Samuel Moore, Samuel Moors, or Samuel Morse: Salem & Newbury, Mass. OR New Jersey?

Question

Is there evidence to support the connection of Samuel Preston Moore Jr, Matthew Moore, and Sarah (Moore) Dennis as children of Samuel Moore of Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony? Anderson's Great Migration research says he had two known children, Samuel and Remember, but there is no further record found for them or his widow in New England.

Apparently a genealogy published privately about 1935 by Edward Mayes, Genealogy of the Family of Longstreet... suggests the connection between the Massachusetts Moore/Moors families with those in New Jersey. The book does not seem to be available online, but perhaps someone has a copy? I note that in another book that Mr. Mayes wrote he does cite some sources for his information, so perhaps the Longstreet genealogy contains additional clues. 

The current profile for "Samuel Preston Moore Jr" wants us to believe that he married in Newbury, Mass., in 1653 and 1666, but in the meantime had children in New Jersey in 1649, Massachusetts in 1660, and back in New Jersey from 1668-1676. I see no proof yet that Samuel of Salem, son of the immigrant who died about 1638, is the same man who married in Newbury, Mass., nevermind how he removed (multiple times?) to New Jersey. This profile appears to be a major conflation of 2 or 3 different people. Maybe the Quaker Project could take a look at the portions that relate to their records on the son Samuel's profile? 

I would, at the very least, suggest that all of Samuel's children, except Remember, be detached, and a fresh version of the one son Samuel be created. 

Thoughts? Additional sources? 

Comments

I also want to point to a previous discussion on this family: see this G2G post.

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If you try family search program check out  profile number LBZT-TV7. Has over 35 sources listed.  This might help in your search or straighten out connections.

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Thank you, Lynna. I did go through that list of sources and found nothing that proves his parents, any set of parents, or his birth place which is said variously to be in Maldon, England, Newbury or Newburyport, Mass., and doesn't suggest he was the son of Samuel baptised in Salem. Clues yes, but nothing that really resolves it. 

Answer 1

I have Genealogy of the Family of Longstreet Completed.

Page 69 says:

"The Family of Moore.   X.---SAMUEL MOORE, of Salem, says Savage in the "Genealogical Register of New England", VIII, title Moore, was made Freeman of that town on the 6th of March, 1632; and perhaps, therefore came over in the November previous, in the Lion. He had born to him Samuel (mentioned previous), who was baptized 25th of December, 1636; and Remember, baptized 9th of December, 1638. He had also two other children, Sarah and Matthew, although Savage does not mention them.

IX.---SARAH MOORE, who married SAMUEL DENNIS, brings this family into our history. What is known of her has been stated in connection with her husband. Her brother deserves further mention. 

Samuel Moore, Jr., brother of Sarah, has been frequently encountered in the preceding history of the family of Dennis. There is however something further to be said of him. Quotation is made from Dally's History, pp.29, 109 and 291.

'Samuel Moore was one of the most distinguished citizens of Woodbridge, and wielded considerable influence in the Province. He came from Massachusetts, and exhibited, in his new home, much of the enterprise and public spirit which have made the people of New England famous... [goes on about records of his public service, and grants of an annuity and land] ... The long period of his official life is seen to have come to an end. It was during this year (May 27th, 1688) that he died. Matthew, his brother, is found frequently mentioned in the old town book; but he did not attain to the distinguished position of Samuel... Samuel married in New England, Hannah Plumer, who died eighteen months afterward, in December, 1654. In September, 1656, he married again---Mary Ilsley becoming his wife, and removing with him to Woodbridge. By her he had six children: four sons and two daughters. Whitehead considers it probable that he was married a third time (December, 1678) to Ann Jaques. This is possibly correct. He did marry a third time."

The last statement has a footnote: "But his last wife's name was Hannah, not Ann, as shown by his will. N. Jersey Archives, vol. XIX, p. 121. She was, most probably, the widow, Hannah Jaques, mentioned in N. J. Archives, vol. XIX, p.43.

Comments

Excellent, thank you *very much* for transcribing that, Barry. 

This genealogy seems to point to the entry in Dally's History of Woodbridge (here) and links him to the settlers from Newbury, Mass., and names the two wives he had married in Newbury. 

