Sarah Cotten, Lawrence Moore, and Samuel Bell

Descendants of Sally’s 5-great- grandparents
Arthur Cotten & Mary Elizabeth Rutland of Mulberry Grove

Sarah Cotten ca 1747 – aft 1793 | her parents
& ca 1763 Lawrence Moore d bef 1779 | his parents
& ca 1780 2nd Samuel Bell d 1793 | his parents
of Hertford Co, NC


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


Sarah Cotten and Lawrence Moore d ca 1778:
let’s say Sally at age 16 married Lawrence Moore say 1763.
16 appears to have been the fashionable age for marriage.

1. Laurence Moore ca 1767 – 7 March 1817
died and buried Polkton, Anson Co NC
( note from Sally, Despite one of Laurence’s descendants James T. saying Laurence was Marina and James Moore’s son, I still suspect he was the son of Laurence, his brother and wife Sarah. In fact, I suspect he and Cornelius were twins.  Also, none of Laurence’s children named a daughter Marina, but many of them did have a daughter Sarah.  The children of James and Marina were double first cousins to those of Laurence and Sarah. The boys grew up in the home of James and Marina where the orphans of William E Moore joined them about 1790.)
2. Maj. Cornelius Moore ca 1764 – Dec 1823 Rich Square, Northampton Co, NC
appt 18 Dec 1811 1st Major Northampton Co Militia; resigned 10 May 1814
married 1st ? Carter died bef 1805
     dau of Isaac Carter
a. Isaac Carter Moore ca 1800 – d ca 1827\1838
married Sarah/Sally Ann Gatlin ca 1802 –
i. Elizabeth Ann Moore 24 April 1823 –
made sampler dated 1833, Hertford Co NC
now on the wall at Hope Plantation Welcome Center
Sally Ann Gatlin Moore
married 2nd Samuel Maget as his 2nd wife
ii. John Everett Maget ca 1836 – 1859
Samuel Maget had married 1st Elizabeth Gatlin [sister of Sarah Ann]
maker of the other sampler at Hope Plantation
i. Mary Jane Maget ca 1829 –

married 28 April 1845 Joseph A Tyler
Sally Ann Gatling Moore Maget
married 3rd 1851 Everett E Maget 1797 VA – will proved Nov Ct 1873 NH Co
NC

note: 4 March 1850 NH co – Everett E Maget appt. guardian of John J, Sarah J, and Henry E Maget, orphans of Maney Maget deceased. Sarah J m. Robert Baugham.
Henry E Maget died in NH co in 1859. He had married ca 1856 Mary A Lambertson.
Mary married 2nd Abner Roundtree. they ended up in Bertie co.

So Isaac C. Moore died sometime between the time he sold John White his share of Cornelia’s estate (about 1827 or so) and 1838, when Mary Trader’s estate was divided.

This information concerns the maker of a sampler at Hope plantation. The maker is supposed to be a daughter of Isaac Carter Moore. The item descended in the Tyler family The sampler was made by Elizabeth Ann Moore. The name and date for the other sampler is Elizabeth Gatling 1809.

David Gatlin wrote his will on Feb.14, 1824. It was probated on May 23, 1831 and partitioned and approved again during November court, 1831. Hertford County

Mentioned-
Wife: Mary
Sons: David, John
Daughters: Sally Moore, Elizabeth Gatlin
Sally’s husband: Isaac Moore
Executors: wife Mary and friend Silas Parker
witnesses: Edward Moore, William

At the end of the will it states that it was agreed that the will was David Gatlin’s and the following signed this agreement: John Gatlin, Samuel Maget, Mary Trader, Sally Ann Moore, and David Gatlin.

There were obviously several men named David Gatling. The one who co-owned property with Cornelius Moore had a wife Mary/Polly, to whom he left everything. She married next William Trader. Note the wording here:

David Gatling, by his last will and testament, devised his right, interest, and title in and to said lands held in common as aforesaid between Cornelius Moore and himself, to your petitioner Polly, then his wife, in trust and for the sole and separate use of his daughter Sally Moore.

