Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Adam Moses 09/02/2008

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Descendants of Adam Moses 09/02/2008

      20. John⁴ Moses (John³, Johann Adam², Johann Peter¹) was born December 10, 1782 in Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and died August 14, 1854 in West Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. He married Susanna Shoffner Unknown, daughter of Martin Shoffner and Dorothea ???. She was born Abt. January 05, 1777, and died November 30, 1868 in West Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Notes for John Moses:
1) Notes made before the parentage of John Moses was established:

The John Moses who married Susanna Shoffner is assumed to be a descendant of Johann Adam Moses, but the connection with Adam is not yet known. It is possible that this John Moses was the son of Adam's son Johannes/John Moses b. 1747, but this has not yet been proven. I have tentatively attached this John to Johannes Moses and his wife Magdalena König, but this is only tentative and may change if additional information proves that the situation is otherwise.

The dates shown for this John's birth and death dates are assumed to belong to the John who was a son of Johannes Moses and his wife Magdalena König, and are therefore not certain. They should be considered tentative at best.

While it may be possible to determine this John's parentage if his obituary is located, it may also be useful to consider the pattern of names given to children. 18th century Pennsylvania German naming traditions tend to follow a pattern where the first male child is named after the paternal grandfather. In this case, the first male child that we know of is Samuel born in 1808. Perhaps this John is the son of a Samuel Moses, rather than the son of Johannes/John Moses, but there is no way to say for sure at this time.

While the parentage of this John Moses is uncertain, his spouse and descendants are well documented in church records, court records, and the biography of his grandson John Gwyn Moses.

2) From Tamara Compton -- Chester County Historical Society Library:

Moses Family File: unidentified newspaper article about John Gwyn Moses.

Article discusses a John Moses, grandson of Adam Moses, the original German immigrant who came to America in the latter part [sic] of the 18th c. with his wife and two children; his other children were born in this country. This John, born in West Pikeland Twp., married a Susanna Shoffner. Their son Samuel, born 1808, married Sarah Ann Brown and their children were: Mary Susanna, John Gwyn [subject of article], Margaret Ann, and Eusebia Neville.

[We already had a copy of this article, which had established the John Moses who married Susanna Shoffner as a grandson of our Adam Moses, we just didn't know which son of Adam was John's father.]

3) From Tamara Compton -- Chester County Estate Records:

Will Record 12630:
John Moses, Pikeland Twp. (1854) [intestate]
Widow's release: signed 18 Dec 1854 by Susanna Moses
Bond: signed 18 Dec 1854 by Abraham Moses, Martin Moses, Peter King and Moses Moses
Inventory: filed 30 Jan 1855

4) From Tamara Compton -- from Chester County Historical Society Library:

Moses Family File: Coroner's Inquest Report, John Moses, 1854

John Moses: white male; 71y 8m 4d; son of John Moses Sr. and Mary Moses; farmer; born West Pikeland Twp. Chester Co.; wife: Susanna Moses; children: Abraham, Samuel, John, Jacob, Martin and Mary; born 1782, died 14 Aug 1854; cause of death: rupture of blood vessel; died West Pikeland Twp., Chester Co.; buried St. Peter's burial ground in West Pikeland; person returning certificate: Abraham Moses of Charlestown Twp., Chester Co.

[This is the record that establishes the parentage of this John Moses as being Adam's son Johannes/John.]

5) From copy of original Coroner's Inquest Report (see above):

" # 28
To the Register of Chester County
An account of the Decease of the following named person

Name of Deceased:            John Moses
Color:                  White
Sex:                  Male
Age:                  71 years 8 months 4 days
Name of father of Deceased:      John Moses Senr.
Name of mother of do:      Mary Moses
Occupation:            Farmer
Place of birth:            West Pikeland township Chester Co.
Name of wife of Deceased:      Susanna Moses
Name of issue      :      Abraham, Samuel, John, Jacob,
      Living      :      Martin, and Mary.
date of birth:            AD 1782
and date of death:            Aug. 14. 1854
Cause of death:            Rupture of Blood Vessel
Name of Place where died:      West Pikeland township Chester Co.
Name and Location      :      St. Peter's Burial ground in
of burial ground      :      West Pikeland township Chester Co.
Person returning Certificate:      Abraham Moses
Residence of the Same:      Charlestown township Chester Co.
date of Certificate:            (left blank)"

