German Immigrants to North Carolina: Pioneer Georg “Frederick” MOSER (1722-1800) Part Three

AFTER THE REVOLUTION

As we ended the last chapter the North Carolina General Assembly at the close of the Revolutionary War had passed Confiscation Acts to confiscate the property of Loyalists. It may be in this way that Frederick MOSER reacquired his lands or gained clear title to them. We have many anomalies in the land records. First is this one where Frederick MOSER grants land back to Henry MCCULOCH “before” he has acquired it.

• Henry MCCULLOCH to Fredrick MOSER, 225 acres, proved by Robert RAINEY. RegLn 2186 Not found 2184 dated 15 Jun 1763
• Fredrick MOSER to Henry Eustice MCCULLOCH, 225 acres near Stinking Quarter Creek. RegLn 2194 proved by Nicholas GIBBS 24 May, 1763

It appears that Henry MCCULOCH grants land to Frederick MOSER after Frederick deeds the same land back to him. If we take the date on MCCLUOCH’s original list we have 225 acres, 24 May 1763 and on the document in my possession, MCCLOUCH makes taxes due as of the 25th. We do not have that the original deed as it was probably in one of the books not recovered from loyalist James MUNRO’s burial of same. Book A is missing. We can hope to piece together his lands from later deeds and documents. Sometimes we must work backwards and forwards simultaneously.

Stinking Quarter Creek takes hits name from a time long ago when many deer died of disease in the winter near the creek. When their carcasses thawed in the Spring the stench was horrible thus “Stinking” . [according to Calvin HINSHAW as told to Lee MOSER recorded on page 210 of Leeland’ MOSER’s MOSER a Family History]

MOSER CONFUSION

• Anthony MOSER, 220 acres, 8 Sep, 1762 (1st cousin to Frederick) This was likely the land his father settled
• Martin LOY, 251 acres, 17 May, 1763; apparently he built a mill on Rock Creek. (Son Nicholas MOSER’s future father in law)

In addition to Frederick MOSER the subject of these blog posts we must reiterate that there was another early MOSER settler. This was Frederick MOSER’s uncle Adam MOSER b 21 Aug 1700 d. abt July 1763 in Orange County. Adam had sons: Anthony MOSER (1735-1827) who bought land in Orange Co 8 Feb 1762 and sold it 26 Jan 1768 and removed to Rowan Co, NC then to Carter Co. TN; Adam MOSER (1743-1826) bought land 25 Apr 1767 on the Rocky River, Chatham Co, NC; Tobias MOSER (1748-1837) in 1818 moved to Indiana, died in Fountain Co, IN and Jacob MOSER (1752-1813) Anderson Co., TN. Since they used the same forenames and end up in some of the same places it is easy to confuse them. It appears however that this MOSER family did not stay long in Orange county.

Orange County Tax Lists

In 1777 the State Legislature of NC passed “An Act for levying a tax by General Assessment and other Purposes,”
which enacted that “a tax of one penny value be levied on each pound value of all the Lands, Lots, Houses, Slaves, Money, Money at Interest, Stock in Trade, Horses and Cattle in this State.” Later these were amended to define as “all Lotts and Lands with their Improvements, Slaves under the age of Sixty Years, Horses, all Cattle from one year old and upward, Money, Money at Interest and Stocks in Trade of every kind wherever the same may be, all Bonds, Notes and other obligations, which bear or include Interest.”

Note: For the purposes of this Chapter generations/ lineages begin with Frederick ¹.

1779 Orange County Tax List

Frederick ¹ MOSER and his son Jacob ² listed as MOZAR in 1779 Tax List. Interesting that his value is listed at Ł1898

In 1780 Orange County Tax List there were

• 96 properties under 100 acres 11.6%
• 223 properties 101-200 acres 27%
• 295 properties 201-400 acres 35.7%
• 212 properties over 400 acres 25.7%
• 826 properties over 1000 acres 47%

But a year later the value has gone from Ł1898 to Ł690. Jacob’s seems more reasonable going from Ł462 to Ł510. However, he may have given or sold land in those 10 years.