David Gatling’s will is not in Northampton, so I presume he was in Hertford? And who the heck is Sally Moore? She is clearly not the daughter of Cornelius – I briefly theorized he had a fourth wife….

Division of the estate of Mary Trader, 1838
One share to Samuel Magette and wife Sally, formerly Sally Gatling
One share to David Gatling
One share to John Gatling
One share to Samuel Magette as the guardian of Mary Jane Magette

This definitely proves that Samuel Magette married Sally, daughter of David Gatling. (But was Sally previously married to Isaac C. Moore?)
And it seems to indicate Samuel Magette had previously been married to another unnamed daughter of David Gatling, and this marriage produced one child only – Mary Jane Magette.

b. Harriet Moore by 1805 – bef 1848
married 1824 James Henry Wood died bef June 1840 [as 2nd wife]
son of John Wood who died 1826 NH Co NC
Harriet Moore Wood married next ca 1842 Henry W Ivey
Henry’s remarriage in 1848 indicates Harriet had died.
i. Augustus M. Wood
married Rebecca D. Murphy

married ca 1805 2nd. Elizabeth Wood ca 1760 – ca 1814 [her 4th husband]
dau of Jonas Wood
(prev. she married 1st ca 1785 James Dickinson died 1787
a. Cullen Dickinson died bef Nov 17, 1789
married 2nd ca 1790 William Bridgers died 1796
b. Willis Bridgers died 1813
& married 3rd ca 1798 Lazerous Carter died 1803
c. Martha B. Carter ca 1798 –
d. Willie B. Carter ca 1801 – 1850

c. Mary E Moore ca 1807 – aft 1860 census
married June 1821 Abner Stitch 1792 Lawrenceville VA
rem to Henry Co, TN

NCGSJ vol VI page 132  Stith, Abner and his wife Mary E. of Henry Co, TN. 26 Dec 1846. appoint Ethelred J. Peebles of Northampton Co, NC, attorney, to convey and execute a warranty for a certain tract of land in said Northampton Co. -being the land which the said Mary inherited from her sister, Cornelia E. Moore, dec’d.

musing by James E Moore Abner Stith and his two older brothers Henry and Andrew are all in Henry County, TN in time for the 1830 census. I assume Mary was there with him as their oldest child Cornelia was supposedly born in TN circa 1831. I found that when Henry died that his two daughters were in VA. Andrew died in 1831. His family then moved on to Marshall County, TN. In the 1850 census, Abner and Mary and daughters are still in Henry County. He appears to have died before 1860. At that point, Mary and daughters are in Lauderdale County, which is extreme West TN, which would have been big cotton country.

The key to finding all of this was an instrument recorded in Northampton County wherein Abner and Mary authorize Ethelred Peebles to convey a tract of land “said Mary inherited from her sister Cornelia E. Moore”. This is dated 26 December 1846. Cornelia died in 1827 at the age of eight so she was not of age to make a will leaving anything to Mary. I assume Mary inherited an equal portion of Cornelia’s share of Major Cornelius Moore’s estate along with Harriet Wood and Dr. Cornelius Moore. You said Harriet was definitely dead by 1848 when Mr. Ivey married again. Could this transaction be the result of Harriet’s dying sometime in 1846? Executors for Harriet and James Wood, Sr. would have needed to tie up loose ends. Also, Abner and Mary had been gone since sometime prior to 1830 and had no plans of ever coming back to North Carolina.

married ca 1815 3rd Elizabeth Cotten ca 1780 – aft 1829
dau of Godwin
( prev. she had married John Scrymoure Johnston 1773 – 1807)
d. Dr. Cornelius Godwin Cotten Moore 8 Jan 1819 – 15 June 1888 Jackson, NC
married 1 Dec 1841 Phila. Ellen Matilda Britton 25 Jan 1817-4 Feb 1893
e. Cornelia E. Moore 1819 – ca 6 Oct 1827

southall2 southall1
Dr. Cornelius Godwin Cotten Moore and wife Ellen Britton

M_J_Dr_office
Dr. C. G. C. Moore’s medical office
when he lived in Rich Square.

