Melungeon DNA Project Genealogy

Below is a very brief history of the early Moore family and information about some of the Gibson and Goodman families. There has been a close relationship between the Moore and Gibson families since, at least, the mid 1700’s. For our discussion there were two important Gibson groups. First, the Gideon, Hubbard and John group who appear in the Roanoke River area of Bertie County, North Carolina, in roughly 1720 (the Bertie group). Second, the Thomas, George, Charles and Mager group who settle in the Flatt River area of Orange County, NC, in roughly 1750 (the Flatt River group). This second group migrated to Orange County from Louisa County, Virginia.

My earliest known Moore ancestors are William, Charles and John. My best guess is that Charles is the son of William and John, whose Revolutionary War pension application is re-printed below, is the son of Charles. John Moore was born May 1758 in Orange County, North Carolina and died July 1836 in Floyd County, Kentucky.

In September of 1756 John Dunnigan filed a court action for Force & Injury against Charles Gibson in Orange County, NC. The jury found Gibson not at fault and ordered Dunnigan to pay Gibson’s expenses. In March of 1758 William Moore filed a court action in Orange County against Dunnigan for debt for Moore’s court appearance in the Charles Gibson case. There must have been some relationship between the William Moore and Charles Gibson families for Charles to call William as a witness in a court action.

In September of 1766 Lambeth Dodson sold 400 acres on the main fork of the Mayo River in Pittsylvania County, VA (later Henry County), to George Gibson. This George Gibson was the son of John Gibson of the Bertie Gibson group. This land of the Mayo River in VA is close to the NC border and is in an area which later will be called Goinstown.

Charles Moore moved next door to George Gibson on the Flatt River in Orange Co., NC, sometime between 1756 and 1774. I have been unable to find a deed where Charles Moore bought or sold the land on the Flatt River. He may have been living on George Gibson’s land. In 1774 Orange Co., was divided into 16 districts. The 14th District, St. James, included Thomas Gibson’s land just above but not including George Gibson’s land. The 15th District, St. Mary, was adjacent to and south of the 14th District. The dividing line between the 14th and 15th crossed the Flatt River and ran across the dividing line between George and Thomas Gibson’s land. The 15th District was defined as follows:

Begins at the Granville line where it crosses the Nap of Reed running West including Arthur Magnum, George Gibson, Charles Moore & Robert McCornwell on the South, thence South, including Robert McConwell, William Rigs, George Rigs, John Latta, James Latta, John Douglas, John Woods, Nathaniel Lewis, John Scarlet, John Piper, Thomas Trammel & John Hart on the East, thence East including John Hart (through William Reeds plantation him not included) to Wake County line just North of Robert Abercrombie’s plantation, him not included.

The 15th District is in present day Durham Co. (established 1881). The 14th District is in present day Person Co. (established 1791).

About 1776 George Gibson (Flatt River group) died in Orange County. Thomas Gibson, Charles Moore and William Moore then moved to the Surry Co., NC/Henry Co., VA, area. Thomas Gibson moved to or close to the land owned by George Gibson (Bertie group) on the main fork of the Mayo River in VA. In 1778 Charles Moore received, from the State of NC, 100 acres of land on Fish Pot Branch in Surry County (later Stokes County) bordering the Guilford County line (later Rockingham County). Charles Moore’s chain carriers were George Gibson and James Jackson. In 1778 William Moore entered 100 acres on both sides of the Buffalo Branch of the Mayo River, bound on the east by the Surry and Guilford County lines (later the Stokes and Rockingham line). In 1779 in Guilford County, NC (later Rockingham County), Lambert Dodson entered 228 acres below and in the fork of the Mayo River in the Virginia Line, joining Joel Gibson, Philip Anglin and including the improvements of Thomas Gibson and Esaw Dodson. All the areas mentioned above will later be known as Goinstown.

Charles and William More were witnesses on Thomas Gibson's will in 1780 in Henry Co., VA. Lambeth Dodson, who sold land to George Gibson in 1766, was an executor and surety on the will along with Joel Gibson.