• Frederick¹ MOSER Ł690; inc 240 acres, 4 horses, 10 cows
• Jacob² MOSER Ł510; inc 200 acres, 3 horses, 4 cows
• Philip² MOSER Ł558; inc 250 acres, 2 horses, 1 cow

1816 Orange County Tax List

• Frederick² MOSER Jr.  paid taxes on Ł690 in property including 240 acres, 4 horses and 10 cows
• Jacob² MOSER paid taxes on Ł510 in property including 200 acres , 3 horses and 4 cows
• John² “Philip” MOSER paid taxes n Ł558, including 250 acres, 2 horses and 1 cow

Orange County Census

The 1790 Tax list is used as a substitute for the 1790 census. I have included the LOYs and ALBRIGHTs. Jacob ALBRIGHT Sr’s daughter Sophia ALBRIGHT married Henry LOY, son of the immigrant Martin ¹ LOY. Both from Berks Co, Pennsylvania. Henry ² LOY and Sophia (ALBRIGHT) LOY are the parents of Elizabeth ³ LOY who married Frederick’s son, Nicholas ² MOSER [my 4th great-grandfather].

1800 M260  MOSER         John            M-32 034  581  20110-20010-00
1800 M260  MOSER         Nicholas        M-32 034  522  21010-32010-00

1810 M260  MOSER         Fred            M-252 041  171  NdRcd

1820 M260  MOSAR         Adam            M-33 082  358  NdRcd
1820 M260  MOSAR         Fred             M-33 082  358  NdRcd
1820 M260  MOSAR         John            M-33 082  358  NdRcd
1820 M260  MOSAR         Mical           M-33 082  358  NdRcd

1830 M260  MOSIER        Henry?           M-19 123  292  SOUTH DISTRICT

1840 M260  MOSER         Henry           M-704 367  231  SOUTHERN DIVISI
1840 M260  MOSER         Levi           M-704 367  231  SOUTHERN DIVISI
1840 M260  MOSER         Magie           M-704 367  260  SOUTHERN DIVISI
1840 M260  MOSER         Mary            M-704 367  260  SOUTHERN DIVISI

It is clear that Frederick did well for himself owning 430 acres on the 1790 Tax List. Not bad from the 1780 Tax list where he owned 240 acres. Four of his sons owned between 100-160 acres each on the 1790 Tax List . We do not have much information on what life was like then. However it is slightly amusing that the first thing the yound county and states do, is to pass laws regarding taxes.

Where was Frederick’s Property Located?

The simple answer, we don’t know for sure. We know that the original Land grant from MCCULLOCH was for 225 acres near Stinking Quarter Creek. But then we know Frederick relocated to Sandy Creek [waterways are in green on this map] . My best guess is that he owned 225 acres of land in the area of the red dotted circle about 1763. In the 1790 tax list he has 430 acres. So the blue dotted circle encompasses his land on Sandy Creek. I suspect he retained part of the original 225 acres. In 1893 Calvin⁵ MOSER: of Frederick ^1,2,3, Anthony⁴ lived within the red dotted circle. And T.L.⁴ MOSER: of Frederick ^1,2, Martin³ lived within the blue dotted circle. So for the time being those are my educated guesses.

The following is the Deed from Frederick ¹ Sr to Frederick ² Jr MOSER dated February 21, 1800 from Orange Co. Deed Book 8 pg 343-344 for 220 acres where Frederick ¹ Sr now lives. It mentions Malisha FOGELMAN’s corner:

And we get a little more of an idea from this deed of Michael ² MOSER’s deed of land for 74 acres he bought from James PATTERSON 26 November, 1804, because it mentions this parcel adjoins the lands of Philip ² MOSER and Frederick ² MOSER. The land of the latter was that which Frederick Jr received from his father. Also mentions Joshua PIGGOT’s corner