It has been moved to Jackson, NC

Musing from David Gammon
When Cornelius Moore died in 1823, he left five children, albeit by three different wives:

Isaac Carter Moore
Harriett Moore (later Wood in 1824, even later Ivey)
Mary Moore Stith
Cornelia Moore
Cornelius Moore

Cornelius Moore died intestate, so his children inherited all his property equally, whether or not they were of age. However, any of them who were underage at the time of his death were not allowed, legally, to dispose of any real estate until they came of age. (This is why you will sometimes see wills made by underage people, and they were legal as long as they only conveyed personal property and not real property. This didn’t stop them from trying… you will sometimes see references to someone who died “testate as to personal property and intestate as to real property.”)

So any child of Cornelius Moore who wanted to keep his inheritance had it easy – he just kept it. Any of them who wanted to sell it would have to wait until they were of age. Isaac C. Moore sold his share to John White pretty fast. Then Cornelia Moore died in 1827, before she could come of age, so she still had all her inheritance from her father. Since she also died without a will, her estate was divided among her four remaining siblings.

In the end, each of the Moore children, regardless of the mother, would have ended up with one-fourth, since Cornelia had died without issue.

And we can be sure there were no other surviving Moore children, because if there were, they would also have been heirs to Cornelius and Cornelia.

I kept looking. Cornelius Moore was living in June 1823, when he was appointed an administrator for the estate of his wife Elizabeth Moore. However, he was dead by December 1823, when his heirs petitioned the court for a division of his estate.

Just some tidbits, and they may mean absolutely nothing.

Cornelius Moore and David Gatling owned a tract of land jointly. They both died within a few years of each other, and the Moore heirs split half, and William Trader and wife Polly took the Gatling half.

Cornelius Moore and Peterson Brown had also co-owned a tract of land, with Brown owning one-fourth.


Sarah Cotten and Samuel Bell had:

Samuel Bell is on the list of The Third Division of the Militia Draughted in the Regiment of Hertford County (1778-1780) 1790 Census NH co 2 1 2 0 5
Samuel Bell had died by Dec Ct 1793
Sept Ct 1801 Div. of Samuel Bell’s estate among the children of the dec’d

1. Samuel Bell Jr ca 1780 – 27 Dec 1812 ts
1810 Census Hertford Co 0 1 1 0 –  0 1 2 0 0
married Martha M Ramsey 16 Jan 1788 – 20 Oct 1826 ts
daughter of Henry Ramsey d 1827 Murfreesboro NC

a. Henry W Bell ca 1803 – [heir of Henry Ramsey’s will]

Martha M Ramsey Bell married 2nd Augustus Moore 1784 — 1843 MS ts
Hertford Co Census 1820 Augustus Moore  1[16/18] 1 [16/25] 1 f. 2 1 1 
he was born near Murfre’s Landing in Hertford County and died in Mississippi in 1843 where he was buried

Some years thereafter his body was exhumed to bring to the burying-ground near Murfreesboro. Winborne

a. Elizabeth R Moore 24 Dec 1818 NC – 15 Jan 1850 LA ts
married Dr. Euclid Borland 27 Oct 1809 Suffolk VA – 28 Apr 1881 Norfolk VA ts
son of Dr Thomas Wood Borland and Harriot Godwin

2. Silvia Bell ca 1784 – aft 1820
married ca 1800 Kinchen Hays died 1805 NH Co, NC
guardianship of Jesse and Cornelius was given to a Darius Parker
a. Cornelius Hays ca 1803 – 1825 NH Co, NC dsp
named his sister Dorthea Sauls dau of Henry Sauls in his will 1825 NH Co NC

