Dr. Godwin Cotten Moore & Julia Munro Wheeler

Sally’s great-great Grandparents:

Dr. Godwin Cotten Moore 1806 – 1880 | his parents
& 1832 Julia Munro Wheeler 1814 – 1888 | her parents
of Mulberry Grove, Hertford Co, North Carolina

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

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Godwin Cotten Moore and Julia Munro Wheeler were married 25 June 1832.
Godwin Cotten Moore the son of James Wright Moore and Esther Cotten was born at Mulberry Grove, Hertford Co, NC on the 7 Nov 1806.
He grew up fond of fox hunting.
He studied at the O’Brien preparatory school at Murfreesboro. (Hertford Academy then operated by Thomas O’Grady.)
He entered the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1822;
but his studies were interrupted before he completed his junior year by an illness.
Later, he studied medicine with his brother-in-law Dr. N P Fletcher, who lived in Roxobel, NC. Godwin then enrolled in the Medical College of the University of Pennsylvania receiving his M D degree in 1828 with high honors.
He returned home to Mulberry Grove to establish his practice which flourished by “his manner and bearing and large intelligence.” A goodly number of children were named in his honor.
“He was eminent in his community because of his walk in life.”
As a Mason was Master of King David’s Lodge, Roxobel, N C.
He helped found Pleasant Grove Baptist Church near his home.
A devoted Baptist he served 37 years as moderator of the Chowan Baptist Association.
He was elected in the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina to the board of managers (1842-44) vice-president (1847-54) and trustee (1849-67.) trustee Wake Forest College (1838-60)
Also, he was one of the founders of Chowan Baptist Female Institute–first chairman board of trustees (1848-67.)

Portrait of Dr. G C Moore
now in the possession of Michael Parker Moore
as restored by David Goist 2007
photo by David Goist

Although a Democrat in Whig territory he was elected to represent Hertford County in the House in 1831 and the senate in 1842 and house again 1866-68.
From 1857 to 1861 he was chairman of the old county court a position usually held by a lawyer.
Here’s a letter Dr. Moore wrote his brother in law Turner Westray about conditions at Mulberry Grove 8 Feb 1865.

Dr. Godwin Cotten Moore died 6 May 1880 at his home Mulberry Grove and is buried there in the family cemetery.

Julia Munro Wheeler, daughter of John Wheeler, merchant, of Murfreesboro and his second wife Sarah (Sallie) Ford Wood, was born 14 June 1814.
Julia was named for her father’s sister Julia who was married to Robert Munro of Washington, D.C.
Julia’s mother died when she was six months old; Julia then spent some time in Orange County, N C in the household of her aunt Mary Wood Mebane and her husband William.
Later she returned to Murfreesboro to her father’s house after he married for the third time; his bride was Sarah Clifton, Julia’s mother’s first cousin.
Uncle Jule said when looking at this portrait in our parlor, “Mother had a long neck, but I don’t think it was that long!” [This portrait is said to have been painted by Ellen Sully Wheeler, her brother John’s 2nd wife.]
Mrs. Julia Munro Wheeler Moore died 17 May 1888 at the home of her daughter Esther in Rich Square, NC, she was buried at Mulberry Grove beside her husband.

Mrs. G. C. Moore by unknown artist
portrait owned by the Calvert family
photo compliments of the Mint Museum in Charlotte

Julia and Godwin’s silverware

Mulberry Grove secretary
on display at the Wheeler House in Murfreesboro, NC

Note: “The Lady Alice Lisle’s daughter married a Cotton. However, they had no children. In the 1870’s a character named Ballis showed up in Richmond claiming he was looking for heirs to the Lisle-Cotten estate. He is supposed to have visited Dr. Moore at Mulberry Grove. According to Tom Parramore [and others before him including my father SMK], he was a confidence man. It was about this time that Uncle Will’s daughter was named “Alice Lisle” and that the longstanding practice of spelling the family name “Cotten” suddenly rolled over to “Cotton”. E-mail from James

17 Oct 1851

from his parents to John Wheeler Moore at Chapel Hill, NC

Children of Godwin Cotten Moore and Julia Munro Wheeler:
1. John Wheeler Moore 23 Oct 1833 – 1906
married 28 September 1853 Ann James Ward 1834 – 1901
2. James Wright Moore 7 Nov 1835 – 1862
married 24 April 1856 Henrietta Raby 1839 – 1861
3. Esther Cotten Moore 27 Feb 1838 – 1920
married 1860 Dr Richard Thomas Weaver March 1827 – 9 April 1902 age 75 yrs
buried 12 April 1902 Church of the Saviour, Jackson, NC
4. Julian Godwin Moore 2 Oct 1840 – 1929
married 1st 29 June 1865 Emily Bland Southall 1843 – 1878
married 2nd 29 May 1882 May Powell 1850 – 1883
married 3rd 11 Dec 1890 Julia West Smoot Jones 1841 – 1922
5. Thomas Longworth Moore 22 Feb 1845 – 1926
married 1st 27 Aug 1864 Baden-Wurtemberg Rose Standish Ludlam 1848 -ca 1870
married 2nd Covington KY 17 Aug 1872 Kate Ward (div)
6. William Edward Moore 11 Feb 1847 – 1920
married Annie Goree Tait 18 April 1854 Wilcox Co AL – 1913
7. Charles Richard Moore 8 Sept 1851 – 10 Oct 1854
8. Sallie Wood Moore 19 Apr 1855 – 1945
married 23 Oct 1877 Samuel James Calvert 1856 – 1946
9. Julia Wheeler Moore 11 Feb 1858 – 25 April 1859 scarlet fever

