My theory as it now stands is this. William and James came here with the Barker families who settled in the Barbour Co. area and the Hamilton's who lived in the Calf/Cow Pasture river area and the Shenandoah river area. The William Hamilton family came to the southern Randolph Co. area in the late 1760's or early 1770's. The Indians of this area not being happy about their land being taken and having just been defeated in the French and Indian War against England which we were still a commonwealth of, would still try to chase people off of their land. So instead of going full speed ahead with a war, they fought guerrilla style and hit fast and hard with terroristic tactics. In other words they massacred everyone in sight and the only ones to stand a chance of survival, and this wasn't much, was the women and older children. If they were not taken back and tortured to death they were used as slaves. For some reason I think that this may well have been my reaction to having my land taken. Within 15 to 20 aerial miles of my home they hit many of the forts in the area in 1781/2 and after that there was a mass migration out of the Tygart Valley. At that time it was still called the Monongahela River Valley by some. My belief is that William and James went further north with William Barker and others from his settlement to Monongahela Co. There is a note on page 162 of Westem Waters by Violet Coontz that Elias Barker was reputed to have gone to Fayette Co. PA. From Monongahela Co. Wm. Barker went to Ky. The James Moore and the William Hamilton family also went to Ky.. William Moore may have went there also or into Maryland and/or back to Augusta Co. In Chakley's Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish, I found a William Moore getting married in 1763 which would have been the right time for my mother's earliest recorded direct Moore ancestor, Daniel, to have been William's oldest son. Daniel as will be discussed later was probably born about 1763/4. 1 also find there that a William Moore had an infant son who was born just before William died in 1797. There was a James Moore living in Randolph Co. in the 1810 census that was 10 to 15 years old with a female of the same age and a child below the age of 10.(What appears to be the same James though is listed in the 1820 census as being over 45 years of age and in the 1830 Randolph Co. census as being between 60 and 70 years old. This would put his birth between 1760 & 1770 He is not listed in the 1840.) This may be William's youngest son. I have not yet obtained a copy of this William's will to see if this is correct. What I believe is that William's first wife may have been killed in the massacres, which prompted him to leave the area. He then possibly remarried and had another family. The James Moore that I believe may be William's youngest son also had a son William Moore. This James lived somewhere in the vicinity of George McLean as George mentioned in his diary that he had worked with James and it is recorded in the will books of Randolph Co. that George helped with the adoption and care of James' grandson Andrew D. Moore when Andrew's father William died young. At this time I have not determined whether the William Moore referred to by Chakley as a nephew of Moses Moore is the same as the earliest William in the Randolph Co area or not.
My reasoning for thinking that William Moore's wife may have been killed during the massacres is that I find no written record of Daniel Moore's mother nor his father. I have been in contact with Charles F. Moore, Sr. in Silver Springs, MD who is a descendent of Eli Moore and who does not show any parents listed on his marriage bond. Eli's guardian was Enoch Moore of Harrison Co. W\/ according to Charles' records for Eli's marriage. I am inclined to believe that Daniel and Eli may be brothers. Eli's death record says that he was born in Randolph Co. although Eli's son William did not know his grandparents names. If their mother died or was killed in the massacres, William would likely have sent the younger children to stay with family members. Eli was born about 1780 to 1785 (high probability of 1782 as his age was listed as 68 in the 1850 Barbour Co. census records) and appears to have migrated to Barbour Co. after 1840. So possibly Enoch may have been an older brother or maybe an uncle. But it seems more likely that he would be an older brother. Also in Mrs. Coonts' book there is a link established between the Hamilton's of southern Randolph Co. and a William Smith.(see page 255) Daniel Moore's property in Barbour Co. had a comer to this same William Smith.
Daniel Moore, lived many years and died in Randolph Co., WV in 1843; and widowed Deborah Poling Moore, daughter of Martin and Rachel Poling.
Daniel may have been born in what is now WV, VA, or possibly MD. It is this authors guess that it may have been the Randolph/Barbour County WV area. At this point I have no firm evidence to support this although the person that I believe to be his father may have been in this area around the time of Daniel's birth. Evidence suggest that there was a William Moore in this area at that general time frame. The date of his birth is not known at this time but some sources, chiefly the Poling family history book for this area, have it as 1774 but the 1810 census has him listed as being over the age of 45 which means that he would have been born before 1765. Since no record of marriage can be found by this author for Daniel and Deborah (Poling) Moore it is my assumption that they were married in Monongahela Co. (W)VA since the county clerks office along with all of the personal records burned in 1799. Daniel and Deborah may have married in PA though as there is evidence to suggest that William Moore may have moved his family there after the Indian massacre on Sugar Creek in 1781 or 1782. The first written account of Daniel on Moore's run in Barbour Co. (W)VA is on 27 Apr 1807 when Daniel purchased 200 acres of land from the Rev. Phineas Wells. This land was situated between Rev. Wells and Rev. Simeon Harris. It was also close to the land owned by William Smith and also lands owned by Thomas Phillips and sold to his four sons. The deed states it to be on Glady Creek and Dividing Run. Daniel and Deborah's list of children would suggest that Daniel's father's name would have been William and his mother's name to be Mary and that he had a brother Joseph. Their first child was named Martin which was Deborah's father's name and the next was William. The next was named for Daniel, Daniel Moore, Jr., and then Richard, and then Rachel which was Deborah's mother's name and then Mary which would indicate Daniel's mother's name. The rest of the children, including Richard, were named, it appears, for brothers and sisters of Daniel and Deborah.