Kinchen Hays had 1st married a daughter
of Samuel Parker and wife Mary of NH Co
a. Jesse Hays [1803] 1799 Northampton Co NC – 1857/60 Lauderdale Co AL
called grandson by Mary Parker widow of Samuel Parker in LAU CO AL.
great great great grandfather of Kirk Hays
also info from Jean Turbeville Millsaps
married 29 Feb 1836 Sarah Ann Wilcoxon

Silvia married in NH Co NC 2nd Henry Sauls
on 1820 census NH Co NC
b. Dorthea Sauls
c. Frances Sauls
d. Jesse Sauls

3. Elizabeth (Betsy) Bell ca 1787 – nfi

4. baby died at birth? 1793
[mid-wife fee owed Sarah Boon by Sam Bell’s estate]

This is the will of a brother of Samuel Bell

Will Bk 2 Northampton Co NC [abstract by Margaret M Hofmann]
Will of William Bell 22 Jan 1801 – Prob. March Ct 1801
My extrs to make a division of the co-partnership with which I am connected
with my bro. James Bell,. decd. .
Jerimah Howell to make 2 trips down the river with 2 boats to discharge the debts that may be due from my bro. James and myself
Excs to sell the new boat and a portion of the money to go to said Jerimiah..
the facings and mouldings of my new house underpinned with brick  glass put in the windows after the present year house to be leased for 6 yrs. and half the said land to be tended every yr. in small grain, at expiration of said I give the houses, orchards, gardens to my niece Polly Bell.

All the balance of my land to go to 3 daus. of my bro. James Bell, decd. Viz Polly, Sally and Fanny Bell.

when said division take place said Sarah and her son Dempsey put in the same lot or parcel and Sarah and her son be kept where she is until my nephew Samuel Bell arrives at age 18 yrs., to Sylvia Hays, and Betsy Bell, daughters of my bro. Samuel Bell, decd. one negro, and the balance of the negroes belonging to myself and my bro. James Bell, decd..
Nephew Lamuel (maybe Samuel) 1 bed,
sis.in.law Betsy Bell household furniture.
Batt Chavers(????) to live and remain in possession of the place where he now lives for 6 yrs. with the liberty of clearing 20 thousand corn-hills.
Exc. my friend Isaac Lane
Witnesses Benjamin Howell, Fred Jones, James Harris.


Harriet Moore bef 1805 – bef 1848 | her parents
& 1824 James Henry Wood d. 1840 | his parents
& ca 1817 unknown wife d. bef 1824
& 1842
Henry W Ivey
| his parents
of Margarettsville, Northampton co NC


Harriet Moore by 1805 — bef 1848
married 1824 James Henry Wood died bef June 1840 [as 2nd wife]
son of John Wood who died 1826 NH Co NC
i. Sarah/Sally A.C. Wood ca 1825 –
ii. Delia Wood
iii. Augustus Moore Wood ca 1837- 1862
married Rebecca D Murfee/Murphy ca 1837 – 21 March 1923 Kirby, NH Co NC
1. Lillian H. Wood 1859 –
2. Leon Buregard Wood 6 Sept 1861 – 8 Oct 1924 SH Co VA
   married Leonora Isora Sebrell
  a. Leon Augustus Wood 29 June 1900 – 30 Dec 1958
   married Norma Ida Harris
3. Adelia Augusta Wood 1862 – 1950 died single person
Rebecca D. Murphy Wood ca 1837 – 1923
 married 2nd on 9 April 1868 Edward B Williams

iv. Spier Whitaker Wood ca 1839 – 1898 NH Co NC
married Adna Francis Bailey
widow of Richard Henry Gary

