<> 

JOHN AND KEZIAH MCASHAN  MOORE FAMILY
OF
WALTON COUNTY, GEORGIA

Compiled by Thelma Faye Cain Prince

Copyright by Thelma Faye Cain Prince 1998


An old Bible documents the name and vital statistics of the progenitors of this Moore family in Walton County,
Georgia, KEZIAH McASHAN and JOHN MOORE. Their son, ROBERT MOORE, owned the Bible during his lifetime, and it was  owned by Robert's granddaughter, AMY MOORE CHARLES, of Piedmont, South Carolina, living in 1983, age 91.  According to Social Security records she died in November 1985 in SC, zip code 29673.  It is now owned by her daughter  Jane Charles Hansley of Piedmont, SC. 

Most of the information on this family has been gleaned from letters Amy Charles wrote the compiler in the past years, a personal meeting with her, and a copy of the Bible given by her, tombstones in the old Robert Moore cemetery, Bethlehem, Georgia, and in Bethlehem Methodist Church cemetery, Civil War records, copy of a letter from Robert Moore to his wife, Ann, during the Civil War, will of Robert Moore, old family records and letters, and censuses. 

THE ROBERT MOORE FAMILY BIBLE

·ROBERT MOORE, b. 25 Apr. 1813; d. 9 Oct. 1904 

·ANN COKER MOORE, b. 28 Oct. 1815; d. 30 Aug. 1896 

·NEHEMIAH McASHAN, Grandfather on mother's side 

·WILLIAM CHAMBERS, Great-grandfather on mother's side 

·RICHARD McASHAN, Great-grandfather on mother's side 

·JAMES MOORE, Great-grandfather on father's side 

·ROBERT MOORE, grandfather on father's side 

·FATHER, JOHN MOORE, b. 3 June 1776; d. 22 May 1845 

·________ ASHCRAFT, Great-grandmother on father's side 

·BETSY ASHCRAFT, Father's mother 

·BETSY WATKINS, Great-grandmother on mother's side 

·KEZIAH CHAMBERS, Grandmother on mother's side 

·MOTHER, KEZIAH MOORE b. 17 April 1775; d. 5 July 1867 
 
 

Amy said the above was written in Robert Moore's handwriting. The compiler has not seen the Bible itself, but has given it as it was given to me. The children of Ann Coker and Robert Moore are also given in the Bible, and the marriage of Robert Moore to Ann Coker, 4 October 1836. 
JOHN4 MOORE(Robert3, James2, John1)) was born 3 June 1776, NC (according to his son Robert in 1880 census), the son of Betsy Ashcraft and Robert Moore.   John died 22 May 1845, Walton Co. Ga.; married KEZIAH McASHAN, born 17 April 1775, in Buckingham County, Virginia.    She was the daughter of Keziah Chambers and Nehemiah McAshan (McShan).  She died 5 July 1867, and both are buried at the root of the big oak tree at the front of the old Robert Moore family cemetery, Bethlehem, Georgia. 


Markers were placed at the burial sites in October 1980 by Amy Moore Charles and Dr. Robert Bird Moore of Athens, Georgia. He descended from James Jackson Moore. Amy was the daughter of Judson Lewis Moore. The marriage record of Keziah and John Moore has not been located.   For recent documented research on the McAshan and Ashcraft  families please see these URL: 

http://userpages.aug.com/charlie6/mca-001.htm and this URL: 
http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/p/r/i/William-L-Prince
Also see http://www.oursouthernancestors.com/ashcraft-001.html

Amy Charles sent the compiler a copy of the following letter which she received in 1952 from a very old cousin at that time, Lula Canning Patterson of Athens, Georgia. 

