Samson Moore (abt. 1732 - 1782)

Born about 1732 in Londonderry, New Hampshire

Husband of Martha (Orr) Moore — married about 1754 in Londonderry, New Hampshire

Descendants

Died 1782 at about age 50 in Salter Head, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

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Biography

Samson Moore was born in Londonderry, New Hampshire about 1732, based on a November 1776 deposition when he gave his age as 44. His parents were James and Isabel (Unknown) Moore. His parents arrived in Boston in 1718 as passengers on one of five ships carrying Scots-Irish immigrants from northern Ireland. His father was known as "Charter" James Moore because he was one one the original proprietors of Londonderry. ^[1]

Samson's father was prosperous, and when he died about 1750, Samson and his brother David inherited his numerous properties.

Samson married Martha Orr about 1754, based on the birth of their first child in 1755. See Notes regarding the identity of his wife.

Samson and Martha had children, the first three born in Londonderry, the later ones born in Truro:^[2][3]

1. James (1755-bef. 1822) ^[4], married, first, Martha Pollack, one daughter; second, Susanna Teas, several children
2. John (1757-1782) ^[5] (given name transcribed wrong on record), drowned along with father
3. Eleanor (1759-1848?) ^[6], married John McCabe (Note that all sources have Eleanor as a child of Samson, but the cited FamilySearch record has his father as James, undoubtably a transcription error)
4. David (1763-1849) , married Catherine Taylor
5. Alice (1766-1815), married William Philips ^[7]
6. Samson (1767-1818) , married Margaret Hunter ^[8]; entire family died of consumption 1816-1818
7. Daniel (1770-) ^[9] , married Jane Nelson, had children; died at sea
8. Martha (1773-1844) ^[10], married Robert Stewart, had children

Samson was active in Londonderry as late as 1762. On 25 January 1762 he was one of 144 residents to sign a petition to the New Hampshire House of Representatives to overturn the recent election of the Representative for Londonderry and Windham. On 3 February and 8 March 1762 Samson sold properties totaling over 250 acres. The suspicion is that the election results were the last straw for Samson. It is likely that he took his family to Truro later that year, as his name appears on a March 1763 Halifax record, and a child was born to Samson and Martha in Truro in April 1763.^[1]

A large number of settlers of Scots-Irish ancestry in the Londonderry area left for Truro, Nova Scotia and vicinity between 1760 and 1770. The demographics were tilting against them in New Hampshire, where many people of English descent were now settling. The Puritans were not tolerant of Presbyterian beliefs. The British were offering free land in Nova Scotia, having recently forcibly removed all of the French Acadians living there. So the immigrants from New Hampshire found existing farms, fields, dykes, churches, and civil buildings in Nova Scotia. The move to Truro was made by water, from Haverhill, Massachusetts. For example, a notice in the Boston Gazette for 27 April 1761 posted by the Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Nova Scotia advises that a fleet of transport vessels with an armed escort and soldiers will arrive in Boston, and transports will be in Haverhill on 25 April 1761 to take them to Boston, then on to Truro.^[2]

Samson and Martha emigrated with a kinship group that included Martha’s sister Janet and her husband Thomas Archibald, dozens of the Archibald extended family, Samson’s older brother Joseph and his family, and possibly his older brother James. There were also a number of close neighbors who moved with them. Samson’s widowed mother Isabel moved to Pelham, Massachusetts, likely to live with relatives there.

