Captain William Edward Moore & Pensie Wright

Sally’s 4-great-Grandparents:

Capt. William Edward Moore 1736 – ca 1780 | his parents
& ca 1770 Pensie Wright ca 1755 – bef 1790 | her parents
& ca 1783 George Callis 17xx – aft 1790 | his parents
of Nansemond County, Virginia


 My working hypothesis – the way I see it as of this moment!!


William Edward Moore and Pensie Wright married ca 1770.
William Edward Moore, son of William Moore of Nansemond county VA, was born 6 May, 1736.
He was a Captain of the Virginia Continental line during the Revolution (Moore).
His father died in December, 1771 from the Parish Records of ( Suffolk) Upper Parish where he was a vestryman.
William E Moore died ca 1780 and his wife then married George Callis.
They had one child and about 1790 Pensie died.
William and James Moore then went to live with their uncle James Moore who was living near Mulberry Grove in Hertford county, NC. (J W Moore)

Children of William Edward Moore and Pensie Wright:
*1. James Wright Moore 7 Mar 1773 – 17 June 1815
married Esther Cotten 2 July 1782 – 6 Sept 1854
a. Emeline Moore c 1800 –
married NH Co NC 23 Dec 1822 Dr Nathaniel W Fletcher of Lawrenceville, VA.
married 9 Feb 1847 Rev Eugene LeVert of Virginia.
*b. Godwin Cotten Moore 7 Nov 1806 – 6 May 1880
married 25 June 1832 Julia Munro Wheeler 14 June 1814 – 17 May 1887
c. Sarah Matilda Moore ca 1812 – 30 Sept 1865
married 3 May 1836 Turner Westray (died 1868) of Nash Co, NC
Esther married next John Jones of Lawrenceville, VA
a. Charles Godfrey Jones 1828 – rem to Texas
2. William Edward Moore ca 1775 – 1818 
NH Co, NC
his will signed 11 Oct 1818
married Elizabeth Dickinson ca 1775 – 1818 
NH Co, NC
her will signed 16 April 1818
a. Edward William Moore ca 1799 –
b. James Wright Moore ca 1802 –
      married 9 Jan 1822 Margaret Laurence
c. Stephen Lawrence Moore ca 1804- 1833
d. Washington Moore ca 1810 –
      married 4 Jan 1837 Mary Mallory
Elizabeth had married prev. ca 1790 James Cotten died 1797
NH Co
a. Dickinson Cotten ca 1791 –
b. Mary Cotten ca 1795 –
married Edward Wood

Child of George Callis and Pensie Wright:
3. George Callis ca 1785 – NFI

 

Norman J Flythe in a 1986 letter to fellow researchers:
I have a deposition of Wm Edward Moore (son of W E Moore) which gives his age in 1812 and shows him younger than James Wright Moore according to birthdate of James Wright Moore as given me by James Elliott Moore (the date given below).
You note George Callis as guardian of the two Moore boys when they lost property to the British and he also had a claim.
I infer from this that George Callis was their step-father.
He later moved to Norfolk.
We have a list of his children and I think George Jr was half-brother to James Wright Moore & William Edward Moore.
I think their mother was a Wright and died before Callis went to Norfolk and this is when James Moore took the two boys into his home and he and Stephen Wright became involved with the estate of Wm Moore.
There is a will of a William Wright who died about 1800 leaving his property to his son James Wright, but if he died before 21 with no heirs to go to his nephew George Callis.
George Callis Sr died about the time Wm Wright did.
James Wright evidently died without issue as his property was sold by Stephen Wright, Executor and some others.
I think Wm Wright was brother to the mother of James Wright Moore.
He probably was brother of Stephen Wright.