"Grandma BETSY CANNING was the daughter of Keziah McAshan and John Moore. John Moore and Keziah had the following children: POLLY, SALLY, BETSY (my grandmother), and ROBERT. There was a half-sister, NANCY. John Moore, my great-grandfather, died in 1845, and he had two brothers, THOMAS and REUBEN, and one sister, LUCY. His father, or my great-great-grandfather, was JAMES MOORE who had a sister, SARAH. It was thought that these two came over from the old country. They did not know but thought that the father of James was named John. These people had a letter dated 1795, and it was written to a John Martin from a Margaet Martin. There was no place mentioned in the letter and nothing to indicate where the sender was or what relation they had to the Moores. Also, a Hannah Jennings(?) was spoken of in the letter. She was related to the family in some way, these people said. I will now jump back and tell more about great-granny Keziah. She was married three times in all. She first married an Anderson, then Steadby, and finally, John Moore. Keziah's mother was a Miss Chambers who married in Charleston, South Carolina, to McAshan." 

Amy made the comment she always thought it was Charleston, West Virginia. Polly, Sally, and Betsy all lived or were married around Gainesville, Georgia, according to Amy, and all were older than Robert Moore. John Moore and his wife came to Georgia and were first in Elbert Co. Ga, then in Walton County by the early 1830's. Robert lived and grew up in Picken's County, South Carolina, but Amy was not sure where he was born.   More documented research on these members of the family are available at the McAshan website, above link. 

In 1979, a great-granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin Moore wrote the compiler. She is Vida Tanner Broach, Monroe, Ga. 30655, daughter of Robert Moore Tanner, whose mother was Vida Moore Tanner, daughter of Benjamin Franklin Moore. Vida Broach sent a copy of an old letter, not dated, that was given to her father some years ago by a cousin, Grace Edwards. The letter was written by Laura Moore Flanigan, Birmingham, Alabama. Laura, born 1879, was a granddaughter of Robert Moore, and the daughter of John Pendleton Moore. It is not known to whom Laura was writing. 

"Ruth, you wanted to know about our family, Grandpa had no brothers. He was born in Pendleton, South Carolina and came to Hall County, Georgia as a young man. He had a record of his family back several generations. 
They all came from Virginia. His mother was KEZIAH MCASHAW(sic) of West Virginia. His father was John Moore and his father Robert whose father was another John Moore. We are supposed to have descended from James Moore, the first Colonial Governor of South Carolina who was one of the sons of Roger Moore of Ireland, known as Rory O'Moore, the famous Irish rebel. However, there are one or two missing records that have not been cleared up entirely. The crest has a Latin inscription and is a wild cock crowing. It is red and green on a black field, the ribbon with the motto is in silver. 


The Cannings, who are Grandpa's sister Betsy's children and grandchildren have been to Ireland to find some old records. Also, Uncle Judson's daughter, Amy Charles, has been in touch with some records from Washington, D.C. She says there is no end to this family record business. Some of the family got mixed in George Washington's family, and actually some of the Canning family got some money from Washington's estate. Have an old newspaper clipping telling about it." 

Amy Charles stated in her letters that the Cannings were related to the Washingtons through Hannah Greene. The compiler cannot elaborate on this. 

ISSUE OF KEZIAH McASHAN ANDERSON STEADBY MOORE and JOHN4  MOORE 

+1   MARY "POLLY" 5 MOORE. b. 1806 in South Carolina married June 11, 1821  in Elbert County, Georgia to EVAN THOMAS  b: 1797 in North Carolina. 

+2     ELIZABETH "BETSY" MOORE. b. April 9. 1808, SC; m. (1) JOHN CANNING, Elbert Co. Ga. on Oct. 9, 1825.  She married (2) ROBERT YOUNG, a widower, from Hall co. Ga.. 

3.      SALLY MOORE  m. March 17, 1814 in Elbert County, to JOHN FORTSON.  John was born Feb. 12, 1794, Ga. and died Dec. 6, 1860.  They lived in Elbert Co. Ga. and later are believed to have moved to Aberdeen, Prairie Station, Mississipi.  They had children. 

+4     ROBERT MOORE, b. 25 Apr. 1813, S.C. ; d . 9 Oct. 1904, Walton Co., Ga.; m. ANN COKER (b. 28 Oct. 1815, Ga.; d. 30 Aug. 1896, Walton Co., Ga.), on 4 Oct. 1836.  These are the compiler's ancestors. 

  5      NANCY, daughter of Keziah by her first or second husband. Nancy's maiden name was either Anderson or Steadby.  She was a half sister to the above children. 

