EMILY MOORE LETTERS FROM THE 1800'S #25 52 ANCESTORS 52 WEEKS

In January 2014, Amy Johnson Crow of the Ancestry blog No Story Too Small issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.

The premise: write once a week about a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, a research problem — any that focuses on that one ancestor. The next week, write about a different ancestor. In 52 weeks, you’ll have taken a closer look at 52 people in your family tree… and maybe learned a little bit more about them in the process

I am writing about Emily Moore who was my 2^nd Great Grandfather, Horatio Nelson Moore’s sister.

Emily Moore was born Christmas Day 1820 in Moore’s Mill, Canada and married Charles Williams in St. Stephan, New Brunswick, Canada around 1840.  Several years after they married they moved to Mississippi for health reasons. The following years found them in various places in Mississippi, Shiloh, Spencerville, Citronelle and Marion.  Then they moved into Nanafalia, Alabama.

All the time Emily was married, and lived far from home, she wrote letters.  She wrote to her parents, sisters and brothers, cousins and friends.  Many of her letters were saved and a distant relative of mine Francis Flemington and her husband Frank collected them and translated them.  Most of the letters are from 1869 to 1892 but the first one they have found was written in 1856 to her parents, Tristram and Thankful (Foster) Moore.  This particular letter is about the difference of her Universalist faith and the Baptist church she is going to in Alabama.  The letters were in English but because of the shortage of paper and the price to mail letters the words are cramped and written all over the page as shown below.

The following is a excerpt from a letter Emily wrote dated December 12, 1869 from her home in Alabama to her Brother Simon and his wife in Moore’s Mill Canada.

….I went to Mobile two weeks ago and stayed overnight, went with a friend of ours and an old neighbor of Rashe’s (Horatio Moore, her brother), Mrs. Kendall, in Portland.  She is the daughter of Jurias Keene of Calais.  Mr. Kendall came south in 1856 to take charge of one of Charles’ (Emily’s husband) mills in Mississippi.  After the war broke out he volunteered and was in the army about 15 months, then he was detailed to run a government mill at Meridian, Mississippi.  At the time of Sherman’s raid was taken prisoner and carried to Vicksburg, from whence he settled in Iles but has now taken an interest in a large steam mill 17 miles above us on the R.R. and we see them often.  Their daughter, aged 16, spends a good deal of her time with us.  She is now on a visit to Rashe’s but will be up tonight.  We, Mrs. Kendall and I, had such a good time, it was such a grand treat to hear Rashe sing and Kitty (Rashe’s daughter) accompany his voice with the piano.  Everything about them seems so nice and comfortable.  Mary keeps only a black boy for help this winter, though the family is pretty large, their own four juveniles and May (Emily’s daughter Freddie May).  The girls all go to the same school and pay $5.00 each for Nan, Bess and May.  Professor Lamus gives Kitty her tuition.  Rashe is giving them private lessons in vocal music two evenings in a week.

…..I am writing without my fire, the doors and windows open, and as pretty a bouquet of roses and corals in the vases as ever was culled.  There are several roses (Auggustas) in the vases as large as saucers, white, with gold colored centers and as fragrant as can be.  I only wish you could see them.  We had strawberries and cream for dessert last Thursday and if frost holds off with have plenty by Christmas.

I love these letters.  They give the every day activities during the time after the Civil War and the inter action with her family members and friends.  I am lucky that she mentions my ancestor and his family very frequently giving me an insight into his family life too.

MARTHA PARDUE #24 52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS

 

 

 

 

In January 2014, Amy Johnson Crow of the Ancestry blog No Story Too Small issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.

The premise: write once a week about a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, a research problem — any that focuses on that one ancestor. The next week, write about a different ancestor. In 52 weeks, you’ll have taken a closer look at 52 people in your family tree… and maybe learned a little bit more about them in the process

 

 

 

I believe Martha Pardue is my maternal 2nd great grandmother.

 

The only document I find her name on is her daughter, Genevieve's

death certificate dated June 11, 1936.  I believe the information was given by my grandfather, John N. Moore, her son.

