Person talk:Benjamin Moore (56)


land records in Albemarle County prior to this date [29 January 2012]

The estate of Benjamin mentioned "A Plot of land of two hundred and ninety acres in the County of Albemarle lying on both sides of Moores Creek"

I have not been able to find its purchase, though finding it would be dependent on the index being done accurately, as without a date and given the difficulty of reading the deeds, it would take years to track it down if not correctly indexed. All the deeds in Albemarle involving Benjamin Moore that I found before 1800, and after that all I find involves his estate:

  • 1773 From Wm Pearce Personal P, B of S, 5:463 mare and colt sold to Benjamin Moore of Amherst County
  • 1773 From Phillip Dold 20, B of S, 6:84 20 acres parish Saint Ann in Albemarle to Benjamin Moore of Amherst
  • 1773 From John Crawford, -, Release, 6:166 claims to estate of Obediah Moore had by right of wife Elizabeth sister of Obediah to Benjamin Moore of Amherst
  • 1773 From John Crawford, 120, B of S, 6:178 John Crawford and Elizabeth his Wife of Land of Obediah Moore to Benjamin Moore of Amherst Parish and County
  • 1779 To John Old 170, B of S, 7:371

All these belong to a demonstrably different Benjamin Moore, s/o William and Hannah Moore, and brother of Obediah. The first deed I have found that is clearly belonging to this family is Isaac Moore in Augusta County in 1805. I don't find Benjamin Moore listed in the census until 1810 though as you point out [multiple] children have marriages from 1788 and on.

You will find the "citation needed" for John J Moore's death certificate on his page. --Jrich 21:03, 28 January 2012 (EST)


I have not reviewed the location of the road construction that references Benjamin Moore for 1791 to confirm that it is the Benjamin Moore from New Jersey. However, the other people involved with this work (esp. Thacker and Wheeler) do seem to be allied families and so I presume it to be Benjamin Moore of New Jersey.

The likely difficulty with locating the original deed is understandable. Bracketing the arrival date of the family should reduce this mining effort. Research in New Jersey may help. There is an article about an Isaac Moore family in The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ: Jan 1966. Vol. 41, Iss. 1 that I have not read that may refer to previous research on this family.

The complexity of several Benjamin and Isaacs both related and unrelated (which happens with many family names - my father studied for years the various Charles Dodsons in the Northern Neck of Virginia) requires that any determination must be just that much more rigorous.--Jejones 14:33, 29 January 2012 (EST)


Land records Essex County/Pendleton County [26 April 2012]

There are two deeds in Essex county for Benjamin T Moore

  • 30 Oct 1797 Benjamin T Moore sells to Joseph Case 42/100 acre in the "Town of New Ark".
  • 19 Jan 1801 Benjamin T Moore sells to Obediah Conger 52/100 acre in township of Newark.

These sound like two parts of one parcel, both border on Broad Street and second one borders on Joseph Case. Benjamin T Moore is described as "of the city of New York in the County of New York and State of New York" and there is no reason to think him connected to this page. Just a reminder how careful one must be when working with such a common name.


  • 16 Apr 1795 "Benjamin Moor of the County of Essex and State of New Jersey" gave power of attorney to "my worthy friend Major Henry Fliesher of the County of Pendleton and State of Virginia" to sell a parcel purchased from Nicholas Lybert to Benjamin Smally.

This is interesting because Pendleton County was formed from Augusta County (and others) in 1788 and provides the first evidence that I can find that the Benjamin Moore of Essex had a connection to Virginia. The same power of attorney is also recorded in Pendleton County along with the following deeds.

  • 6 May 1792 Nicholas Libert of the County of Pendleton sells to Benjamin Moore "of the County aforesaid" [Pendleton].
  • 6 Jul 1795 "Benjamin Moor of the County of Essex" by his attorney Henry Fleisher sells the above parcel to Benjamin Smalley of the County of Pendleton [same acreage and parcel as above].

  • 5 Jul 1790 Nicholas Lybert of the County of Pendleton to "Joseph Moore of the County aforesaid" [Pendleton] a tract of land.
  • 27 Aug 1793 "Joseph Moore of the County of Pendleton" to John Beverage of the County aforesaid [same acreage and parcel as above].