1.  MARY "POLLY"5 MOORE (JOHN4Robert3, James2John1)   b. 1806 in South Carolina married June 11, 1821  in Elbert County, Georgia to EVAN THOMAS  b. 1797 in North Carolina.  

Children of EVAN THOMAS and MARY 5 MOORE are: 


 
 i. JOHN R.6 THOMAS, b. December 28, 1827, Hall County, Georgia; d. February 15, 1908, Carroll County, Georgia. 
 ii. GEORGE WASHINGTON THOMAS, b. June 02, 1829, Hall County, Georgia; d. January 28, 1910. 
 iii. FRANCES JANE THOMAS, b. March 06, 1833, Hall or Walton County, Georgia; d. December 31, 1915, Cleburne County, Alabama.  
iv. J. THOMAS THOMAS, b. 1835. 
v. ROBERT THOMAS, b. 1838, Hall or Walton County, Georgia. 
vi. NANCY THOMAS, b. 1840, Walton County, Georgia. 
vii. FRANCES MARION THOMAS, b. 1843, Walton County, Georgia; d. March 1864, Richmond, Virginia in the Civil War. 
viii JULIA THOMAS, b. 1847, Walton County, Georgia. 


2.    ELIZABETH "BETSY"5  MOORE (JOHN4Robert3, James2John1)   b. April 09, 1808; d. May 21, 1893, Hall Co. Ga.; m. (1)  JOHN CANNING, October 09, 1825, Elbert County, Georgia; John  d. 1832, Elbert County, Georgia.  She m. (2) ROBERT YOUNG, July 14, 1838, Hall County, Georgia.  Robert is buried in Young Cemetery, Hall Co. Ga.  Betsy has a stone memorial there, but she is actually buried in Alta Vista Cemetery, Hall County, Ga.  She and Robert lived near Gainesville. 

John Canning, son of William Canning, was a tailor by trade.  It appears that Betsy, William and the two girls moved to Hall County in the early 1830's, where they lived thereafter. 

Children of ELIZABETH5  MOORE and (1) JOHN CANNING 

+6. i.   WILLIAM EMMETT6 CANNING, b. Elberton, Elbert Co. Ga., July 28, 1826; d. March 17, 1908.  He m. HANNAH BRASELTON, January 10, 1848, Hall County, Ga. 

      ii.   MARY LOUISA CANNING, b. probably in Elberton, Elbert Co. Ga. , June 22, 1828.  She m. JOHN KENNEDY in Hall Co., Ga. Nov. 15, 1849.  Mary Louisa d. in June 1904, and is buried in Kennedy Cemetery, Hall Co.  They had 10 children.

      iii.  SARAH ANN CANNING, b. probably Elberton, Elbert Co., Ga., May 18, 1831.  She m. REV. WILLIAM J. PIRKLE about 1853, a Baptist minister and farmer..  They lived in Forsyth Co. Ga.  She d. July 30, 1885 and she and her husband are buried in the Mt. Moriah Cemetery, Forsyth Co.  They had at least nine children.

ROBERT3 YOUNG (STEPHEN2 , ROBERT YOUNG1) was born December 12, 1760 in NC, and died April 18, 1854 in Hall Co. Ga. He married (1) CELIA STRICKLAND, d. Sept. 21 1837; both are buried in Young Family Cemetery, Hall Co. Ga..    He married (2) ELIZABETH MOORE CANNING, widow of John Canning,  July 14, 1838, Hall Co. Ga., daughter of ROBERT MOORE and ANNE COKER of Bethlehem, Walton Co. Ga.  Elizabeth was born 1813 in SC, and died in Hall Co. Ga. buried in  Alta Vista Cem;tombstone reads Elizabeth Canning;  memorial with her name in Young cemetery. The memorial plaque erroneously reads Elizabeth "Carmon" and is given that way in the transcribed marriage records which Sybil Wood McRay did in her History of Hall County, Georgia.  Robert is buried with his first wife in the Young family cemetery, Highway 23 between Gainesville and Flowery Branch, Ga. 