What it doesn't do is explain or connect him to the family in Salem. In 1636 the land granted to the father, Samuel More, was a 40 acre lot on the "Darby fort side after mr Peters lott is layd out." This was in what is now Marblehead. (See: Wikipedia) Marblehead to Newburyport, using today's roads, is more than 25 miles. 

I don't see that there's any solid proof at this point to link Samuel of Newbury & Woodbridge as the same person that was baptised in Salem. It's too common of a name, and the Newbury VRs display a lot of Moore/Moer/Morse/Mooer families to work from. 

The additional problem to overcome is that the father is thought to have died in Salem by about 1638, which doesn't allow for later children to be born of that family, namely Matthew and Sarah found in Woodbridge. It could be argued that he died later, but where are the subsequent baptisms of his children or land records showing that he moved?

Answer 2

If you are researching colonial New Jersey genealogy, spend time with

* Early Land Records Database (NJ State Archives, free)

* Abstracts of Wills (free, I've linked and given you citations)

* the histories and genealogies on Sources: New Jersey

I just added a ton of land records to Samuel's profile and started cleaning up the narrative so we can assign records to the right people.  For example, the Barbados merchant is a different person with the same name. 

The huge untouched clue is that the Woodbridge Samuel you are asking about named his brothers-in-law in his will, one of whom has an unsourced wife Sarah Moore Dennis that was disconnected from Samuel already but should be reattached--or at least changed to "Unknown Moore".  But who's the other brother-in-law Samuel Haile?  Can you try to track him down?  I don't have him as an NJ Founder yet. 

Please slow down a second, I am happy to help with the colonial NJ records, I truly love this era and I'm your NJ Coordinator for what that's worth (a heap of beans?  LOL).  Just because there isn't a record free on the internet does not mean it's untrue--you have no idea how much NJ genealogy is only in print and still in copyright. The major example being the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey as well as multiple series of still copyrighted records transcriptions, none of them digitized.

Comments

H, my question is:

Is there evidence to support the connection of Samuel Preston Moore Jr, Matthew Moore, and Sarah (Moore) Dennis as children of Samuel Moore of Salem, Massachusetts Bay Colony? 

The 3 Moores in Woodbridge are likely related as siblings based on the wills mentioned, but that in no way connects them back to Samuel in Salem. All of the mentions of Samuel in Woodbridge suggest he came out of Newbury, not Salem. His siblings in NJ appear to be younger than Samuel, and that is an argument *against* them belonging to Samuel of Salem who likely died by 1639. 

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If the Samuel Moore, merchant of Barbados, is different from the Samuel "Preston" Moore we are working with, as now seems likely, there was less reason to detach Samuel from father Francis Moore, sr. of Cambridge in the first place as one of the rationales was that this Samuel "Preston" was not likely in Barbados in 1658. A conflation of Samuels changes things.

Although we haven't been able to place Francis in Newbury, MA, his sister's (Sarah's) family settled there and several of Sarah Geenleaf's children (who would be of Samuel's generation) were born, married and died there--so there is a link with Francis's sister if not with her brother. Names also provide a link: In both Sarah's and nephew Samuel's family, the name of Francis's and Sarah's father (Samuel's grandfather), Enoch, recurs through several generations. For example, Sarah had 2 children named Enoch (the 1st died). Samuel "Preston" also named a son Enoch as did his brother John. The name carries down through the generations of Samuel's descendants, surely a familial name, along with Samuel.

We know that Francis of Cambridge named his second son Samuel. This could have been after his brother who died in England. Francis was Samuel's executor, and the bulk of his estate was left to him; evidently, they were close.

Finally, I don't think the fact that there is still much material that hasn't been digitalized affect our current decisions. Based on what we do have, Francis seems a more likely candidate for the father of Samuel than Samuel sr. of Salem. There is nothing to link the latter to Newbury, but there is at least one link for Francis of Cambridge to Newbury: his sister.

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Laking proof of a connection to either father, (Francis of Cambridge or Samuel of Salem) I think it would be most prudent to disconnect Samuel "Preston" Moore from any parents until we can find primary documentation to reasonably prove the relationship.

There is currently a "Disputed origins" section on his profile where he's been disconnected from Francis. I would suggest adding Samuel of Salem to that section and make the disconnection.