Samson received free possession of 500 acres of land in Truro, including town, farm, wood, and marsh lots. He was actively involved in the development of the town, performing many minor public functions. The 1770 census indicated that he farmed for subsistence necessities, but he was a shoemaker and woodworker, as well as a “mariner”.^[11] He also filled the role of Deputy Provost Marshall for many years. This was a somewhat glum job of delivering official papers, warrants, writs, and so on. It entailed his going to the homes of recently widowed mothers of young children and getting them to sell land or goods to settle their deceased husband’s debts. He also frequently had to go to Halifax on government business. See the "Planters and Grantees of Cobequid, Nova Scotia" cited above for an exhaustive enumeration of Samson's activities.^[1]

During the American Revolution Samson was caught in his role as Deputy Provost Marshall between the sentiments of most people in Truro, who leaned towards the rebel cause, and the British government in Halifax, who were concerned that the Scots-Irish might actively join the rebellion. The British interrogated people, charged a few with treason and imprisoned them, and demanded Anglican-oriented oaths of allegiance that were anathema to the Presbyterian faith. The people in the Truro area openly assisted American sailors and escaped prisoners to return to the United States. Samson was as circumspect and resistant to executing his Tory duties as was possible without losing his position, but he may have become isolated, or perhaps he isolated himself to keep from seeing too much, during the Revolutionary War. In any event, in 1780, after nearly 20 years in Truro, he purchased a large tract of desirable land about 20 miles to the west, on the Bay of Fundy, known as Salter Head. His brother Joseph, also a grantee of Truro, had purchased land in the same area several months before Samson did.^[2] Samson was now separated from Truro by the Shubenacadie River, and he sold his pew in the Truro Meeting House.

In March 1782 Samson and his son John were in their boat off his property on the Bay of Fundy when the boat capsized and both were drowned.^[3] Martha was suddenly left with a large estate and several minor children. The property on Salter Head was sold, and Martha moved her family back to Truro, where she was alive in 1796. Samson and Martha are probably buried in Truro in the Robie Street Cemetery. There is a row of Moore headstones there, but none for either of them. Find A Grave: Memorial #141579856

Research Notes

Miller in his “Historical and Genealogical Record of the First Settlers of Colchester County, Nova Scotia” ^[3] has Martha Archibald as Samson’s wife. He later wrote a note that he doubted his identification, but he did not publish it. Subsequent research has shown that Samson's wife was Martha Orr. In 1796, Martha is referred to in her church's communicant roll as "Martha Orr widow Moor". However, Martha "Archibald" persists throughout the Web, even though she is likely a fictitious person.

Regarding location names: New Hampshire was not differentiated by counties until 1769. Ireland was not partitioned until 1922.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} "Planters and Grantees of Cobequid, Nova Scotia", 1761-1780, Vol 2; Carol Campbell and James F. Smith, 2011; pages 741-747
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Samson Moore file, Colchester Historical Museum, Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada. Data taken August 2018.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} “Historical and Genealogical Record of the First Settlers of Colchester County, Nova Scotia”, Miller, Thomas, 1873; (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/264706/?offset=#page=335&viewer=picture&o=search&n=0)
4. ↑ "New Hampshire Births and Christenings, 1714-1904", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FDJC-CZP : 18 January 2020), Samson Moore in entry for James Moore, 1755.
5. ↑ "New Hampshire Birth Records, Early to 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FL56-ZMS : 23 February 2021), Samson Moore in entry for Jannat Moore, 28 Mar 1757; citing Londonderry, Rockingham, New Hampshire, United States, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Concord; FHL microfilm 1,001,020.
6. ↑ "New Hampshire Births and Christenings, 1714-1904", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FDN6-HPT : 18 January 2020), Elinor Moore, 1759.
7. ↑ "Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6Z97-64BR : 27 May 2021), Alice Moor in entry for William Phillips, 1786.
8. ↑ "Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6ZMB-X2QM : 27 May 2021), Sampson Moore, 1795.
9. ↑ "Canada, Nova Scotia Church Records, 1720-2001", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6ZMB-Z4VB : 27 May 2021), Daniel Moore, .
10. ↑ Nova Scotia Births and Baptisms, 1702-1896 Publication: Name: Family Search; Location: Family Search; Date: 2014; FHL microfilm 928,972 Link: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XL5T-RMB
11. ↑ 1770 census Truro, Colchester County; Nova Scotia Archives, RG 1 vol. 443 no. 33; (https://archives.novascotia.ca/census/RG1v443/returns/?ID=1636)