Parts of New Hanover and present-day Pender County NC
1860s map of parts of New Hanover County and present-day Pender County, North Carolina, showing Moore's Creek Battlefield as well as some of the geographic features and points of references mentioned in the above-listed deed records.

Federal census records show that in 1800 there were two men by that name living in New Hanover County, North Carolina. In 1790, 1820, and 1830, there were three. Unfortunately, the 1810 census for New Hanover County no longer exists, so it cannot be examined.

In 1790, the first year in which a federal census was taken, the household of "our" James Moore should have consisted solely of two people: himself (one free white male over sixteen) and his wife (one free white female, no age given). As it happens, there is one household that exactly matches that description, in which there are also sixteen slaves. This could be, and probably is, "our" James Moore. A second James Moore household has one free white male over 16 and two free white females, with seven slaves. This could also be "our" James Moore, if the second woman was a relative of some sort; perhaps the wife's mother? A third James Moore household consists of one free white male over 16, two free white males under 16, and three free white females, with only one slave. It is unlikely that this third family is that of "our" James Moore.

Ten years later, in 1800, we find the family of one James Moore consisting of two free white males under 10, one free white male 10-15, one free white male 16-25, one free white male 45-plus, and one free white female 26-44, with four slaves. Although this household does not exactly match what we know, owing to the two youths present, this is most likely the family of "our" James Moore. The only other James Moore household in New Hanover County in 1800 consists of two free white males under 10, one free white male 26-44, two free white females under 10, one free white female 10-15, and one free white female 26-44. No slaves.

In 1820, the household of one James Moore consisted of one free white male 45-plus, two free white males under the age of 10, one free white male 10-15, one free white male 16-25, one free white female under 10, one free white male female 26-44, and four slaves. This is probably "our" James Moore, even though the number of people and their ages and genders do not exactly match our expectations. What also makes it likely is that one of the sons of James' second wife, Samuel Strahan, is listed on the same page, along with members of families named Croom, Rivenbark, and Pigford, who are known to have intermarried with members of the Moore and Strahan families.

In 1820, there was a second James Moore household in New Hanover County, consisting of two free white males under 10, one free white male 26-44, one free white female under 10, one free white female 16-25, and no slaves.

The third James Moore household for New Hanover County in 1820 consisted of five free white males under 10, one free white male 45 plus, 2 free white females 10-15, and one free white female 26-44, with twenty-one slaves. This is most likely the family of "Capt. James Moore," who turned forty-five-years-old in March 1820.

In 1830, the household of one James Moore in New Hanover County consisted of one free white male 20-30, one free white male 80-90, and one free white female 15-20, with eleven slaves. This is obviously the household of "our" James Moore, who would have been eighty-four-years old in 1830. The younger male was probably his son John.

The other James Moore household of 1830 in New Hanover County consisted of two free white males under 5, one free white male 5-10, one free white male 10-15, two free white males 15-20, one free white male 50-60, one free white female under 5, one free white female 5-10, and one free white female 30-40, with twenty-eight enslaved persons. Maurice Moore, John R. Moore, P. W. Moore, and Alfred M. Moore are listed on the same page. The surnames of neighbors, most notably Bordeaux Croom, Herring, Mott, Larkins, Malpass, Pigford, Rivenbark, Strahan, and Walker, which are seen in not only in the federal census but also in court and land records of the county, largely as participants in various transactions, are useful in determining which ones are more likely involve "our" James Moore. In some cases, members of these same families not only transacted business with the Moore family but also intermarried with them, and each other as well.

For instance, James Moore's son, William R. Moore, married Sarah Croom, daughter of Jesse Croom. In turn, William R. Moore's daughter, Martha, married William T. Bordeaux. Another example is James Moore's stepdaughter, Mary Strahan, who married John Robert Croom. In turn, their daughter, Martha Croom, married John R. Pigford, and then their daughter, Caroline Jane Pigford, married Gaston Haywood Croom.

One particularly interesting example of intermarriage occurred sometime between 1822--the year "our" James Moore's first wife probably died--and 1825--the year his daughter, Ann Maria married Neill Strahan--when James Moore married Neill Strahan's mother, Mary Stuckey Strahan, widow of Alexander Strahan, thus becoming the stepfather of his son-in-law. Simultaneously, Neill's mother became his mother-in-law. It is not known, however, which marriage happened first.

Whatever the order of events, James Moore's second marriage was shorter than his first, because both parties were advanced in age at the time of their wedding. In 1825, "our" James Moore was seventy-six and Mary Strahan was sixty-three.

This prompts some questions: How much longer did James Moore live, and when and where did he die? And where was he buried? As it happens, those questions are hard to answer because unfortunately, a thorough search of will, probate, court, and estate records for "our" James Moore in New Hanover County, as well as adjacent Brunswick County, has turned up nothing that provides answers. But there are clues.

In June 1833, just a few months before he applied for a government pension, in an apparent effort to rid himself of property he no longer wanted or needed, an elderly James Moore sold for one dollar and for "love and affection," a "Negro woman by the name of Lucy and her child Mary also a Negro boy [by] the name of Jim" to his oldest son, James A. Moore. On June 15, he sold two enslaved men, one named Tom and the other, Sam, to John Moore--presumably his youngest son and not some other John Moore--for $500 and in September of that same year, for $500, he sold a thirty-five-year-old man named Harry and a twenty-five-year-old woman named Dole or Doll (the name is hard to read on the document), to an apparent kinsman named Aaron T. Moore. He also sold two teenage girls named Lur and Gin to Moses Moore--presumably his son and not some other Moses Moore--for $550. That is a total of eleven enslaved people altogether, which is the exact same number that the 1830 federal census showed that he owned.

On September 12, 1833, as previously noted, James applied for a federal Revolutionary War pension, which was granted. Federal pension records show that that he received only three disbursements and that the last one was in March 1834. We know further that after his death, his second wife, Mary Stuckey Strahan Moore, went to live with a son, Samuel S. Strahan, in Fredonia, Chambers County, Alabama, where she drew up a will on September 5, 1834, died in April 1835, and was afterward buried at the Sharon Primitive Baptist Cemetery. We may therefore conclude that James Moore died sometime between March 1834 and September 5, 1834, which explains why his widow moved to Alabama to live with a son: her husband was dead.

Unfortunately, this seems to be all that we have. A thorough search of New Hanover County will, estate, probate, and court records for 1833-1834 has turned up nothing, except notations regarding the proving of three transactions involving James Moore and other individuals. The last of these, proved by John L. Moore in county court in December 1834, was the previously mentioned 1833 bill of sale for two slaves to Aaron T. Moore (court records say Aaron L. Moore).

In the end, we must conclude that the precise date and place of death of "our" James Moore, as well as his final resting place, has been lost to history.

BIOGRAPHIES INDEX

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