Children of Frederick and Barbary MOSER Born in PA

• Jacob ² MOSER bc 1751; lived lived in St. Asaph’s District, Orange NC in 1762; 31 December 31, 1779 granted an 136 acres on Stinking Quarter Creek for which he received a grant on November 9, 1784. He sold this land to Henry KIMBROUGH for Ł70, 25 January, 1789. From 1794 to 1801 he paid taxes on 242 acres. He entered 240 acres on the waters of Stinking Quarter Creek on July 18, 1805 and received a grant to it on February 9, 1807; moved to Anderson Co, TN in 1805; may have moved to Clairborne, TN and thence in 1819 to Brown Co., IN
• Catherine “Caty”² MOSER bc 1753; mc 1773 Powell “Paul” KIMBRO; dc 1807 Orange Co, NC
• Abraham² MOSER bc 1754; served Rev War from Orange CO, NC; moved to Anderson CO, TN in 1808; d. 22 Oct 1836 Anderson, TN
• Johan “Michael”² MOSER b 1756; m. 1st Maria Sophia REINHARDT; m. 2nd Mary Magdalene (FOX) MORETZ; d. July 1828 Orange Co., NC; 25 August 1786 Orange Co land grant for 115 acres on Rock Creek (South of Haw River); 26 Nov 1804 granted 2 Dec 1805 30 acres on Stinking Quarter Creek
• Johan “Philip”² MOSER bc 1758; m. Catherine 1784; 1808-9 he moved to Anderson Co TN then to Floyd Co, IN; d 1840 Jefferson, KY; 4 July 1786 land 112 acres south of Haw River for Ł105, 13 April 1804 150 acres, entered 17 June 1805 Stinking Quarter Creek. To Floyd Co IN
• Georg² MOSER 1 Jan 1760 died 1760
• twin Maria Barbara “Barbary” MOSER 1 Jan 1760 West Hamburg , Berks Co; m c.1778 Samuel HUFFMAN; she d. c 1799 Burke Co, NC
• Nicholas² MOSER bpt 8 Aug 1762 Berks Co; m. 9 Mar 1797 Elizabeth LOY; moved 1804 Anderson Co, TN; moved 1808/9 to Madison Co. AL; d. 1821 Madison Co, AL; 9 Mar 1797 land near Stinking Quarter Creek; 4 Jan 1800 sold land 220 acres on Rock Creek

CHILDREN Of Fredrick and Barbary MOSER Born in NC

• “Mary” Ann² MOSER b 15 Sep 1765; m. c 1784 Frederick Conrad KECK; lived Clairborne Co, TN d. 15 Oct 1851 Union Co. TN [ She is listed as born in PA in some sources-the date would suggest birth in NC ]
• John² MOSER bc 1766; m. 1792 Sally GARRETT; died 12 Apr 1825 Alamance Co, NC; he bought land 144 acres, 15 Feb 1804 from his brother Frederick Jr. Fredrick Jr inherited the Frederick Sr Lands. John entered 464 acres on the waters of Great Alamance Creek 17 Feb 1815, for which he received a grant 3 Feb 1816.
• Elizabeth² MOSER bc 1768; m c 1790 Henry SHARP; to Anderson Co, TN in 1802 d 2 Sep 1821 Clairborne Co TN
• Frederick² MOSER Jr. b 15 April 1771; m. 1795 Mary INGOLD; m. 2nd 1799 Barbara ANTHONY; d 15 Aug 1823 Alamance Co, NC; buried at St Paul’s Lutheran, Alamance.; 2 Feb 1800 his father gave him 225 acres on Stinking Quarter Creek. [144 acres of which he sold to his brother John MOSER for Ł200 27 June 1823]
• Eve² MOSER 1773; m. Peter SHARP 31 Aug 1795; d. Aug 1829 in Alamance Co, NC
• Magdalena² MOSER b 1775; m. 1793 Barnabas BUTCHER; lived Anderson Co, TN; d. 1843 Monroe Co, IN

WILL of FREDERICK MOSER SR.

On April 17, 1796, Frederick ¹ MOSER made his will, giving his property to his wife Barbary and children. He died 21 Feb 1800 at the age of 78. His will was not proved until May of 1800. Interestingly he left the larger portion of his estate, that is his land and tenements, to his youngest sons John and Fredrick Jr. It may well be that he had already given a significant portion to his eldest sons. Jacob, Michael, Abraham, Philip and Nicholas each received 35 “silver dollars” each (worth about $850 today) and his daughters 12.5 “silver dollars” (about $300 today), staggered over a period of fourteen years, to begin 4 years after Frederick’s death. I suspect this was to keep the estate intact, although I have not seen an estate handled quite this way before.. On February 21, 1800 he gave his son Frederick his 225 acre farm and died shortly thereafter. His estate was probated in May of 1800. Copy below, then transcription. Frederick Signs this Will with his mark. This is consistent with a notation back in Pennsylvania where he signed a petition with his mark.