 

The death certificate stated her parents as John Counts and Martha Pardue.  I found the marriage certificate for John Counts and Martha Pardue in Savannah, Georgia dated February 15,1864 and the date fits with Genevieve's birth date of December 1, 1864 which I also got from the death certificate.

 

I have not found any documents, birth or census of John Counts with his wife Martha or their child Genevieve.  I find Genevieve in census records after she got married in 1885 in Savannah, Georgia to Tristram Moore.  I find John Counts in census records after he remarries in 1881 to Sarah Fitzpatrick.  I do not find Martha Pardue Counts in any census, or death records.  I have checked in Georgia where they were living when they married, and South Carolina which is right across the river from Savannah.

 

I will keep searching. I hope maybe some other family is researching the same family and has information on this Martha.

 

 

 

 

MARY JANE MATHERS. #23. 52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS

In January 2014, Amy Johnson Crow of the Ancestry blog No Story Too Small issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.

The premise: write once a week about a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, a research problem — any that focuses on that one ancestor. The next week, write about a different ancestor. In 52 weeks, you’ll have taken a closer look at 52 people in your family tree… and maybe learned a little bit more about them in the process

Mary Jane was the only child to be born in Ireland to William and Mary McCrudden Mathers.  She was the oldest sister of my Grandfather William Mathers.

Mary Jane came to America when she was between 1 and 4 years old.  She was born December 2, 1864 in County Donegal but the family lived down the road in County Tyrone.  I haven't found her coming in to New York with her parents but her brother, James, was born in New York in 1868 so that narrows down the time frame.

There isn't a lot of mention in records about women in general.  I do have Mary Jane's marriage certificate to Joseph Flanagan dated April 10, 1887 in New York.  They had 12 children.  I am sure she was a very busy women caring for all her children.  I did have a conversation with one of her youngest girls, Irene Flanagan Ranaghan and she said her mother was a very kind and caring women.

Mary Jane died September 29, 1916 with her youngest only 2 years old.  One of her older daughters, Ann (Nanny) took over the chores of the house and caring of the children.

Children

Sarah 1890-1894
Thomas 1891-1894
Florence 1893-1894
Katherine 1894-1905
Joseph 1895-1979. Marr. Marguerite P Rodregurz
Nell 1897-1907
Ann 1898-1983   Marr. James Connolly
Theresa 1900-1972. Marr. James McAvey
Alice 1901-1995. Marr. Joseph Tavolacci
Martin 1903-1980. Marr. Ann Connolly
Irene 1906-2001. Marr. John Ranaghan
Marcella 1914. Marr. John Luizzo

THANKFUL FOSTER #22 52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS

In January 2014, Amy Johnson Crow of the Ancestry blog No Story Too Small issued the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge.

The premise: write once a week about a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, a research problem — any that focuses on that one ancestor. The next week, write about a different ancestor. In 52 weeks, you’ll have taken a closer look at 52 people in your family tree… and maybe learned a little bit more about them in the process

Thankful Foster was born in Machias, Maine in 1783 to Benjamin Foster and Ruth Scott, one of 7 children.  Thankful is my maternal 3rd Great Grandmother.  She married Tristram Moore on  November 16, 1802 in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada.  

Thankful helped her husband run a saw mill in Moore's Mill, New Brunswick, Canada.  Her Father-in-law William helped found the small town and the saw mill on the Dennis River.

I am very happy to have this women as an ancestor.  Her parents must have loved her very much to have named her Thankful. She  and Triatram had 13 children and I am descended from her son Horatio and his wife Mary Rose. Most of the children stayed in Canada but several did immigrate to the United States.  

Thankful Foster 1783-1868

Tristram Moore  1780-1864

Children

Eliza 1803-1879 marr. Israel Peaks

Horatio 1804-1825

Myra 1808-1828

Cyrus 1809-1864 marr. Martha Pine

Emeline 1810-1812

John 1812-1893 marr. Mary Louisa DeWolfe

Alice 1824-1886 marr. George Morrill

Justin 1817 marr. Myranda Mahew

Simon 1819-1874 marr. Elizabeth Dunham

Emily 1820-1906 marr. Charles Williams

Hannah 1822 marr. John Elliott Moore

Horatio (2nd) 1825-1901 marr. Mary Rose

George 1827

Mary 1827

William 1829-1853