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Foster Children & others reared by Godwin and Julia Moore:
her siblings
1. Sarah Clifton Wheeler 21 May 1819-13 July 1861
married 1837 James Hunter Southall 1806-1862
2. Henrietta Wheeler 25 Nov 1821-11 July 1852
married 1846 John Benjamin Baldwin 1822-1894
3. Charles Wheeler 26 Aug 1823-11 Oct 1834 diphtheria
4. Claiborne Clifton Wheeler 7 Aug 1825-22 Oct 1834 diphtheria
5. Amy Miles Wheeler 4 Nov 1827-dec.
married 1853 John Benjamin Baldwin 1822-1894
6. Junius Brutus Wheeler 21 Feb 1830-15 Jul 1886
married 1855 Emily Truxton Beale 1832-1880
7. Anna Slaughter Wheeler 11 May 1832-7 Sept 1834 diphtheria

Letter addressed to Dr. G. C. Moore, St. Johns, NC
transcribed by Bea Moore mother of Tom Moore

Astonia, Oregon
July 8th, 1859

Mr. Dear Dr. . . . Politics is a disease that affects the whole country nearly alike in its symptoms, I suppose, and its results vary like other epidemics. Here the Black Republicans have nearly succeeded in electing their congressman an probably have succeeded but the issue is doubtful. The hopes of the Democrats are faint, yet they hope on. The Legislature refused to elect a Senator and free-soil-ism was at the bottom of it. I am disgusted with the subject myself and wish I could go to some place where politics was prohibited. At least to try it, for there is no doubt that like everything else we are accustomed to, we long for them when we have lost them. . . But to get out of this land of freedom, would be a source of pleasure, far greater than any other I know of for the present. It would cause me to see my friends, relations and home once more and free me from association with about as mean a set of people as are allowed to live on a free soil.
My health is at present very good and I am actually fattening a little. I hope yet to emulate my nephews in rotundity and good looks, however much I may fall short in other respects.
The Military Road under my charge is progressing and I hope in a couple of months more to use the appropriation so badly that we will have to stop to rest ourselves.
I had hoped long before this to have seen you all. So satisfied in fact that I should be East in a few months, that I allowed Em. to go home or rather I should say sent her home, to save her the disagreeable trip of 800 miles sea-travel up here and as I thought 800 more is so short a time back to San Francisco on our way back. However she is comfortable and well cared for and I am doing finely. So we will be merry and hope on.
Give my love to Sister Julia, and all the children, and may I soon have the pleasure of taking you by the hands and once more under the roof of the home of my childhood, is the sincere wish of
Affectionately yours
Junius

children of her niece, Sarah Clifton Wheeler 21 May 1819-13 July 1861
& James Hunter Southall 1806 – 12 Dec. 1862
Married at Mulberry Grove June 1837, their home was in Columbus, MS;
Dr. Godwin Cotten Moore went down to Mississippi on the train and brought back Julia, Blanie, Annie, Josie and Branchie (a boy) to Mulberry Grove, his plantation near Murfreesboro.
Branchie died in 1866 but the girls grew up and married at Mulberry Grove.
1. Julia Munro Southall 20 March 1838 – 15 Jan 1928 Jackson, NC dsp
2. Emily Bland [Blanie] Southall 19 July 1843 – 28 Nov 1878
married 12 Oct 1865 Julian Godwin Moore 1840 – 1929
3. Annie Rebecca Southall 29 Sept 1851-
married 10 Dec 1874 Walter Joseph Biggs 29 Sept 1850 – 4 Dec 1905
4. Frances Josephine [Josi] Southall 14 Aug 1853 – 25 Jan 1893 Jackson, NC
married 5 June 1877 William Cornelius Bowen 9 Nov 1849 –
5. Joseph Branch Southall 22 Feb 1856 – Sept 1866 Mulberry Grove

their grandchildren – son Jim’s orphans
1. Godwin Cotten Moore 1 Jan 1857 Mulberry Grove – 1909 Austin TX
married 1894 Emma Ann Fallwell 1870 – 1939
a. Ola Moore 13 Dec 1897 – 1 May 1970
married 8 April 1918 Childress
2. Paul Virginius Moore 10 Dec1858 Mulberry Grove – 17/18 Sept 1926 Miami FL
on the 1880 and the 1920 census he is listed as Paul J Moore
son Tom’s son
1. Godwin Ward Moore 30 Jan 1874 – ca 1887 Mulberry Grove

son Bill’s family
1. Helen Goree Moore 2 Oct 1874 – 24 Nov 1953
married 1909 Harry Stevens (div.)
a. William Moore Stevens 1909 – 1909
b. Margaret Mary Stevens 1912 – 2002
2. Alice Lisle Moore 3 Feb 1876 – 4 Dec 1879 Diphtheria
3. Felix Tait Moore 31 Oct 1879 – 19 May 1964
married 1909 Josephine Brigham
a. William Brigham Moore
married Vivian Janet Douglass

the Weaver brothers, nephews of Dr. Richard Thomas Weaver, sons of his brother Robert A Weaver and wife Cornelia

1. Joseph Weaver of Rich Square ca 1859 – 31 Jan 1930 NH Co NC aged 70
married Helen F Sessoms 4 June 1873 – 19 Jan 1919
2. William A. Weaver 1867 – burial 17 March 1938 aged 71
Church of the Saviour, Jackson, NC dsp

Graves of Mulberry Grove