Of sound mind and memory advanced in years and knowing that by reason of my age I cannot live long, I Frederick MOSIER Sen^r. of Orange County in North Carolina do make this my last will and testament. I desire will and bequeath to my son[sic] John MOSIER, and Frederick MOSIER their heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns forever all my lands and tenements subject to and charged with the payment of the sums following at or before the times limited and expressed herein after, to the persons herein after to be mentioned, that is to say to each of my sons Jacob, Michael, Abraham, Philip and Nicholas, severally, thirty five silver dollars making in the whole one hundred and seventy five dollars which when paid to my sons as aforesaid shall be a discharge in full of their several legacies. To each of my daughters Caty KIMBRO, Barbary HUFMAN KEK[KECK], Lizy SHARP, Eve SHARP & Magdelane BUTCHER, severally, twelve and a half silver dollars, making altogether seventy five silver dollars in full of their legacies to my daughters. The first payment shall be made to my son Jacob in four years after my death. The second to my daughter Caty in five years. The third to my son Abraham in six years. The fourth to Barbary in seven years. The fifth to Michael in eight years. The sixth to Mary in nine years. The seventh to Philip in ten years. The eighth to Lizy in eleven years. The ninth to Nicholas in twelve years. The tenth to Eve in thirteen years. The eleventh to Magdalene in fourteen years after my death, which sum of one hundred and seventy five dollars when paid to my sons and daughters, severally to my sons thirty five dollars, to my daughters twelve and a half at or before the times and periods after my death as expressed shall be a discharge to my sons John and Frederick of any demand for legacies due in consequence of the land and tenements hereby given to them. It is my will and desire that my personal estate may be sold in the customary maner and that so much of the money as may be necessary for the discharge of my just debts shall be appropriated to that purpose, the residue shall be divided share and share alike among all my sons and daughters or their representatives, but if my wife Barbary survives me, she shall retain and keep possession of so much of my personal chattel as she may think necessary for her support and maintenance during her natural life, to be disposed of after her death and paid over to my sons and daughters as above directed. My wife Barbary shall during her natural life occupy and possess so much of my land and tenements and such as she would have been entitled to in dower if I died intestate.

I constitute and appoint my son Philip and my son in law Peter Sharp executors of this my last will and testament. Witness my hand this twenty day of April seventeen hundred ninety six.     Frederick MOSIER [mark]

Witnesses Present : Ric^d COCHRAN & ??

Orange County, NC Will Book D pg 3-4

We do not know the date of Frederick’s wife Maria “Barbary (LIESER) MOSER’s death. Sometime after 1796 and perhaps before Fredrick’s will was proved. John ² and Frederick Jr² received their father’s property at his death. The approximate dates of inheritance of the rest of his children of their “silver dollars.” Daughter Barbary predeceased her father :

Where Fredrick and Barbary MOSER’s Children Moved

In total we know of 14 children of Maria “Barbary” and Frederick MOSER. One died in infancy. 7 surviving sons and 6 daughters. To Tennessee went Jacob, Abraham, Mary, Philip, Lizy, Nicholas and Magdalene MOSER; Philip and Magdalena later went to Floyd Co, IN; and Caty, Michael, Eve, Frederick Jr and John MOSER stayed in Orange Co, (later Alamance Co), and Barbara to Burke Co NC. Even today there are MOSERs in the Alamance. The date following their name: is the year of their inheritance from Frederick’s estate.