                   Child of ELIZABETH5 MOORE and  ROBERT3  YOUNG 

 i. NELSON T. 6YOUNG, b. 1840; m. LESBY T. WINN, April9, 1863.  Letter exists which Nelson wrote to his (half) brother William Canning during the Civil War. 
ii. ELIZABETH YOUNG, b. 1842, alive in 1850 census; not seen after that, 

Please see this URL for much more on the Young family.  The compiler also descends from Warren Young, Robert's brother. 

http://oursouthernancestors.com/young-001.html


4   ROBERT5  MOORE (JOHN4, Robert3, James2John1) was born 25 April 1813, South Carolina [Bible, 1880-1900 Walton Co. census, tombstone]; died 9 October 1904, Walton County, Georgia [Bible, will, tombstone]. He married ANN COKER, born 28 October 1815, Georgia [Bible, 1880 census], died 30 August 1896, Walton County [Bible, tombstone], on 4 October 1836 [Bible]. Both are buried in a family cemetery adjoining the grounds of the Robert Moore homeplace in Bethlehem, Barrow County, Georgia; old home is still standing today.  Barrow county was formerly part of Walton county. 

The homeplace of Robert's son, John Pendleton Moore, is also still standing near the home of his father. Go to Bethlehem, coming from Winder, turn right on Rt. 324, go to dirt road, called Arch Tanner Road; houses and cemetery on left down road. Amy Charles said Robert Moore was a Justice of the Peace in Walton County at some time. Robert's son, Benjamin Franklin Moore, was a Justice of the Peace there in 1894. 
Robert was a skilled carpenter and built various items of furniture, such as chairs for his daughter, Celia Ann Moore Sorrells, to start housekeeping with. There was an old bed in use in the home of his great-granddaughter, my aunt, Bush Ladelle Sorrells Hamilton until she died. In fact, the compiler had slept on that bed many times! He helped construct the first Bethlehem Methodist Church and was a member of that church. 
Although Robert Moore was past the age of conscription, he performed services during the Civil War. He was in charge of clothing and provisions for the 42nd Regt, Ga. Vol. Inf. 
Robert Moore was a farmer and built a cotton gin which Amy Moore Charles remembers being way back of his house, near to where his son, Robert H. Moore, lived. 

The parentage of Robert's wife, Ann Coker Moore, is unknown to this compiler. Amy remembered that Ann had a nephew, JAMES RUSSELL COKER, who lived at Winder, Georgia. The Coker genealogical folder at Georgia Archives Central Research Room, contains a notarized copy of the James Russell Coker Bible. He was born 10 December 1841, Walton County, and died 1 April 1936, Barrow County, Georgia. He married ANNA A. , born 6 February 1848, died 10 January 1937. Both are buried with other members of the family at Rosehill Cemetery, Winder, Georgia. His issue: 

·JOHN R. b. 22 Feb. 1869; 

·LEILA, b. 22 Feb. 1871; 

·CLAUDIE E., b. 10 Feb. 1875; 

·MASTIN A., b. 9 Dec. 1873; 

·KATHLEEN, b. 4 Apr. 1891; 

·CURTIS W., b. 25 Mar. 1877; 

·MATTIE E., b. 11 July 1878; 

·LUCIUS M., b. 1 Dec. 1880; 

·JAMES R., b. 4 May 1883; 

·JOSEPH E., b. 8 Dec. 1885; 

·ALVA HERBERT, b. 5 Dec. 1893 
[from Bible]. It is said Russell married 3 times; the wife named in this Bible is the only known one. 

James Russell Coker was listed in the 1850 Walton County census of WILLIAM H. COKER, age 38, and MARTHA COKER, age 33, both born Georgia. Children were: 

·JAMES R., age 8; 

·MARY R., age 14; 

·CLARA A., age 12; 

·JOHN A., age 10; 

·NANCY, age 6; 

·ELIZA M. age 4; 

·LUCY C., age 1; 
LORENZO D. age 25 was listed as a teacher, not sure of last name, and CLARA CAMP, age 75 was listed. The family is also listed in the 1860 Gwinnett County census and moved back to Walton for the 1870 and 1880 census. William H. Coker was a farmer and shoemaker.  He was born 27 January 1812, Georgia; died 23 December 1893, Georgia; married MARTHA HOLLOWAY 25 December 1834, Walton County. This is not a complete list of their children.
A daughter of William H. Coker, LUCY CAROLINE, (b. 16 July 1848) married MILTON ADAMS, and they are listed in the 1870 and 1880 Walton County censuses. 


