Richard Moon (abt. 1724 - abt. 1795)

Born about 1724 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Susannah (Brown) Moon — married 4 Feb 1745 in Shenandoah Valley, Frederick County, Virginia

Descendants

Died about Feb 1795 at about age 71 in Shoulderbone Creek, Greene County, Georgia, United States [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Joy Harrison [send private message], Kent Malcom [send private message], and Diane Andrews [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Moon Name Study.

Richard Moon is believed to have been born about 1724 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania although no documentation of date or location has yet been found. The 1721 marriage of his probable parents is documented in Bucks, Pennsylvania although some find this document suspect because it is not a Quaker marriage.

By 1747 it appears the family is in Frederick, Virginia^[1] and later in the New Garden (Guilford), North Carolina^[2] area although the year the family moved is not certain.

The year of the move to Rightsborough [sic], Georgia is documented in monthly meeting minutes as 1795.^[3] Anecdotal sources list his place of death in Hancock or Greene counties of Georgia. There is a Richard Moon in the tax rolls for Hancock County for 1794^[4] but that it is the same Richard Moon cannot be known from available information.

Children

Note: as many Quaker records in Virginia where destroyed by fire in 1759, contemporaneous birth records for the children of Richard and Susannah born prior to this date do not exist. This has led to children unlikely to be theirs being attached to them as well as the conflation and creation of children which probably did not exist. Only children listed in the will of Richard or otherwise firmly documented are included here though it is quite possible others predeceased Richard.

• Simon - 27 Oct 1747^[5]
• Richard - b abt 1748. There is currently no primary source documentation for the birth, marriage or death found on the attached profile but a Richard is named in his father's will below.
• Mary - b abt 1752. Mary's parentage is documented in her marriage record to James Thornburgh.^[5]
• Lowry - this child often seen as b 1760 and d 1819 and seen as both male and female. She is named in her father's will below.
• Ann - Ann Moon is identified as the daughter of Richard Moon in her marriage record with Isom Hunt dated 9 Jan 1781 at New Garden MM. It is believed that Ann predeceased her father in 1793 and thus does not appear in his will.^[6]
• Susannah - b abt 1760. Her parentage is documented in her 1782 marriage record to Even Lewis^[6] and she is named in her father's will (see below).
• Hannah - Hannah is named in her father's will (see below) but what is often seen is a "Sarah Hannah" (a name nowhere recorded) who appears to be a conflation of various individuals. There are multiple Sarah Moon's found in Virginia and Carolina at this point in time but research efforts should focus on Hannah, not Sarah.
• Margaret - birth date unknown but likely listed in birth order in her father's will. Frequently seen with an undocumented middle name of "Olley." Married John Pierce 1790 in Greene County, Georgia.
• Rachel - a Rachel Moon is found in Cane Creek North Carolina Meeting Minutes of 1782 and 1784 but she has so far not been documented as a child of Richard and Susannah. A Rachel is named in her father's will (see below).

Will

Note: A source citation for the will is needed. Transcribed by William Pearce 31 July 2001; amended by William Pearce 21 August 2001

Last Will and Testament Of Richard Moon Sr. Dated January 15, 1795

In the name of God Amen I, Richard Moon, of the County of Hancock and State of Georgia, planter being of sound and clioure (clear) mind and memory. I do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament, in manner and form___, that is to say, first, I will that all my debts and funeral charges be paid and discharged by my Executors hereafter named ------------------- (illegible word), and in the first place, I give and bequeath unto my son Simon, wone Shilling, 2 Pence (??), I give my son Richard, wone Shilling, 3 Pence. I give unto my oldest daughter Mary, wone Shilling, 4 Pence, I give unto my daughter Lowry, wone Shilling, 5 Pence. I give to my daughter Susey (Susannah), wone Shilling and 6 Pence. I give to my daughter Hannor (Hannah), wone Shilling and 7 Pence. I give to my daughter Margit (Margaret) wone shilling and 7 Pence. I give to my daughter Rachel, one bay horse, named Grandy (appears to be), and one speckled cow and yearling a bed and furniture, wone pot, and half dozen plates or dish and apron which I give to my beloved daughter Rachel. I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Susa (Susannah) Moon my plantation I now live on, also I give to my wife , also I give my wife one hundred and twenty acres of land in Guilford County in No. Carolina to be at her own disposial to do what she will with - likewise I give to my wife all my house furniture and working stock of all Cind (kind), and after her death, to be equally divided among all my children--- I also constitute my wife, Susannah Moon executor of my Last Will and Testament, sealed with my seal and dated this fifteenth day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety five Signed and dated, (illegible word) and delivered This my Last Will and Testament in the presence of: (Probably his “X” mark (Cannot make out witness names)Richard Moon SEAL

Research Notes

A fire in 1759 destroyed many Virginia Quaker records.

Undocumented information (source unknown) includes the following:

Other source lists place of birth as Hopewell MM, Frederick Co. Virginia

Richard Moon lived on Moons Creek about 8 miles west of the Guilford Co. Courthouse from 1762 until 1788 when they moved to Wilkes County, Georgia. Richard Moon's neighbors were Simon Moon, Jacob Hunt, Isaac Hunt, and Joel Sanders. This area was in Rowan County, North Carolina until 1770. Richard Moon was a Quaker but was disowned in 1748 by the Hopewell (Virginia) MM. Two of Richard's children were married in the New Garden MM,Guilford County, North Carolina in 1781 and 1782 but there is no marriage record there for Hannah Moon. [Note that the comment on marriage is factually incorrect as daughter Mary was married in New Garden MM in 1769.]

It should be noted that North Carolina county boundaries were changed substantially in the 18th Century into early 19th Century as well as new counties formed. North Carolina County Development.pdf provides information about the changing boundaries of North Carolina counties. "Old Orange" county was formed from the wilderness in 1760. Orange and Rowan Counties were divided into smaller counties in 1775, Surry and Rowan and Guilford were formed from Rowan, Orange contributed to Guilford, Orange, and Chatham. By 1780, Caswell and Randolph were added on the Orange side and Wilkes was added on the Rowan side. By 1800, Rockingham and Person appeared on the Orange side, and Iredell and Ashe were added to the Rowan side.

Sources

1. ↑ Swarthmore College; Swarthmore, Pennsylvania; Minutes, 1759-1776; Collection: Baltimore Yearly Meeting Minutes; Call Number: RG2/B/H671 1.2
2. ↑ Guilford College; Greensboro, North Carolina; Men's Minutes, 1783-1800; Collection: North Carolina Yearly Meeting Minutes
3. ↑ Hinshaw, William Wade, et al., compilers. Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. Vol 1:563
4. ↑ Jeffery, Alice. Georgia Tax Index, 1789-1799, Hancock County, Shorter District
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Guilford College; Greensboro, North Carolina; Minutes, 1700-1900; Collection: North Carolina Yearly Meeting Minutes
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Guilford College; Greensboro, North Carolina; Men's Minutes, 1783-1800; Collection: North Carolina Yearly Meeting Minutes

See also:

• Source : Webpage of direct Moon descendant: http://www.redbirdacres.net/moon.html (Note: site lacks documentation, not valid for genealogical research.)

Acknowledgements & Merges

• WikiTree profile Moon-565 created through the import of Rhodes 2011_2011-07-09_01_01.ged on Jul 9, 2011 by Tom Rhodes.
• This person was created through the import of Holmes.ged on 20 May 2011.