Mary Moore (Ayers) Hembree (1721 - 1751)

Born 1721 in Goose Creek, Berkeley, South Carolina

Died 1751 at about age 30 in City of London, Greater London, England

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Mary (Ayers) Hembree is currently protected by the Native Americans Project for reasons described below. Join: Native Americans Project Discuss: native_americans

Due to unsubstantiated claims that she was a Native American, this profile is being tracked and co-managed by Wikitree's Native Americans project. The project seeks your assistance in identifying and adequately sourcing what is accurate about this individual.

Biography

A previous version of this profile claimed, without sufficient evidence, that she was:

• born about 1721 in Goose Creek, Berkeley, South Carolina, daughter of John Moore, who married 1719 Justina Smith in 1719. He died before January, 1729 when Justina was granted administration of his estate. Justina’s will named their three children, sons James and John, and daughter Rebecca. There is no mention of John as "Colonel" or having anything to do with Indians. And no daughter named Mary. He has been detached as her father.
• a second spouse of Indian trader John Amory. Lacking response for such evidence, she's been detached.

Unsupported claims about her include:^[1]

• She passed away about 1751 at the age of 29–30; she passed away in England.
• John Amory married Mary Ayers/Moore. Mary Ayers is said to have been either full or half Keowee. John had several children, including, "Old John" Amory, William Emory, and Robert Emory.
• Consort of John Amory (1694-1746), Indian Trader.
• Widow of Thomas Ayers, Indian Trader.
• Often called Mary Moore Ayers, Mary Ayers Moore, and "Many Ears." 'Ears' was a name given to a Catawba man, an interpreter named Hixayoura, later became the name 'Ayers'
• Some family trees show her death as 1744 while others show 1751-52.
• Some family trees show birth place as Tellico, Tennessee.
• She was the daughter of Col. James Moore and Sarah Ayers, and granddaughter of Gov. James Moore of S.C. and Margaret Berringer Moore, Thomas Ayers and Mary (Haig) Ayres. Col James Moore was married to wife Elizabeth; his children were John, Jehu, and James. Other documents confirm three daughters, Margaret, Mary, and Elizabeth.
• Some family trees show her as the daughter of Col. James Moore's brother Col. John Moore and his part Keowee/Cherokee consort, Charity Haig, "the smallpox conjurer," the sister of Mary Haig Ayres whose son, Mary Moore Ayers' "half-brother Warhatchie (Wauhatchie) of Keowee, who served with General George Washington against the French in Virginia and Pennsylvania.
• Shawnee Heritage by Don Green (largely debunked by recognized Native American researchers) shows Mary Moore Ayers as the daughter of Col. James Moore II.
• Margaret Berringer Moore was the daughter of Col. Benjamin Berringer, who died either by duel or poisoning (depending on whose version is correct) and his wife Margaret Forster (or Foster) who married afterwards sir John Yeamans (1610-1674), baronet, first (and only) Governor of Clarendon County, S.C. (1665-67) and third Royal Governor of Charles Town/Charleston (1672-1674). Both the Berringer home, St. Nicholas Abbey, and the neighboring Yeamans home, Round House, still stand today in Barbados.
• The Moores resided at the ancient Yeamans Hall on Goose Creek.
• John Amory, Col. John Moore and James Moore II were Indian traders. Mary Moore Ayers Amory's mother was the sister of Chief Wauhatchee of the Keowee tribe.
• John Amory (1694/5-1746) is said to have been the son of William Amory (born 1653) and Mary Lillicrop, daughter John Lillicrop & Anne Hole (Holle) Lillicrop. William Amory was the son of William Amory who died at Honiton, Ottery River, Devon, England.
• Mary Moore Ayers Amory lived at Goose Creek, South Carolina.
• By most accounts, she visited England as a diplomatic envoy where she visited the English court of King George II and died there in London a short while after.

The Yeaman's Hall Plantation cemetery is located at Latitude:32.927118232° 55' 37.6"N Longitude:-79.978141779° 58' 41.3"W There is a Confederate soldier buried there as well as around 30 marked graves. There are probably many more graves of slaves and African-Americans that are unmarked as well as some people of mixed-race.

Also called Mary Ayers Moore.

Shawnee Heritage by Don Greene v.5 says she was the daughter of Col. Jams Moore Jr. "and granddaughter of Mary Haig & Thomas Ayers" and thus cousin of Thomas Ayers Sr. (Trader) who returned to England by 1730."

