Seventh Moss Generation

John Moss ( ), son of Benjamin and Diana, was born 1718 in York County, VA and moved into what later became Louisa County around 1742.  In 1737 John married a woman whose first name was Jane, but her last name is not known.

Since there were several John Mosses in the Virginia region around this time period, it had been difficult to know which John Moss was the son of Benjamin.  This issue was addressed in a article written by James Bagby in the summer (V13 #1) 1981 issue of the Louisa County Historical Magazine (LCHN), see Attachment 5-1.  This article made comparisons between the will of Benjamin Moss written in York County in1735 (see six Moss generation ) with those of a deed recorded in Louisa County in 1749 by John Moss.  The article shows that the three slaves given to John Moss in his father’s York County will were sold by his son John of Louisa County to a York County resident years later.  It was also shown that the names of the children for both father and son were very similar.  Reading the article leads one to the conclusion that John Moss was the son of Benjamin Moss of York County.   

Mention is made in various LCHN articles about the presence of a Louisa County general store, known as the Partridge Store, located on the Hanover/Louisa County line.  That store maintained accounts of items purchased over time for many Louisa County residents, including members of the Moss family.  Attachment 5-2 shows a map of the Louisa County of that time.  The oval shaded area shown in the northeastern corner of the county approximates the area where the farm of John and Jane was located.

In another LCHN article (V19, page 100), information from the Abstracts of Louisa Judgment papers states that John Moss on 3 January 1757 was planning to journey to a “remote place called Dan River.”  No reason was offered as to why John was going to this area.  The Dan River area was probably located south of Louisa County and close to the North Carolina-Virginia border.  The LCHN article indicated that John executed a supposed will in which most of the estate was left to Jane, his wife of 20 years.  In that 1757 will John names Jane and his children-which he says are all under 21. The children named were Mary ( ), John ( ). Diana ( ), Sarah ( ), Jane ( ), Nathaniel ( ), and Benjamin ( ).  This 1757 will, found in Louisa County Will Book I, page 42, is shown below:

“Will of John Moss 3 January 1757, to my wife, Jane Moss, during her life six Negroes and some household goods and chattels.  If it should please God to take me away from her before my return from Dan River, I appoint Cleavers Duke and my loving wife my sole executors.  After her death my estate to be equally divided among my seven children (all are named) as they come of age.  [Signed] John Moss, witnesses:  Barbara Duke, James Duke, Martha M. Gueray.  Recorded 28 March 1758 proved by James Duke and Martha M. Gueray two of the witnesses.”  William Snelson, who married John’s daughter Diana in 1760, in a deposition on March 1760 claimed that his father-in-law never intended the above will to be his final will and asked that Dinah and he receive a child’s part of the estate.  Snelson asked if John Moss ever came back from the Dan River area (see Attachment 5-3).

In Louisa County Deed D-59 it states that Jane Moss gave her son John of North Carolina interest in the estate of her husband and names her son as only heir in her will dated 6/14/1762 (Attachment 5-4).  The wording of this will helps to explain why Dinah and her brother William were questioning inheritance issues.  Note that Jane’s will mention her son John is from North Carolina.  This is confusing unless the son John is now of age and has decided to go and find his father.  Since Jane died in 1762/3 then It is logical to assume that John the son, following his mother’s death and inheriting her property, returned to Louisa County around 1763.  There is a reference in LCHM V2(2), p17, 1970 which claims that the will of Jane Moss was not fully proven.  The appraisal of her estate was done 6/14/1772 and is found in Louisa County Will Book #2, p140.

It is known that a John Moss of Louisa County sold land in Rowan County, North Carolina on 12/16/1762 and on 9/2/1763.  These facts appear in the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy (V23 #2, p 32 May 1985) and was confirmed with the Rowan County records (Rowan County Deed Book 5, p256, dated 30 May 1763), see Attachment 5-3.  Therefore, it is known that a John Moss from Louisa County was in the general Dan River area (near Rowan County) around the 1760s. 