Henry Co., Virginia, 1/3/1780, Will of Thomas Gibson, “To my loving wife Marey Gibson and my daughter Cuzziah Gibson my whole estate.” Executors: Zackeriah King, Joel Gibson and Lambert Dodson. Wit: Charles More, Joseph Nicols, William More.

Thomas Gibson’s will was exhibited on 3/23/1780 by Joel Gibson who gave bond with Lambeth Dodson and Champain Gibson as his securities.

These events tend to show some relationship between the Bertie Gibsons and the Flatt River Gibsons.

Andrew Moore sold his 213 acres is Surry County, NC (later the NE corner of Stokes County) in May of 1787. Andrew was living in Wilkes County, NC, in 1790 with the Gibson and Collins families as they started migrating west to Tennessee. Andrew was probably the brother of John and James and son of Charles.

James Moore, probably a son of Charles and brother of Andrew and John, moved to Hawkins Co., TN, from Stokes Co., NC, and lived on Newman’s Ridge next to the Gibsons. James Moore and his son James were listed as M on the TN census. Vardy Collins was a witness on James' pension application which was filed in Hawkins County (see below).

John Moore, probably a son of Charles and brother to James and Andrew, was born in Orange Co., NC, in 1758, and married Sally Goodman in Surry Co., NC, in 1784. One of his sons, Joel, moved to Scott Co., VA. Three other sons, Andrew, Obadiah and Edmund moved to Floyd Co., KY, 1815 - 1818 and they and many of their descendants were listed as M on the KY census between 1820 and 1870. Charles Moore and his descendants or relatives were listed as M or fpc in NC on the 1800, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860 census.

James Moore applied for a Rev. War Pension from Hawkins Co., TN, and John Moore applied from Floyd Co., KY. The two applications are almost mirror images of the other. Both men entered the war at the same time from Surry Co., NC, they served in the same unit, marched to the same places, were discharged at the same time and both returned to their homes in Surry Co.

As stated above, John Moore was born May 1758 in Orange Co., NC. John married Sally Goodman in 1784 in Surry Co., NC (later the NE corner of Stokes Co.). In my research the only Goodman family living in the area close to the time of the marriage was a Joel Goodman. John Moore and Sally Goodman named their first born Joel so Joel Goodman may have been Sally's father. About 1833 John and Sally moved to Floyd Co., KY, with son John Jr. (my direct line), to join three of their sons who had moved to KY about 15 years earlier with some of the Gibson and Collins families. John Moore died in Floyd Co., in 1836. Elizabeth Goodman, Sally's sister, was in Floyd Co., in 1839 because she gave testimony that year in support of Sally's claim for Rev. Pension benefits. William Mosely also gave testimony that he lived in the same neighborhood as the Moores in Rockingham Co., NC, and knew the Moores well and knew of the marriage. Elizabeth Goodman probably went to Floyd Co., from Hawkins Co., TN.

Pat Elder, in her book, "Melungeons: . .", on pages 276-271, writes about the TN Goodman family. On page 279 she lists Hawkins Co., Deed Book entries that name Elizabeth Goodman of Floyd Co., KY. She also mentions a Goodman deed, filed in Hawkins Co., witnessed by William Mosley.

It appears from the information contained in John and Sally Moore's pension applications, the Hawkins Co., deeds and the Surry Co., NC, tax lists that some of the Hawkins Co., Goodman and Mosely families migrated to Hawkins Co., TN, then to Floyd Co., KY, from the Goinstown area of NC where the Moores also lived.

