John (Moor) Moore Jr (1692 - bef. 1741)

Born 13 Feb 1692 in Glencoe, Argyll, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Jean Cochran — married 2 Apr 1723 in Londonderry, Rockingham, New Hampshire

Descendants

Died before 26 Aug 1741 before age 49 in Londonderry, Rockingham, New Hampshire

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Biography

John was the only known son of John Moor 1648-1692 of the MacDonald Clan of Glencoe, Argyll, Scotland. His mother's name is unknown. John Moor was born in a malt kiln in which his mother had hidden during the infamous Glencoe Massacre on the night of 12 Feb 1692 when some 30 members of the clan were slaughtered in the night by the rival Campbell Clan on orders of King William III of England. John's father was killed in the massacre. After three days in the kiln, his mother emerged and later that year brought John to Antrim, Ireland to the home of her husband's brother and John's uncle, Samuel Moor. Samuel adopted John as his own, and he also had a biological son named John, which has led to much confusion among genealogies.

Emigration to America

At the age of 28, the John of this profile emigrated to the New World with his uncle Samuel, and many other similarly situated Scots-Irish families.

In a document dated 26 Mar 1718, two hundred men from Ireland signed a letter to Samuel Shute, Governor of Massachusetts, asking for land in the colony if they transported themselves there. The signers included John Moor (this profile), his uncle/adoptive father Samuel Moor, and John's future father-in-law William Cochran.

Governor Shute promised them a township twelve miles square of unoccupied lands. An initial group of 16 families immediately left Ireland and arrived in Boston in Aug 1718 and made their selection of lands on 11 Apr 1719. When this favorable news reach Ireland, The Moor's and their relatives agreed to leave together and they sailed on The Wolf in 1720,

Pirates

On their voyage, in a legendary incident, their ship was waylaid and captured by pirates who's intent was to rob and kill all on board and take the ship and it's cargo for themselves. During the robbing phase, they took $2500 from John Moor (about $172,000 in 2022 dollars), all that he had.

On 28 Jul 1720, a baby was born on ship to passengers James and Elizabeth Wilson. As the pirates were robbing the passengers, they heard the baby crying below decks and the captain went to investigate. He was moved by the sight of the child and offered to spare the passengers if Elizabeth would but name the child Mary, being his mother's name. She agreed, of course, and the pirates not only let the passengers keep their lives but they showered Elizabeth with gifts, including a bolt of green silk. The silk gift was later used, as the story goes, to make Mary's wedding dress when she came of age. Mary Wilson became commonly known as "Ocean Born Mary".

In the New World

The party arrived in Boston and soon after meeting up with the original group of immigrants, they went to Nutfield, later Londonderry, now Derry, New Hampshire. John was a surveyor and helped to survey the town in the fall of 1720.

In 1723 he married Jean Cochran, daughter of fellow immigrant William Cochran and his wife Agnes. John Moor was a successful farmer and lived on his farm 21 years. In 1736 he was chosen deacon in the first Presbyterian Church of his town. John died in 1741 at the age of 49. The inventory of his property filed that August was valued at over $7000 (about $311,000 in 2022 dollars).

John Moor and Jean Cochran had the following children:

1. Robert Moor (1724-1796), m. 1753 Lettice Cochran, m. 1778 Letetia Clark
2. Samuel Moor (1727-1793), m. 1751 Margaret Morison
3. Agnes Moor (1729-Aft 1752)
4. Lt William Moor (1731-1818), m 1763 Jane Holmes
5. Mary Moor (1733-Aft 1762?)
6. John Moor (1735-1777), m. Abt 1760 Mary _____
7. Euphemia Cochran (1734-1741)
8. Ann (1741-1760)

All of these children were named in John Moor's will except for Euphemia indicating that she passed away before 1741. Agnes was alive and unmarried in 1752 when she signed a deed with her brother Samuel and there are no further records for her. Mary lived into adulthood but there is no record of any marriage or of her death. She lived in Londonderry and later moved to Peterborough. Assuming that she moved to Peterborough with her brother William, she was living in 1762. She once owned the east part of her brother William's farm. She also bought a slave named Baker in Boston and later sold him to her brother Samuel who gave him his freedom.

Sources

• Moore, George. Genealogy of the Moore Family of Londonderry, New Hampshire, and Peterborough, New Hampshire, 1648-1924 (Transcript Printing Co., Peterborough, N.H., 1925) Page 9-11

• http://trees.ancestrylibrary.com/tree/8320779/person/246102039