Thomas Ayers, Indian Agent, was also called Ensign Thomas Ayers: "1737 he met James Oglethorpe at the Royal Palace & was given a commission in the Georgia Militia. 1739-40 he recruited Natives of SC & The Cherokee to serve in the War of Jenkins's War- (drummer John Emory the son of John Emory [Amory] ?-1756 SC was killed 1740 during this action) 1739 he was appointed by James Oglethorpe to replace Robert Lacy as Agent to the Cherokee. 1740 he was appointed by James Oglethorpe as Agent to the Creeks & Catawba 1745 he was sent to advise on the construction of a fort at Purrysburg, SC with Mary Ayers Moore/(b)1724 as his translator- (she was a cousin, the granddaughter of Mary Haig & Thomas Ayers/(b)?-1691). …partner 1737 SC of Daughter of Catawba Chief/(b)1725-aft 1740. (fathered Co1 child)… partner with Mary Ayers Moore of 3 children." 106. "Ayers, Mary Moore aka Mary Ayers Moore- Mary Many Ears - 1/8th +Pekowi-Metis born 1724 SC -died after 1746 SC- daughter of James Moore/(b)1682-1723 & Sarah Ayers (Wood-Morton-Wilkins0n_)/1683 SC-1765 SC. served as a translator for Thomas Ayers & was left in Purrysburg (sic) when he was summoned back to GA expecting to return. She met John Emory [Amory] when she was left in SC by Thomas Ayers during construction of the fort at Purrysburg (sic), SC. partner 1st 1737 SC of her cousin Thomas Ayers/1703 SC-after 1743 GA. partner 2nd 1743 Charleston, SC of John Emory [Amory]/1722-1746 SC. mother with Thomas Ayers of…(3 children). mother with John Emory [Amory] of: John Emory [Hembree]1744SC-1808 Pendleton SC-…." See also Shawnee Heritage vol. 3, pp 21-22, 292, ; vol. 4, pp. 46-52; vol. 5; vol. 6 pp.445-47.

Birth: John Hembree born in1744 in Purysburgh Jasper County South Carolina, USA Death: 1808 Mountain Creek Anderson County South Carolina, USA

"Old John Hembree" was the son of John Amory from England. Orphaned young, he was closely associated with the David Hembree family from Virginia and began spelling his name as they did. John Hembree's father John Amory (1694-1746) married Mary Moore Ayers who was said to be the daughter of Col. John Moore and his Keowee wife, and granddaughter of Gov. James Moore of S.C. and Margaret Berringer Moore. John Amory and James Moore were Indian traders, and Mary Moore Ayers Amory's mother was the sister of Chief Wauhatchee of the Keowee tribe, meaning that Mary Hembree Masters' was supposed to be one-eighth Keowee. John Amory/Hembree is said to have been the son of William Amory (born 1653) and Mary Lillicrop, daughter John Lillicrop & Anne Hole (Holle) Lillicrop.

Some give his birth as 1742, while most say 1744. Researchers show "Old John" Hembree as the son of John Amory, "Gentleman," who left England aboard the ship Minerva under Captain Nicholson, October 8, 1737, landing at Savannah on Dec. 21, 1737. John Amory was an Indian trader who died in 1746 in Charleston. One of his wives was one Mary Moore Ayers, a daughter Governor Moore of South Carolina and his Cherokee wife. She was the widow of another Indian trader, Thomas Ayers, and the mother of John Amory II who spelled his name Hembree and became known as "Old John Hembree" to distinguish him from the other John Hembrees and Amorys of Spartanburg District and Anderson County. The Amory name was spelled Emory and Hembree. Old John Hembree's third wife was Mary Martha (Murphy or Jackson) by whom he was the father of Mary Hembree Masters.

Sources

1. ↑ Much of the following appears to be from Larry Petrisky, "Old John Hembree, https://sites.rootsweb.com/~tnmcmin2/johnhem2.htm, which unfortunately cites no records for the claims made.

See also:

• https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:SRZZ-8WJ
• https://sites.rootsweb.com/~tnmcmin2/johnhem2.htm

Larry Petrisky's research on "Old John Hembree.":

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/189031382/mary-ayers
• https://images.findagrave.com/photos/2018/118/189031382_1525040936.jpg
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/189031382/mary-ayers#view-photo=169137271
• See also Shawnee Heritage vol. 3, pp 21-22, 292, ; vol. 4, pp. 46-52; vol. 5; vol. 6 pp.445-47. WARNING: this work has been determined by recognized Native American researchers to be largely fictional.