Independent of the reason why John Moss went to the Dan River area, it is apparent that he was absent from Louisa for at least 10 years.  Apparently, he did return to Louisa County sometime after Jane’s death since there is a second will written by him dated 1771 (Attachment 5-5).  In that will he claims (a) to love Benjamin more than his other children, (b) left items to Benjamin, Mary, Diana Snelson, and Jane Smith, and (c) left nothing to John, Nathaniel, or Sarah.  Additional information on Benjamin Moss appears in History of Louisa County, Virginia written by M. H. Harris, Dietz Press, Richmond, VA 1936.    

Sixth Moss Generation

Benjamin MOSS(  )  Born: 1675 York County, VA                                                             Married:  Diana H. Wythe ( ) 1713                                                   Died:  1736 York County, VA

Benjamin Moss ( ) ,born in 1675, lived and died in York County, Virginia.  Details on this generation were offered in the fifth Moss generation.  Benjamin in his will dated 1735 (Attachment 4-1) names four sons:  Benjamin, Jr. ( ), Francis ( ), John ( ), and Edward ( ). In Benjamin’s will it is stated that Edward, the youngest son is under age.  However, since Benjamin married late in life it is likely that only the oldest son, Benjamin, Jr. was of age. 

Benjamin’s married Diana H. Wythe in 1713.  Diana, had been previously married to Dr. John Wythe for about 13 years and had one child (Henry Wythe) from that marriage.  In June 1712 Diana submitted request to the County to act as administrator for her deceased husband’s estate.  In August 1712, she requested a child’s estate part from her father’s (Henry Howard) estate.  In 1713 Edward, Jr. (her new father-in-law) recorded a deed of gift to his son Benjamin and his new wife.

Since Diana’s son Henry was young, she probably brought him up with her children by marriage with Benjamin.  This information is indirectly implied from the will of Benjamin (Attachment 4-2) where Henry is mentioned as a son-in-law rather than a stepson.  Diana probably died around 1735 since her name is not mentioned in Benjamin’s will.  Attachment 4-3 is the will of the younger Henry Howard and Attachment 4-4 is the will of Benjamin, Jr. (who died about one year after his father)  The way both of these documents are written again indicate the close relationship between the two families.

The will of Benjamin is divided as follows: 

Edward, who is not of age at the death of Benjamin, received the plantation and all lands purchased from Robert Snead (110 acres).  In addition, he received 5 servants named John, Cutty, Judy, Pindaia, and Nanny.

Francis received the land in the town of York purchased from Abraham St. Leger.  Three servants named Emmanual, Ben, and Kate.  600 pounds of Tobacco and 20 barrels of Indian Corn.   Since Edward was not of age then Francis was to care for Edward’s gift until he becomes of age.

Benjamin, Jr. received all remaining lands in York County and the servant Oliver.  In addition, he was to be responsible for care and tuition for John and Edward.

John received five servants named Old Jack, Paul, Dina, Cane, and Rachael.

All remaining stock (tobacco and corn) was to be divided into three equal portions.  John to receive one portion and the other two portions to be divided equally between the three remaining  sons. 

Edward, the youngest brother of Benjamin, who lived in York County died in 1754.  An inventory of his estate is shown in Attachment 4-5.  While the contents of the inventory are not unusual for those times, it does suggest that Edward had accumulated some wealth and did own 3 slaves.  

Fifth Moss Generation

FIFTH MOSS GENERATION

During the 1650s the land boundaries for York County became more established as shown in Attachments 5-1 and 5-2.  As the population of Virginia increased newer counties were being added and older ones became better organized and offered more services to residents.

Edward Moss (18) had returned to England when young and lived in London.  There he met and married Eleanor Westwood (19) around 1655.  It is noted that often the names Ellen, Elinor, and Eleanor appear to be variations of the same name, however records about Edward name his wife as Elinor.  Church records in London suggest that Edward and Elinor lived in Shippe Alley-which was located close to the river that flows through London. 

Records suggest that Edward and Elinor were members of a small band of immigrants sponsored by Ralph Green in the mid 1650s.  Mr. Green was granted 500 acres of land near New Kent Count for transporting the group to the new world and it is reasonable to assume that the immigrants settled initially near his land grant location.  Edward probably moved to York County around 1657-58.  It was at that time that Edward received a deed of gift from his father Edward (9) on York County as reported in the fourth Moss generation.

