The Moore Family
Governor James Moore of South Carolina (ca. 1640-1706)
James Moore, my 7th-great-grandfather, born about 1640,is the furthest back we can go for sure in the Moore family. One of the great family mysteries is where did he come from, even what continent was he born on? He was quite a prominent man in his day in the Carolinas, yet he seems to have sprung from nowhere. He made his life and career in South Carolina, but he does not appear that he was born there. He was very closely tied to what his known as "the Goose Creek men", and those settlers who came from Barbados, it is unclear how long or even whether he lived on that Caribbean isle. But because of his extremely close association with the Barbadian group, which included his wife, Margaret Berringer, the stepdaughter of Sir John Yeamans, a colonial official in Barbados, and one of the founders of the colony of South Carolina, James must have spent time in Barbados himself.
At any rate, James Moore had a very active and colorful career. He was given a land grant and was a member of the South Carolina Council and became Governor from 1700 to 1703, until the arrival of Governor Johnson. While governor, he waged a war against Florida and against Appalachian Indians, leading the army himself. He attacked and destroyed Spanish mission towns in Florida, in what is today the area around Tallahassee. He enslaved many of the captured Indians and became very wealthy. His several land grants were at Wassamassaw and, "as early as 1680", he is cited as an owner of land at Goose Creek.
At any rate, James Moore had a very active and colorful career. He was given a land grant and was a member of the South Carolina Council and became Governor from 1700 to 1703, until the arrival of Governor Johnson. While governor, he waged a war against Florida and against Appalachian Indians, leading the army himself. He attacked and destroyed Spanish mission towns in Florida, in what is today the area around Tallahassee. He enslaved many of the captured Indians and became very wealthy. His several land grants were at Wassamassaw and, "as early as 1680", he is cited as an owner of land at Goose Creek.
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Three anecdotes about Maurice Moore - written down about 1840
These anecdotes were written down about 1840 by Elizabeth Mildred Watters Davis (1789-1845), great-granddaughter of Maurice Moore (1683-1743), and husband of Thomas Junius Davis, himself a great-great-grandnephew of Maurice Moore. These handwritten stories are in the University of North Carolina library. Since the elapsed time of when these incidents happened and when they were written down was more than a century, how much of the stories were true and how much had been embellished or changed over the years is not possible to tell. Two of the stories deal with Col. Maurice's relations with the native Americans of the area, and the third with an encounter with the pirate, Blackbeard. The third story, the one about Blackbeard, is somewhat problematic, as Blackbeard was hanged in 1718, before Wilmington was founded. Perhaps Maurice Moore did have an encounter with Blackbeard like that described but it took place in Albemarle region of North Carolina instead, or she meant "Wilmington" as shorthand for the Cape Fear area. I've transcribed the handwritten stories as close as possible to the way Elizabeth Watters Davis did.
No. 1 – Being among the first settlers of No. Carolina Col. Maurice Moore was almost constantly engaged in warfare with the Coree & Tuscorora Indians which tribes he ultimately weakened so much as to compel them to emigrate & join the “Six Nations”. On one occasion, observing an unusual bustle across the Cape Fear, at a high sand hill called the Sugar Loaf, he took his spyglass & discovered they were Indians, collected in considerable numbers for a drunken frolic. His residence was at or near Orton nearly opposite the Sugar Loaf. As soon as it was dark, he took a favorite domestic called Tony & crossing the river considerably above the Indians, stole silently to a point of observation & finding they were all asleep with their arms stashed in the centre, he directed his man to assist him in drawing the balls from their guns, & then replaced them just as they were before. He then retired a short space & with his man ? & yelled until they were all roused & flew to arms also giving their war whoop & there stood but two enemies, the feared & hated Moore & his man Tony. They all took deliberate aim at Col. Moore & fired! Supposing now he must be slain, when lo! there he stood, quite uninjured! He immediately taking advantage of their consternation, commanded them to throw down their arms, which they did & Toney & himself having tied them with cord brought for the purpose. They carried them triumphantly off as prisoners. Orton is the present seat of Doctor T.J. Hill.
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No. 2 – One evening, returning from some expedition with only his man Toney, they arrived late at a ferry (supposed to be the Holly Shelter ferry owned by Mr. Lanesent [?]) & there on the opposite side, which was high land, stood a party of six Indians. The Colonel’s horses were tired, & on either side of a narrow causeway was an immense swamp. Retreat was impossible, he had no arms, but a loaded short horsewhip, used in those days; we must brazen it out! Toney said to the Col., & boldly stepped forward to the landing; How dare! you, you, Indian dogs use a flat coming [?] for Col Moore! & seizing the foremost Indian commenced a vigorous application of his whip, at the same time calling out hand them to me Tony hand them to me, [?] trial, the poor savages leaped some into the river & some into the swamp taking advantage of the momentary discomfiture he precipitately crossed the river & left his enemies on the swamp side… By many artifices he had obtained the reputation of a charmed life, & the Indians believed he could only be killed by a silver bullet, which helped to intimidate them….
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No. 3 – About this time the waters of the Cape Fear were infested by a suspicious vessel owned & commanded by Captain Teach (nicknamed Black Beard) he was haughty, and daring, & frequently going to Wilmington, & finding himself neglected by the gentlemen, of town & country, he got it circulated that he intended to revenge himself. Upon this most thought it best to entertain him…after a while he remarked Colonel M Moore would not invite him to his house_ so he insolently sent him a card purporting that he would do himself the pleasure of dining with him on a certain day….Col Moore replied he should not receive him & forbid his coming to his house under pain of opposition. At the time appointed, Black Beard’s vessel was seen slowly sailing down the river, & anchored near the Col’s residence. And there on the beach, drawn out to receive him, stood the intrepid Colonel with all his slaves, & a small party of militia armed in the most inefficient way, with a red flag flying. Upon this, Captain Teach took a trumpet & advised him to submit quietly, as with one broadside he could blow him & his fatted ? to the moon. Fine, said the Col., for only over my dead body will you enter my house.
A boat was lowered from Teach’s vessel. It bore a white flag & a deputation, bearing an elegant Trowling piece, splendidly mounted with silver & a polite card with Captain Teach’s compliments & expressions of respect for a brave man, tho’ an enemy & requesting Col. Moore to accept the gun as a peculiar token of respect. Col. Moore had drawn on himself the displeasure of the pirate by reproving the gentlemen who entertained him. The gun is still in the possession, it is believed, in some branch of the Moore family. Colonel Maurice Moore was the father of Judge Maurice Moore & General James Moore. |