• Jacob MOSER: 1804; bc owned land on Stinking Quarter Creek 1779; and sold land in 1789; Moved to Anderson Co, TN on 1805 Tax List
• Caty (MOSER) KIMBRO: 1805 ; Died abt 1807 Alamance NC
• Abraham MOSER: 1806; Rev. War NC Militia Dec 1779; 1782 in Alamance; bought land in Anderson Co TN 1808, on 1805 Tax List d.
• Barbary (MOSER) HUFMAN KECK: 1807; d. Burke Co, NC
• Michael MOSER:1808; bought land in 1786 on Rock Creek; Stayed in Alamance NC; d. July 1828
• Mary(MOSER) KECK: 1809; to Claiborne Co, TN
• Philip MOSER: 1810; Taxed in Orange Co, 1780; bought land in Orange Co 1786; Sold land in Orange Co 1806; 1808-9 moved to Anderson Co TN on 1808 Tax list, to Floyd Co, IN; d 1840
• Lizzy Elizabeth (MOSER) SHARP: 1811; Anderson Co TN Henry SHARP on 1802 & 1805 Tax List
• Nicholas MOSER: 1812; Sold his land in Orange Co 1803; Anderson Co TN on 1805 Tax List
• Eve (MOSER) SHARP 1813; Stayed in Alamance NC
• Magdalene (MOSER) BUTCHER 1814; Anderson Co TN then to Monroe Co, IN
• Frederick Jr MOSER: 1800; 1805 bought Land on Stinking Quarter Creek; Stayed in Alamance NC; d 15 Aug 1839
• John MOSER: 1800; 1814 464 acres Orange Co.; Stayed in Alamance NC; d. 12 Apr 1825 Orange Co

Reflecting back from Frederick MOSER’s birth in the small village of of Breitanu, Bavaria, Germany where his father was a shoemaker to his nearly thirteen weeks, passage across the Atlantic, at the age of six. His settlement at the Faulckner Swamp Church in New Hanover, Berks Co, Pennsylvania. And then his immigration from Pennsylvania down the Great Wagon Road to Orange County North Carolina about 1763 where he lived until his death 37 years later. He survived the Battle of Alamance, the Revolutionary War proper and a period of relative calm in the newly minted country.

With a raft of thirteen children spreading out from what became Alamance County across American “Barbary” and Frederick have many progeny. On AncestryDNA I have 144 matches that share Frederick and Barbary as their ancestors. In 2014 there were 21,900 MOSERs in America and 11,000 MOSIERs. Not all of whom have the same roots, but still a prolific family. At one time descendants claimed they were related and they were.

MOSERS who Stayed in Alamance Co, North Carolina

The following is my best effort at identifying the above.

• Eli⁵ MOSER Rock Creek; Frederick ^{1, 2} , Eli ³, John ⁴; b. 1850 near Graham, d. aft May 1905 Alamance Co, NC
• George⁴ W MOSER Rock Creek; Frederick ¹, John ²,Levi ³; b. 20 Jan 1844 d. 6 July 1903 Alamance Co, NC
• James Adam⁴ MOSER CURTIS Mill; Frederick ^{1, 2} , Nimrod ³; b 1852, d 7 Aug 1913 Friendship, Coble Twp. Alamance Co, NC
• J G [John Gaston]⁴ MOSER LOY’s Shop; Frederick ^1,2, William ³, b 1837 d. 1893 Location Shown as Widow MOSER on 1893 Spooner Map
• Thos L [Thaddeous Lucien]⁴ MOSER Brick Church; Frederick ^1,2, Martin³ b 15 Nov 1851, d 19 Aug 1915 Coble Twp, Alamance Co, NC
• William³ MOSER Clover Orchard is this near Snow Camp?; Frederick ^1,2; b c 1806 d. 20 Jan 1886 80 years
• William H⁴ MOSER; Frederick ¹, John ², Levi 3,

MOSERs On the 1893 Spooner Map

Again my effort at identifying those on the map.

• Calvin F.⁵ MOSER near St Paul’s Church; Frederick ^1,2,3, Anthony⁴ ; b Mar 1856 d. 3 Jul 1920 Coble Twp, Alamanace Co, NC
• James Adam ⁴ MOSER CURTIS Mills; as above.
• Billy MOSER Cane Creek Mountains; ?
• Widow MOSER LOY’S Shop on map; wife of J G [John Gaston]⁴ MOSER above
• Thos L [Thaddeous Lucien]⁴ MOSER on map near Friendship Academy; as above
• George W.⁴ MOSER near Rock Creek on map; Frederick ¹, John ², Levi ³ ; b 20 Jan 1844 d. 6 Jul 1903 Alamance Co., NC

This concludes the North Carolina Chapter of the Frederick ¹ MOSER family. In the next blog post I will take up the MOSERs who immigrated from Alamance to Anderson CO., TN with an emphasis on Nicholas.

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