Edward and Elinor had six children:  Benjamin (20), William (21), John (22), Elizabeth (23), Anne (24), and Rebecca (25).  All of these children were named in Edward’s will dated 1716 (Attachment 5-3).  While John (22) is shown as one of their sons, it has not been completely verified.  Some researchers have postulated that a John Moss b in 1665 and who ultimately lived in Pocoson Parish, VA might be their son.  It is noted that the name John is a very common Moss first name and makes it difficult to know exactly which John Moss is being discussed.

Edward served as sheriff for York County until he became Justice of Peace.  Many of York County Court records from 1677-1691 contain his name.  There is a letter in York County records that shows where John Baskerville, Clerk of Court presents the names of William Booth, Edward Moss, and Robert Cobb as candidates for magistrates (Justice of Peace) to the governor William Berkeley.  The men were accepted and sworn in March 1677.  Edward served in this position for fourteen years and apparently carried out his duties in an honorable manner.  However, with time, it became obvious that Edward did not favor the requirements of the King and ultimately refused to take the oath of office as required.  As a result he resigned his position in 1691.

The reading of Edward’s will be made easier by understanding some of the following material:

1.   Apparently over the years, Edward had acquired some wealth as suggested by the purchase of lands from men named Blackstone and Sneed.  .Moreover, Edward also owned slaves which suggest that he was a planter or farmer growing tobacco and other crops.

2.   Edward and his family lived in York County close to a family known as the Howards  Unfortunately due to the spelling that was used, the family name would appear as Howard, Heyward, Hayward, or Haward.  Hence in this Moss history, this family name will be referred to as the Howard/Heyward family.  The Howard/Heyward family was very interested in local politics, came from a well established London background, and was well off financial.  Edward’s oldest son (Benjamin) and daughter (Elizabeth) married into the Howard (Heyward) family. Since the relationship between the two families can be confusing, a diagram of the relationships is shown in Attachment 5-4.

3.   Another family that had close ties with Edward Moss family were the Goodwins of Virginia.  The first relationship with the Goodwin family occurred when William (21) married Elizabeth Goodwin around 1708.  Additional details about this marriage are discussed later.  The second relationship when the daughter of John Goodwin (sister to Elizabeth) married Edward Moss (son of Benjamin (20).  See Attachment 5-5   

4.   Notice that Elizabeth Moss, the widow of Henry Howard, had remarried a Thomas Tabb approximately four years later.  This fact is confirmed by her name being mentioned in her father’s will (Attachment 4-3) as Elizabeth Tabb.  Elizabeth had married Henry Howard around 1710 after Diana, his first wife, died in 1705.

5.   The will of Henry Howard is shown in 4-5 and shows that he had other children.  Apparently, there was a close relationship between his oldest son Henry and the sons of Edward (13).

6.   A copy of William Moss will (son of Edward) shown in Attachment 4-6) further indicates this unique relationship between the two families.

In 1709 Edward gave his son William 115 acres of land at the head of Chessman Creek.  This deed, dated 24 June 1709, is found in York County Court Volume II, p 393 (shown in Attachment 4-7).  This land was then passed from William to his eldest son Edward in 1718.

In 1713, Edward gave a gift to Benjamin and wife.  While the gift is not described as a deed, a power of attorney was given to William Garden to acknowledge the giving of the gift. The reference for this gift is found in Genealogies of Virginia Families V. II, p 718.

Edward’s will was proved in 1716 and it bequeaths land and property to his family. The home plantation was given to his son John.  The will mentioned the fact that he had previously given land to his sons William and Benjamin.  Edward also made gifts to his daughters Ann Phillips, Elizabeth Tabb, and Rebecca Armistead.  His grandsons Benjamin Moss and Moss Armistead also received gifts.  He named his eldest son, Benjamin, to be his executor.