The detailed descriptions of the parcels makes it clear Joseph and Benjamin bought adjacent parcels. John More's will of 1805 mentions a son Joseph before Benjamin, sons #2 and #3. This makes it likely that the Benjamin Moore above is the right one. --Jrich 09:37, 26 April 2012 (EDT)

Oops, two other items.
  • the deed where Joseph sell his lot is signed by his wife "Math" Moore. It is so written twice.
  • The History of Pendleton County by Morton, p. 324, says Moses Moore m. 1793 Mary Roberts. Is this Benjamin's son Moses?
  • Nicholas Leybert/Libert/Lybert appears to be Nicholas Seybert (the colonial S looks like a modern "L"). I hope to be able to verify this, but it's not critical.
--Jrich 10:19, 26 April 2012 (EDT)

Update on Moore-Lines Research in New Jersey [6 June 2012]

The marriage between Elizabeth Moore and Anthony Lines seems to have been speculation by Charles Moore. Anthony Lines is the only Lines that shows up in the 1830 census for Acquackanonk Township but that did not make him the only Lines in the area. Anthony Lines was one of the many children of a German immigrant Conrad Lein who settled in Bergen County. The local Reformed Dutch Church records are full of Lein, Leins, Leyn, Leyns, Line, Lines, etc. Anthony Lines died in 1841, and although I did not find his will in Passaic County, his Revolutionary War pension was claimed by his only heir, Fanny Simonson. If Anthony Lines was married to Elizabeth Moore then Benjamin M. Lines should have been listed as another heir.

Further imputing the connection to Anthony Lines is the marriage registration for Benjamin M. Lines for his second marriage. His birthplace is listed as Essex County, New Jersey, his mother as Elizabeth Moore and his father as Matthew Lines. Next I'll track down his first marriage record to see if it matches.


Acquackanonk was originally in Essex county on the border with Bergen County. This township became part of Passaic County with its formation in 1837. Other researchers indicate that searching for information in the region is difficult because wills are often registered in bordering counties both in New Jersey and New York. In looking through the Passaic County wills I found the same to be true - entries for people from New York City and New York state were interspersed with residents of Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties. [Don't count out Benjamin T. Moore just because he is from New York City]

The rural areas of theses counties retained strong Dutch ties up until 1800. The growth of urbanized centers of manufacture and trade led to what appears to be a very different social mix in the emergence of Newark and Patterson. These areas have a more English culture with different churches and names (i.e. Lines would be more likely Lyons) and a stronger New York connection.

Essex County was huge and varied.


Benjamin T. Moore

Do the Essex County deeds physically place Benjamin T. Moore in Essex County (or were these land transactions made by an appointed attorney)?

There is a Benjamin Moore listed in the West Ward of New York City in 1790 and 1800 who may or may not have been this Benjamin T. Moore. His listing in 1790 doesn't cross him off the list for his connection to Virginia (Series M637, Roll 6, page 18: 1 male < 16, 2 males > 16, and 5 females) but his entry in 1800 still places him in New York City (Series M32 Roll 23, page 48: 1 male < 10, 1 male 16-25, 1 male > 45, 1 female < 10, 2 females 10-15, 1 female 25-45, 1 female >45 plus 1 other free person). There are no other entries for Benjamin Moore in New York City although the use of the middle initial may have served to distinguish him from the more famous Rev. Benjamin Moore.

Note, Rev. Benjamin Moore, President of Columbia and connected with the Southold, Long Island Moores, appears to have been listed in the family residence in Elmhurst [New Town], Queens in 1790 and 1800.


The Pendleton County land transactions are a wonderful find. While these properties are not tied to the residence along Moore Creek, they indicate the investment in the region as early as 1792.