1. Willis W. Wood ca 1862 – nfi
2. Edward A Wood 19 Apr 1865 – 8 Jan 1913 dsp
3. Sallie Wood 22 Jan 1867 – 11 Apr 1949
married NH Co 20 Feb 1889 Richard Madison Edwards
4. Francis Bailey Wood 6 Dec 1870 – 21 Oct 1939
married NH Co 25 Dec 1894 Leroy Linwood Maddrey
5. Mordecai Ransom Wood 27 Oct 1873 of Miami FL d aft Jan 1949
6. Esther Cotton Wood 6 Nov 1875 – 13 Jan 1949 Boykin VA
buried in the family plot in Severn NC cemetery
married Earnest DeLoatche d 1942
7. Viola Vishtah Wood 2 Feb 1879 – 31 Dec 1964 Va Beach VA
married 1st NH Co 29 Dec 1897 Mark R Edwards
married 2nd Henry Reichling of Lynnhaven
8. Mat R. Wood ca 1880 – seems dy
9. Adna Spear/Francis Wood 25 June 1884 – 20 July 1970
married Richard Everett Barrett of Boykins
a. Richard E Barrett of Boykins VA [letter 1937]

Adna Francis Bailey married 1st Richard Henry Gary
1. Dr. Roderick Henry Gary of Garysburg and Murfreesboro
married dau of Dr. John Turner Eldridge

James Henry Wood had by 1st wife
I. Eliza Wood 1818 –
married by 1835 William S Brown Bertie Co NC
ii. William A Wood – prob went to TN as father left him land in TN
iii. James H Wood M.D. ca 1820 aft 1900
married 3 March 1845 Mary Thomas Deberry
Harriet Moore Wood married next ca 1842 Henry W Ivey
Henry’s remarriage in 1848 indicates Harriet had died.

A Female School will be opened at my house in Northampton county, twelve miles west of Murfreesboro, N. C. the 2d Monday in January next, under the control of Miss Louisa Mooar, a Lady from the North, who comes well recommended, having been educated for the purpose of teaching. She will teach all the English branches usually taught in Academies, together with French, if required.


Terms of Tuition.
Reading and Spelling, $8.00 per session of 5 months. Other branches $10.00.
Board can be had in my family at thirty dollars per Session of five months. Strict attention will be paid to the comfort of the Boarders.
Northampton Co. N. C. Oct. 25, 1837. Jas. H. Wood.
– The Raleigh Star, November 8, 1837. (Source: North Carolina Schools and Academies 1790-1840, by Charles L. Coon, 1915)


WOOD’S FEMALE ACADEMY, 1839.
Having procured, at great pains and expense, a Lady from the well known and highly approved Seminary of Mrs. Willard, at Troy, N. Y., I beg leave to inform the public that a Female School will be opened at my House, situate in Northampton county, N. C, 12 miles west of Murfreesboro, commencing on the 2nd Monday of January next. In regard to the qualifications of the Instructress, I deem it necessary only to employ the identical language used by Mrs. “Willard herself in recommending her to my favorable consideration. “She is a Lady of most exemplary character, and amiable disposition, qualified to instruct in all the English branches, French, Musick, Drawing and Painting.
Terms Per Session of Five Months.
Board and Tuition in all the English Branches……. $40.00
The same with the addition of French………….. 45.00
Music (a separate charge)…………………… 15.00
Drawing and Painting (Do)………………….. 3.00
The Pupils will be charged from the time of entering the school to the termination of the Session, and no deduction will be made for absence unless in case of sickness, and not in that event, unless each case of sickness shall exceed two weeks in duration.
As the number of Students is limited, Parents and Guardians who design to patronize the School, would do well to make immediate application, if by letter, to my address at Margarettsville, Northampton county, N. C.
Jas. H. Wood.
Northampton County, Dec. 6, 1838.
– Raleigh Star, December 26, 1838. (Source: North Carolina Schools and Academies 1790-1840, by Charles L. Coon, 1915)