Edward’s son William (16) lived in York County for most of his life.  He was a planter, tax collector, and a dealer in land and other properties.  He married Elizabeth Goodwin and they had five sons named Edward, William, John Charles, James, and Benjamin.  The last two were twins born in August 1718-about six months after the death of their father William.  Only the first three sons were mentioned in his will.  William names guardians for his sons should their mother remarry or die.  He names his brother Benjamin (15), James Goodwin-his brother in-law, and a “beloved friend” Henry Howard/Heyward.   The naming of Henry further illustrates the relationship between the two close families.  In 1725 Elizabeth Moss remarried Robert Kerby.  Elizabeth died two years later.  In 1732 William’s oldest son was successful in asking the court to divide a part of the inherited property for the original three brothers among all five brothers. 

Reference information about Edward Moss (13) found in:

G. C. Greer’s Early Virginia Immigrants, p24

William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol 7, p24..

Fourth Moss Generation

FOURTH MOSS GENERATION

Around 1630 Virginia was divided into nine districts called shires, one of which was called York.  After 1634 these shires were reformed and denoted as counties.  It is believed that there were three main branches of the Moss line in America.  Those branches were in the New England area, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.  In our Virginia branch, Edward Moss is considered to be the progenitor of our Moss line and is often referred to as the “immigrant Moss”

Edward Moss (9) was born in Lancaster, England in 1610.  He came to Virginia when 15 for a short time, perhaps with his older brothers, before returning to England.  We know this because his name is recorded in old York County records.  Around 1632 he married Jane Ann Bridgette Beltchourton (10) (shorten to Ann Belt) in Westminster Abbey, London, England.   They had five sons all born in Lancaster, Lancashire County, England over the time span from 1632 to 1637.  They sons were named Thomas (11), William Henry (13), John (15), Robert Bruce (16) , and Edward (!8).

The first son was Thomas (11), 1631-1678, who married Elizabeth Wales, 1633-1683, (12) in 1656.  Thomas and Elizabeth were married in England and had two children named Francis and Elizabeth.   After Thomas died, Elizabeth Wales Moss married Edward Craske @1679.  Edward and Elizabeth also had two children named John and Ellen.

The second son of Edward and Ann was William Henry (13), 1633-1685.   William married Jane Bridgette North (14) in c1660.  William had returned to England to further his education and met and married Jane before returning to America.  William and Jane had three children named William, Elizabeth, and Frances.  Their son William (1668-1722) served as the High Sheriff of Rappahannock County and he married Margaret Hopkins (1670-1698) in 1687.  Elizabeth Moss (1665-1724) married Captain John Craske who died in 1706.  This is the same John Craske mention in the above paragraph.  After John’s death Elizabeth’s second marriage was to Captain James Lockhart in 1708.   Finally, Frances Moss married William Brown in 1670.  This marriage lasted about 10 years until William Brown died.  They had two children named Mary and William.  After William Brown died she then married James Ingo in 1680.  This marriage produced two daughters named Frances and Mary.

It is noted that William’s (13) wife is often referred to as Lady Jane North in many genealogical articles, however, recent research (see attached items)  has shown that information to be incorrect..

The third son of William and Jane was John (15) who was born in 1634.  Little is known about John and some reports suggest that he may have died young and never married.

The fourth son was Robert Bruce (16), 1635-1689.  Robert married Rebecca Wales (17) in 1675.  Rebecca, 1630-1680, was born in England and died in America.  She was the daughter of John Wales and the sister of Elizabeth Wales-who married Thomas Moss (11) as shown above.  Robert was a tobacco planter and in his will (Attachment 4-1) he mentions his son Robert (born in 1650), his wife, and daughter Dorothy, born in 1656.  In 1675, Robert’s daughter Dorothy (1656-1714) married a widow named Abraham Stapp (1650-1714).  Abraham and Dorothy had three sons with the most prominent son named Joshua Stapp who was a well known planter.