As shown above it is documented that the Moore family lived in Orange County, NC, in the 1750’s. But, where did they live before that? Some researchers suggest they came from Louisa County, VA, because of their close relationship to the Flatt River Gibson families. I have been unable to find evidence to prove that theory. The Moores may have migrated west to Orange County from Bertie County. In 1729 Gideon Gibson was preparing to move to South Carolina and sold 108 acres on the south side of the Roanoke River to James Moore. I have no proof that James is my ancestor but the transaction is curious. In 1755 in Orange County, NC, John Patterson called a William Moore to testify in Court that Moore knew Robert Patterson of Bartie County, being on Meherring Creek, who was the father of John Patterson, Esq., and that John was the only male child of Robert and that John inherited all the lands etc. of Robert. In 1716 Johnathan Sears sold 540 acres on the Meherrin River to Robert Patterson and Edward Moore. In July 1721, Adam Cockburne sold 390 A on the south side of the Meherrin River to a William Moore of NC. In 1737 a William Moore sold 100 acres on Meherrin Creek to Benjamin Hill and in 1737 John Patterson sold 629 acres on Meherrin Creek to John Nixon. Thus, a William Moore lived in Bertie County on the Meherrin, possibly as early as 1721, and knew the Patterson family there. However, I have no proof that this William Moore is my William Moore.

As stated above there appears to be a long standing close relationship between the Moore and Gibson families that goes back to at least the 1750’s if not earlier. There are numerous marriages and migrations not mentioned in this writing. My grandfather, Alexander Moore, is buried in the small Moore family cemetery located up Ball Branch, in Mousie, Knott County, Kentucky. Below is a photo taken about 1962 showing my grandmother visiting my grandfather’s grave. The grave marker in the foreground is quite interesting.

Declaration on order to obtain the benefit of the act of congress of the 7^th June, 1832

State of Kentucky, County of Floyd, SS

On the 18^th day of February 1834 I personally appeared in open court before the Justices of this Floyd County, court now sitting, John Moore a resident of Kentucky in the County of Floyd, aged seventy five years who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain this benefit of the act of Congress passed since 7^th, 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following ??? officers and lived as herein stated. He first entered the service on or about the 15^th day of May in the year 1781as a volunteer in the militia of North Carolina in a company commanded by Captain David Humphries, Benjamin ??? Ph??? was Lieutenant, Solomon Humphreys was Ensign and _____ Hawk [was] Sergeant of the company. He then resided in the county of Surry and State of North Carolina—He met his company at about this day above stated at a small town in Surry County NC called Richmond. After lying at Richmond 2 or 3 weeks, Major White and Phillips and ??? James Martin Colonel of the regiment to which his company belonged arrived and he then marched on to a place called Moravian town where we were joined by another company of militia. We then marched on to head quarters in the woods not far distant from Salisbury when we joined General Rutherford the commander in Chief of the militia. The day that his company joined the troops at the Head quarters several other companies of Militia arrived and the next day we marched on towards the South Carolina line in different directions chiefly (as he then understood) for the purpose of keeping the Tories down, not stopping at any one place more than two days at a time ???? in our march what was then called Crop [Cross?] Creek Settlement and Cape Fear Settlement besides other places not recollected till we came near Wilmington in the State of North Carolina when we advanced within about a half mile of the town and fired several rounds toward the town. These were about 50 prisoners found in the town in prison left there by the British and Tories when they evacuated it some of whom we saw after their liberation in a very wretched condition almost destitute of clothing and much emaciated. We then marched on leaving Wilmington on the night in different directions and frequently fell in with a large body of Light Horse troops scouting after the Tories—scouting parties were frequently sent out to gain intelligence of the Tories and at one time brought information of a number of Tories being in a Swamp—the name of which if known then by any name he does not recollect. The Light Horse men stationed at the lower end of the swamp and the other troops surrounded this swamp to drive the Tories, and Sergeant Hawk whilst pushing in front of the other troops was killed by the Tories having received several bullets in the body. We marched into the swamp and killed seven Tories being all we found in the Swamp. From this swamp we marched back in various directions till on or about the 20^th day of December 1781 about ten miles from Wilmington he received a discharge signed by Captain David Humphreys having then been in the service to the best of his recollection about 7 months and then he returned to his residence in Surry County, NC and had remained at home but a few weeks when he again entered the service—In his second tour as a volunteer in a company commanded by Captain ____ James???. William Kennedy??? Was lieutenant. ____ Steele Ensign and David Risuis?? Sergeant of the company to the best of his recollection. He met his company at one Squire McInilly’s?? the time of the year not recollected but he knows it was warm weather. He thinks early in the month of March 1782. We staid at Squire McInilly”s?? but a short time when Colonel Armstrong our colonel arrived with Major Tillas??? per our major. We then marched in an eastern direction by a Court House called Duplin ???. From here we marched down to the left ??? seven all small towns, names not recollected lying at different places 3 or 4 days at a time. Scouting parties being ??? really out to get information of the Tories till after marching in various directions we came below Salisbury about 65 or sixty miles (Captain James having left the company some short time before this and the Lieutenant came marching the company. He here got leave to go home but received no written discharge. The time when he left the service in the last town he is not able to recollect but he is able to say positively that he was in the service about 5 months in the last tour and to the best of his recollection he left the service in the month of August 1782 in the latter part of the month.