Deborah may have been born in 1774 as stated in the Poling History Book, but she, as was her husband Daniel Moore were listed in the 1810 Randolph Co. WV census as being over the age of 45 which means that she would have been born before 1765. Daniel and Deborah (Poling) Moore had the following children according to Daniel's will as recorded in the Randolph Co. clerks office. The dates supplied have come from census records and other county records of Randolph and Barbour Counties.
Little is known to this author about Martin Moore, born about 1787 or 1788. It appears that he married and had at least one son. This would have been the John Moore of Martin listed in the 1840 Randolph Co. census records. He may have also had sons David and Samuel as they are both listed in the 1840 census and are near to the locations of Martin and John of Martin.
William Moore, son of Daniel and Deborah (Poling) Moore, born Abt 1789, died Barbour Co., WV, 30 Oct. 1856; married Barbour Co., WV, 4 Dec. 1811, Rachel Phillips, daughter of Henry and Lydia (Harras) Phillips, died Barbour Co., WV, 16 Mar. 1826, buried Little Bethel Cemetery, Barbour Co., WV; married 2nd, Barbour Co., WV, 27 Jun. 1826, Catherine Burton, born Abt 1803, died Barbour Co., WV, 4 Jan. 1860, buried Barbour Co., WV. Some records have Catherine's last name spelled Button or Barton. William and Rachel (Phillips) Moore had the following children:
Daniel Moore, Jr. born about 1791 and died between 1850 & 1860 and married Sarah Bums. Daniel and Sarah appear to have at least 5 children, 2 boys and 3 girls, according to the 1840 census records. One of these children was Deborah Moore who married James W. Ryan. Deborah was born 5 Jan. 1823 in Barbour (then Randolph) Co. was married 4 Nov. 1847 and died 25 Jan. 1897 both in Barbour Co. The other known descendent was Morgan Moore. He was born about 1828. Andrew Moore may be a descendant of Daniel and Sarah as he was living next to Daniel and Sarah in the 1850 Barbour Co census. He was listed as being 35 which would give an approximate birth year of 1815. Andrew it appears had an infant named Morgan also. One of Daniel and Sarah's daughters may have married an Auville as there were 2 Auville children residing with them in 1850.
Richard Moore, son of Daniel and Deborah (Poling) Moore, born Abt 1792/1795; married Randolph Co., WV, 13 Oct. 1814, Mary Agnes Phillips, daughter of Joseph Phillips. Richard and Mary Agnes/Agness were married by their dad's neighbor Simeon Harris who was a Primitive Baptist preacher and married many, many people in the local area. It appears from looking at the 1830 Randolph Co. census that Richard and Mary had at least 2 sons and 3 daughters.
Rachel Moore, daughter of Daniel and Deborah (Poling) Moore, born Abt 1792/1795; married Randolph Co., WV, 11 Sep. 1811, Benjamin Helms. Benjamin Helms served in the War of 1812 as Ensign in Capt. John Thomas' company, 2nd Regiment Kentucky Mounted Volunteer Militia beginning 18 Sept. 1812. Promoted to Lt. (date unknown). Appointed Adjutant 29 Sept. 1812. Service ended 30 Oct. 1812. Benjamin and Rachel were the great grandparents of Capt. Leonard M. Cowley, 158th Infantry Arizona National Guard. As of 4 Feb. 1926, Mr. Cowley was living at 805 North 7th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. Benjamin and Rachel (Moore) Helms had at least one child: Nancy Jane Helms, b 9 Feb. 1822, d 1 May 1922 and married a Garloch
Mary Moore, daughter of Daniel and Deborah (Poling) Moore, born Abt 1792/1795; married Randolph Co., WV, 27 Jul. 1815, Soloman Westfall; married 2nd, Randolph Co., WV, 1 Feb. 1816, Joseph Cross. Both of Mary's marriages were performed by Simeon Harris. From looking at the 1830 Randolph Co. census records it appears that Mary and Joseph Cross had 6 sons and 2 daughters. As the records only list sex and age it is impossible from just looking at it whether Mary's first child actually belonged to Soloman.
Joseph Moore, son of Daniel and Deborah (Poling) Moore, born Abt 1795/1800; married Randolph Co., WV, 1 Mar. 1816, Mary Cross, daughter of John and Barbara Cross. From looking at the 1820 Randolph Co. census records Joseph and Mary may have had one son.
Samuel Moore, son of Daniel and Deborah (Poling) Moore, born Abt 1801, died Abt 1847; married Elizabeth Right, born 1799, died Barbour Co., WV, 1868. Samuel and Elizabeth (Right) Moore had the following children:
Little is known about Margaret Moore, daughter of Daniel and Deborah (Poling) Moore born Abt 1802/1810.
This has been an over view of my line of the Moore's of Barbour Co. WV. I have not touched on the Eli Moore line of Barbour Co. This line contains probably as many people of Moore descent as my line but I am not as familiar with it as I am my own. I do have access to a great deal of information on both lines and would be very happy to correspond with anyone who has an interest in either line. I probably won't have all the answers but I certainly would be willing to help find what I can for you in my records.
Allegheny Regional Family History Society
Post Office Box 1804
Elkins, West Virginia 26241
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