Their last son was Edward (18), who was born around 1637 and died in 1689. The St.Botolph Aldgate Church in London recorded a christening event for Edward on 5 March 1641.  Edward married Elinor (19) near 1655 and continued our Moss line

Edward (9) was a member of the Anglican Church and It is possible that he fought around 1641 for a short time in the English Civil War.  In 1642 Edward (9), his wife and four sons left England and settled in what would become Old Rappahannock County in Virginia.  He later moved to York County in 1644.  Old Rappahannock County (“Old Rapp”) was founded in 1656 and was a early county established in Colonial Virginia.  The county covered a large area with vague boundaries on both side of the Rappahannock River.  Old Rapp was abolished in 1692 with the north side of the river becoming Richmond County and the south side becoming Essex County.  Old Rapp should not be confused with the present day Rappahannock County that was created about 150 years later and is located about 100 miles inland.

It is of interest to note that In 1654, three of Edward’s sons, William (11), Thomas (12), and Robert (16), were given a land grant of 800 acres in Old Rappahannock County for transporting 16 emigrants to Virginia. It is also noted In Land Patents and Grants Volume 2: 1666-1695 indexed by C. B. Grundman in 1977 that Robert Moss was given a land grant on 10 October 1672 of 944.5 acres in Old Rappahannock Country, which adjoined land held by William Mosely.

On 21 May 1657 Edward (9) made a deed of gift to his son Edward (18).  The gift is described in York Co Record Book #1, page 341, as well as in Virginia Colonial Abstracts V26, page 74.  This gift “out of the good love and naturall affection” is stated as being “for his good loving condition and dutifull carriage and behavior towards me” was 2/3 of all his personal estate and all the plantation at the head of Chrismas Creek, excepting planation and housing formerly in hands of “Mr. Robt Tod late dece’d” . Onto the recording of this gift, the Clerk of Court affixed the drawing of a shield, indicating armorial bearings.  Edward (4) died in June 1658 in Yorktown, VA.  His will was signed and attested by his brother Robert (7).  Edward’s wife, Ann Belt, died in Yorktown, VA after 1700.  It is noted that all of Edward’s sons were born in England and four of them died in the Tidewater region of Virginia.  Also of interest is the observation that of the five sons, only three produced a male offspring.

Reference information about Edward (4) found in  http://www.wicasta.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I2548&tree=1                                                             

Early Immigrants to Virginia 1623-1666 by George Cabell Green published in 1912

Third Moss Generation

Little is known about Richard Moss (5) other than he was born, married, and died in England.  Recent genealogical findings indicate that Richard was probably born in Lancashire County, England around 1580.  He married Ann Sherratt (6) in England around 1605 and there were three sons from this marriage.  They were Robert (7), Richard (8), and Edward (9).  Information about Richard (5) is found in  http://wicasta.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID-I2554&tree-1.

While Richard (5) lived and died in England, all of his sons came to America around 1630s.  Information from George Green’s book “Early Immigrants to Virginia 1623-1666” suggest that Richard (8) may have been transported from England to York County, VA in 1651 by Arthur Price.

Perhaps of some interest is the observation by some researchers that Richard Moss was known as Sir Richard Moss.  So far this has not been officially established.  See comment in Generation 5.

Second Moss Generation

Richard Moss (3) son of Robert, is the next family branch member.  He was born about 1556 near the town of Ormskirk, located in Lancashire, England.  It is believed that he married in England around 1580, but no information is available regarding her name.

Church records exist that indicate a Richard Moss was christened in St. Nicholas Church in Liverpool on 11/25/1622.  Richard and his wife had at least one son named Richard Moss or Mosse (5).  It is interesting to note that both Richard and his son died in 1670.

Introduction

INTRODUCTION

The English surname of Moss is derived from the old English word ‘mos’ and denotes a dweller who lives near the moss, morass, or peat bog.  It can also denote ‘son of Masse’ from the common form of the Jewish or Egyptian personal name Moses.

Perhaps the first Moss man that can be traced was from Normandy in France and would have been associated with Duke Williams during the battle of Hastings in 1066.  After the battle the Duke was crowned King of England and owned all the land in England.  He awarded land portions to those who supported and fought with him.  The holders of these lands would be Barons and Knights.  Since the name moyse appeared in the Doomsday Book in 1086, it is reasonable to assume that a Norman warrior having that name obtained land that was located bear Lancashire in England.  Thus begins the Moss history.