He signs this with an “X”.

The court then provided to the said John Moore the following interrogations ???.

Where and in what year were you born?

Answer: Born in Orange County, North Carolina in the month of May, 1758.

Have you any record of your age and if so, where is it?

Answer: I have none. I never had that I recollect of.

Where were you living when called to service? Where have you lived since the Revolutionary War and where do you now live?

Answer: I was living in Surry County, North Carolina when called into Service and have resided in the state of North Carolina ever since till the fall of 1833 where I ???? over to Floyd County, Kentucky where I now reside.

How were you called into Service—were you drafted—did you volunteer—or were you a substitute—and if a substitute, for whom?

Answer: I went into the service for both tours as a volunteer—never as a substitute or under a draft.

State the names of some of the ??? officers who were with the troops where you served—such contin???? and militia regiments as you can recollect and the general circumstances of your services.

Answer: These are set forth in the best of my recollection in the declaration.

Did you ever receive a discharge and if so by whom. Was it given and what has become of it?

Answer: I never received but one discharge and what has become of it I am not able to say. It was signed by Capt. Humphries.

State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood and who can testify as to your character for veracity and ??? belief of your services as a soldier of the Revolution.

Answer: I will name Reverend Samuel Harris??? And Jonathon Pitts.

[Pitts and Harris??? Then fill out a certification that Moore was truthful.]

[Jacob Mays? Mayo?, clerk of court then certifies the application.]

JAMES MOORE

State of Tennessee, Hawkins County, in this 26th day of August, 1833, personally appeared in open court before the court of ??? for the County, now sitting James Moore, aged seventy years, a resident of said county, who being first duly sworn ???? in an oath, made the following declaration in order to obtain benefits of an act of Congress passed 7 June 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following officers and served as herein stated. In 1771, sometime in the month of June, he thus was drafted in the County of Surry, North Carolina in the company commanded by Captain Wm Humphreys of ????? the North Carolinas, and was marched to Martin’s regiment. Then he was marched under his company under the command of Martin to the old Moravian town called ???? where the troops were stationed about two weeks, and from there to Salisbury, and from there back to the Moravian town, and from there with his company ???? went near Cross Creek near Wilmington and from there to Hillsborough. From there back to Wilmington and continued doing service until the latter part of December? 1781 when he was discharged by his said captain in the town of Wilmington, North Carolina, having served six months. He was with General Rutherford and Major White who belonged to the militia of North Carolina. He has lost his discharge some time ago. He has no documentary evidence and knows of no person ????? ????? ????? who can testify to his service. There is no clergy now living in his neighborhood. He has no ??? of his ???. He has resided in the State of Tennessee since the Revolutionary War and ??? ??? then. That he is well acquainted with Thomas Johnson, ???? Collins, these in Hawkins County and who have testified to his certification ????. [Can’t read the next sentence at all.]

James Moore [signed with an “X”]

[This is followed by a note from Vardy Collins who signs with an “X”. There is a huge black mark on the first part of this note, and I cannot read it. I will read it after that.] with James Moore who had from ??? ??? ??? about seventy years of age and that he is ??? and beloved in the neighborhood where he is known to be a soldier of the Revolution and that is [can’t read the last 10 words]

Thomas Johnson [signed]

Vardy Collins [signed with an “X”]