The compiler has spoken personally with William Chester Pruitt, a great-grandson of Robert and Ann Coker Moore. He knew James Russell Coker when he was living and knew that he was related to Ann Coker. Russell lost an eye while serving in the Civil War, 42nd Regt. Ga. Vol. Inf. from Walton County. Time has not permitted a thorough search of the Coker family records. 

The children of Ann Coker and Robert Moore are taken from the Robert Moore Bible, tombstones at Moore family cemetery and Bethlehem Methodist Church, 1880 and 1900 Walton County, Tanner's District censuses, Robert's will, Walton County marriage records, family records, and Civil War records. 

ISSUE OF ANN COKER and ROBERT5  MOORE (JOHN4Robert3, James2John1) MOORE)
All Born Bethlehem, Walton County, Ga.

·7.        LUCY KEZIAH6MOORE, b. 4 Aug. 1837; d. 30 March 1919, Bethlehem, Barrow Co., Ga. [In 1914 the boundaries changed; a new county, Barrow, was created and from that date Bethlehem fell into Barrow Co.] Bur. Moore Cem., Bethlehem; never married. 

·8.        MARY ELIZABETH JANE MOORE, b. 6 Apr. 1839; d. 6 Feb. 1929, Bethlehem; bur. Moore Cem., Bethlehem; never married. 

·   9.        THOMAS REUBEN MOORE, b. 4 May 1840; d. 20 Oct. 1862, Burkittsville, Md. Mortally wounded Crampton's Cap, Md., 14 Sept. 1862; Co. F, 16th Ga. Regt. Cobb's Brigade. His body never returned to Ga., according to Amy Moore Charles; burial Washington Cemetery, Hagertown, MD.   Confederate Dead Marker to memoralize all the dead from the battle.  According to the Bible, he d. 17 Oct. 1862.  He was single. 

    10.        SARAH FRANCES MOORE, b. 11 Dec. 1841; d. 23 Oct. 1919, Bethlehem; bur. Moore Cem., Bethlehem; never married. 

·+11.        BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MOORE, b. 8 July 1843; d. 24 Feb. 1900, Bethlehem, Ga.; m. MARY FRANCES THOMPSON, 8 Nov. 1866, Walton Co.; bur. Thompson family cem. near Sorrells Spring, Walton Co. He served 42nd Regt. Ga. Vol. Inf. as regimental musician, captured Vicksburg and paroled, present at surrender Greensboro, N.C. See 1880 Walton Co. census, 250th Dist. #160. Ben was a farmer and miller; J.P. in 1894, Walton Co. 

· 12         CELIA ANN MOORE, b. 30 Sept. 1844 [Robert Moore Bible]; b. 21 Sept. 1845 [census & death certificate, which date must be wrong, according to her father's Bible, and the ages of her siblings. Her tombstone is marked 30 Sept. 1849; was put up in 1979 without this knowledge and is probably wrong]. She m. WILLIAM BENJAMIN SORRELLS, 7 Jan. 1867, Walton Co. Both bur. Bethlehem Methodist Ch. Cem. Barrow Co. Ga. She died 9 July 1925, Bethlehem, Ga.  For in depth information, see http://www.oursouthernancestors.com/tfcp-010.html

· 13.        MARTHA MAHALA MOORE, b. 18 Apr. 1846; deathdate unk; m. HENRY ELLINGTON. 

·+14.        ROBERT HUDLEY MOORE, b. 18 Mar. 1849;d. 5 July 1931; m. SELINA BRASWELL, 7 Oct. 1870, Walton co. Ga. She was b. 4 Oct. 1853; d. 18 Feb. 1909..  See 1880 Walton Co.1 250th Dist. Family #140, and 1900 Walton Co., Cutoff Dist., HH#6. 

·This page updated August 18, 2005 by Thelma Faye Cain Prince 

Please Sign My guestbook
NEXT
||  HOME ||