I don't think it is speculation about Anthony and Elizabeth. He provides several transcripts of documents naming them as husband and wife. It could be names were recorded wrong, or middle names used, etc., but it should be easy to verify the items mentioned in the book, e.g., p. 70: power of attorney signed by "Anthony Lines and Elizabeth Lines of the township of Acquackanonk" appointing "Samuel T. Roberts" to deal with any estate they may be entitled to in the state of Virginia. P. 71: "Indenture made this third day of June in the year of our Lord 1834 between Samuel T. Roberts of the township, Acquackanonk ... and Benjamin M Lines of the County of Albemarle ... that portion of land allotted to Anthony Lines in right of his wife Elizabeth Lines as one of the distributees of Benjamin Moore dec." The first document is one they would have executed themselves, and it seems unlikely to be wrong.
And noticing that at from this point forward (i.e., after the 1834 deed), only Benjamin should have any rights to the land, the court documents are confusing because several people named Lines are mentioned. For example, on p. 73, when a 1841 court document is quoted, and again p. 74, when a 1846 court document is quoted. Both of these name "Benjamin M Lines, Elizabeth, Nancy, Catharine and William Lines children and heirs of Mary Lines, dec'd". How does Mary Lines fit in? A.C. Moore lists Mary as sister of Benjamin and daughter of Anthony. Such a person would not have any rights, her parents having sold them all away, but if there was some portion of the property she still had rights to, this Mary Lines would have had to have married a man also named Lines to have both surname Lines and children named Lines. Thus, Mary Lines seems likely to be somebody's wife, and since they are mentioned as her children, not Benjamin's, I am guessing she was Benjamin M. Lines' widow. Thus, it looks like this refers to a son Benjamin (Jr.) of a first marriage of Benjamin M. Lines (Sr.), and 4 children that Sr. had by second wife Mary, both parents dying, but Benjamin first. But if the Benjamin M. Lines mentioned in the court case is the one mentioned in the 1834 deed, I can't figure out why Mary's children are named.
Two final points that may or may not lead to any useful considerations, remembering that I haven't studied the Lines family in New Jersey at all and am probably forgetting some detail. But upon consideration, it seems like both points may be true.
  • the mistake in the book is not whether Elizabeth m. Anthony Lines, but in assuming Benjamin M Lines is a son of Anthony and Elizabeth. He is not specified as such as near as I can see in the indenture. They sold the property to Samuel Roberts, and the person that bought it from Samuel Roberts just happens to be named Lines. So he may be a brother of Anthony's, or cousin, or more distant relative? Hence not involved in 1841 pension, free to have a different father, and Elizabeth Moore is a common enough name that the coincidence of a mother with this name is possible (always the possibility of errors, of course)?
  • there is a possibility of a missed generation as it sure seems that the first Benjamin M. Lines might have died, as postulated above. Thus, the guy who married Jane Ballard might have been the son of that man. Possibly, then, the grandson of Anthony and Elizabeth Lines (if Anthony b. 1758 could have grandchild b. 1801, but Elizabeth would probably have to be oldest child of Benjamin to make it work and this seems unlikely), but more probably, he was a nephew or cousin? Might Benjamin M. Lines be short for Benjamin Matthew Lines. And again, Elizabeth Moore is a common name. So, this too suggests, not a son of Anthony, and not involved in pension.


Regarding your question, no attorney is mentioned in the Essex County transactions involving Benjamin T. Moore. Both of those deeds were signed with witnesses present (as opposed to acknowledged in court as some deeds are). --Jrich 14:30, 26 April 2012 (EDT)
FYI, Passaic County has copies of Essex County deeds that pertain to Passaic County. While they are not originals, having been copied from the Essex book, since the non-Passaic deeds were skipped, a single Passaic book spans more years than a single Essex book does. So this ends up being an easier way to look at land records. As a bonus, the handwriting is better. The following three entries are all sales by Anthony Lines and his wife Elizabeth. Anthony and Elizabeth are described as of Acquackanonk, but they are selling land in Caldwell township.
  • Vol. D, p. 139 (Essex Book Y, p. 139) 4 Apr 1814 to Benjamin Dubois
  • Vol. E, p. 42 (Essex Book K2, p. 201) 20 Jul 1811 to Isaac See
  • Vol. E, p. 129 (Essex Book L2, p. 652) 31 Jul 1821, with Benjamin Dubois, to Israel Crane --Jrich 20:33, 6 June 2012 (EDT)