In the Clerks’ Receipt book of Nansemond county VA we find these entries. MOORE, JAMES VS BARNES 1793 257
MOORE, JAMES (GEO FAULK) VS HOWELL & VS BEAL, VS EWART, VS HENDERSON, VS HILL, & VS KING 1799 649
MOORE, JAMES (NCARO) (GEO FAULK TO PAY ND) VS HOWELL & GARDNER, VS HOWELL, VS GARDNER, VS HILL ADMX., VS KING, VS AVERY, VS HENDERSON & VS BEAL, ABATE AS TO BRADLEY, & VS EWART. 1798 599
MOORE, JAMES JOHN GILES FOR, VS BARNES 1789 11,33
MOORE, JAMES (NCARO) VS HOWELL & 1797 530
MOORE, JAMES REC. ACCT. AS GDN. TO WM. MOORE’S ORPHANS 1792 184
MOORE, JAMES GDN. TO WM. MOORE’S ORPHANS REC. GDN. ACCTS., & VS. BARNES 1791 109
MOORE, JAMES & STEPHEN WRIGHT EXORS. OF WM. MOORE ORD. TO SETTLE ESTATE 1795 390
MOORE, WM. JAMES MOORE GDN. OF ORPHANS OF, REC. ACCTS., & VS BARNES 1791 109
MOORE, WM. JAMES MOORE GDN TO ORPHANS OF, REC. ACCTS. 1792 184 MOORE, WM. JAMES MOORE & STEPHEN WRIGHT EXORS OF, ORD TO SETTLE DECD ESTATE 1795 390
MOORE, WM STEPHEN WRIGHT EXOR OF, ORD TO SETTLE DECD ESTATE 1797 549

VESTRY BOOK OF THE UPPER PARISH

Bradley-Edenton District NC Loose Estate Papers (1756-1806) 391. William Moore–1772–Summons to Hertford Co to William Moore excr of William Moore the elder dec,d to answer in Edenton Dist Ct Ismay Rascow & his wife Sarah for debt.
Note on back. Lives in Nansemond Co. VA.

William E. Moore’s will read in part: [transcribed by Tom or Bea Moore]

Ensuing that is appointed for all men to die, I William E. Moore of Northampton Co. and State of North Carolina being of perfect mind and memory do constitute and appoint this my last will and testament in manner and form following viz. –
First I give and bequeath unto my three sons James W. Moore, Stephen L. Moore, and Edward William Moore all my lands – consisting of three seperate tracts on which I intend to here lay out as three seperate ones, that is to say, Dickensons place to make one, Tulleys & Futrells to make one and the Marsh plantation that I purchased of William Moore to make the third and last to which last mentioned plantation I add the sum of two thousand dollars to make it equal to the other two to be divided amongst three of my sons namely James W. Moore, Stephen L. Moore and Edward W. Moore to them and their heirs freely to be possessed and enjoyed forever. My son Washington Moore being provided for by his Mother by giving the land and plantation whereon I now live the same being Maiden Lane – sons James W. Moore, Stephen L. Moore, Edward William Moore, and Washington Moore the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars each to them and their heirs forever, freely to be possessed and enjoyed. Thirdly I leave my two lots in Murfreesborough that I purchased of William H Murfree now in closed in one to be sold to the highest bidder on a Credit of Nine Months and the money arising from such sale together with all my other property real, personal, and perishable that has not heretofore been given away after paying all my just Debts to be equally divided amongst my four above mentioned sons to them and their heirs forever.
Fourthly and lastly I constitute and appoint my trust friends Godwin Cotten, John Peelle, and Jesse R. Cross and William B Lockhart my whole and sole executors to this my last will and testament – October 11, 1818.

Elizabeth Moore’s will:

Knowing that it is appointed for all People once to die, I Elizabeth Moore of Northampton Co and State of North Carolina being of perfect mind and memory, do constitute and appoint this my last will and Testament….and touching such worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me with in this life I give devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form – that is to say, after the death of myself and my beloved husband William E. Moore, I give and bequeath unto my loving son Washington Moore and his heirs lawfully begotten of his own body, if he should live to sufficient age to have such issue, but if not to be equally divided amongst my three sons James Wright, Stephen Lawrence, and Edward William Moore to him the said Washington or them the said James, Stephen, and Edward and his or their heirs forever as the case may be, all the land and plantation whereon we now live as well that which fell to me by the last will and testament of my father James Dickinson, dec’d, and that by the death of my half brother Cullin Dickinson, dec’d, the whole containing the actual survey of six hundred and fifty-four acres to him the said Washington Moore or James Wright, Stephen Lawrence, and Edward William Moore, him or them their heirs as the case may be, to have and to hold possess and enjoy with all its appertinances after the expiration of the above mentioned time – April 16, 1818

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