Unfortunately, other than a few instances where the name Mos or Masse were recorded between 1100 and 1327, little has been written down or is known about the early Moss genealogy.  What is known indicates that the area known as Lancashire, a northwestern county in England, appears to be the home of early Moss ancestors.  It is a seaport  town that lies on the Irish Sea, surrounded by the counties of Cumberland, Westmoreland, Yorkshire, and Cheshire, and is close to the Scottish border..  The county is made up of many different types of soil including fertile fields, mountains, wide moorlands or heath including bogs or mosses.   Population of this county was approximate 150,000 in the early 1600s.

This location of Lancaster suggests the possibility that the occupations of our early English ancestors may have centered on ship building or fishing.  In addition, the closeness of Scotland may also expand the geological search for our Branch.  In fact the name of Robert Bruce Moss in the fourth generation further illustrates that point.  Finally, it seems that the first 4 generations of Moss families had connections to family members and friends in the county, with little movement to other towns or cities, with the exception of travel to America in the third and fourth generations.             

In the first edition of this Moss branch history major emphasis was placed on learning the family history within the United States of America.  However, in this edition emphasis is also being placed on learning more about the Moss history within the United Kingdom (UK).  For example, the first four Moss generations of this branch lived in Lancashire County, England (shown on the map).  We expect that the increasing use of the internet will present opportunities in the next decade to further reach back in time and add information about our history.  A word of warning is offered on the use of the internet is needed.  While its use does provide extensive genealogical information on all families, one needs to be careful about the accuracy of the sources.  Much of the information is conflicting and has errors. 

In the first edition of our Moss branch history it was learned:

1.  Other than a few minor details, we know a lot about the Moss generations within our branch in America. 

2.  Most of the Mosses in the branch, with few exceptions, were either born in Virginia or lived most of their lives in and around the middle of Virginia, such as York County, Louisa County, or the city of Richmond, VA.

3.  The third through the seventh generations of our Moss branch lived in what today is known as York County, VA.  English colonists established Jamestown on the Virginia Peninsula in 1607.  In 1619, the area which includes York County was part of the cities known as Elizabeth City and James City.  In 1634, this area was organized as Charles River Shire (named for King Charles).   During the English Civil War, around 1640,the name was changed to York County, with its county seat being Yorktown.  It  should be recognized that in the 1630s the boundary of York County occupied a very large land area extending as far inland as the mountain ridges.  York County was split in 1654 into reorganized York County and New Kent County.  Approximately 70 years later (in 1721) Hanover County was divided from the division of New Kent County.  Louisa County was recognized in 1742 after division of Hanover County.  In 1761 a portion of Louisa County was cut off and added to Albermarle County (that had been formed from Gouchland County in 1744).

4.  The eighth through twelfth generation of out Moss branch lived on the same land in Louisa County.   Louisa County was named for Princess Louisa, who was the youngest daughter of King George I.  The early settlers of Louisa County were often second sons of the planters in the Tidewater region, i.e. York County.  {It is noted that York County was originally named Charles River and was one of the original eight shires formed in 1634}  As the fathers died most of the land holdings were inherited by the oldest son.  Therefore, other sons, needing land would move further inland to areas such as Louisa County.  Most of the operating farms in Louisa County were small, ranging between 50 and 200 acres and each owner kept 1 to 5 slaves to help with basic chores as well as with the growing of tobacco. 

Control of Virginia was still under the power of the Kings of England.  From 1714 to the American Revolution the three Kings were George 1, 2, and 3 whose rulings and proclamations drastically affected owning lands and businesses in the new world.  In addition, the Kings did not permit freedom of religion in the Virginia colony.  The Church of England was established by law in Virginia.  The Kings required that Virginia lands be divided into parishes where a minister became the authority figure.  Taxes were imposed by the parishes to help take care of costs and all settlers were required to attend church or be fined.  Louisa County was in St. Martins Parish until it became Fredericksville Parish in 1742.  The parish lines were similar, but not identical, to County lines.

5.  Branch Generations beyond 12 reflect movement of some families to areas away from the Virginia borders, such as Ohio, Kentucky, and New York.