Notes for Susanna Shoffner:
1) Death notice:

ITEM #22891
December 8, 1868
VILLAGE RECORD

Death Notice MOSES - In West Pikeland, SUSANNA MOSES, November 30th, aged 91 years, 10 months, 25 days.

Marriage Notes for John Moses and Susanna Shoffner:
1) Entries for John Moses in Chester County, PA census (need to be checked):

1810: Pikeland Township, p. 356 (lists both John Moses Sr. and John Moses Jr. on this page)
1820: Pikeland Township, p. 185
1830: Pikeland Township, p. 152
1840: West Pikeland Township, p. 201
1850: West Pikeland Township, p. 17

2) 1850 census for Pennsylvania, Chester County, West Pikeland Township, stamped page no. 17, enumerated August 8th, 1850 (image 15 of 21 at Ancestry.com):

At Dwelling 102, Visit 104 --

John Moses, age 67, M, Occupation = None, Real estate = 5,000, born in Delaware
Susan _____, age 73, F, born in Pennsylvania (Susan is written overtop of the name Abraham, which was crossed out)
Jacob _____, age 44, M, Occupation = Black Smith, born in Pennsylvania
Martain _____, age 38, M, Occupation = Farmer, born in Pennsylvania
______ _____, age 31, M, Occupation = Carpenter, born in Pennsylvania
Mary Millworth, age 23, F, born in Germany

[Note 1: I have no concept why John is listed as having been born in Delaware; I have no record of any of the Moses family having gone there.]
[Note 2: I'm not sure why Abraham's name was first written then crossed out]
[Note 3: I have no concept at all who the mystery 31-year old male was; presumably it would have been someone with the same name as the person listed earlier -- i.e. another Martin Moses, but I do not know of another Martin Moses born as early as John & Susanna's son Martin]

3) The widow Susan is living in the home of her son Jacob during the 1860 census

Children of John Moses and Susanna Shoffner are:

Abraham⁵ Moses, born Bef. 1808; died Unknown.

Notes for Abraham Moses:
1) From the Records of St. Peter's Lutheran, Attendance Register (microfilm):

04/18/1824 - John Moses & Susana
filius Abraham (son)
filius Samuel

+	43	ii.	Samuel Moses, born February 23, 1808 in West Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania; died March 01, 1885 in Phoenixville, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
+	44	iii.	John Moses, born November 28, 1808 in Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania; died April 03, 1898 in West Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
	45	iv.	??? Moses, born Bef. 1810 in Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania; died Unknown.
	46	v.	Jacob Moses, born 1811; died June 08, 1894 in West Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Notes for Jacob Moses:
1) From Robin Luhmann:

Jacob never married and his will was contested by family members.

2) From St. Peter's Lutheran Church:

I have a picture of Jacob's headstone.

3) 1860 census for Pennsylvania, Chester County, West Pikeland Township, Post Office = Chester Springs, page no. ?? (hard to read), enumerated June 14th, 1860 (Pennsylvania, CHESTER, WEST PIKELAND, Series: M653 Roll: 1093 Page: 100 at HeritageQuest.com):

At Dwelling number 194/44, Visit 194/44 --

Jacob Moses, age 49, M, Occupation = Farmer, Real estate = 6640, Personal estate = 3068, born in Pennsylvania
Susan _____, age 82, F, born in Pennsylvania
Catherine Brininger (? surname hard to read), age 19, F, born in Germany
Henry Shoffner, age 37, M, Occupation = P Filmer Maker (?? occupation hard to read), born in Pennsylvania

[Note 1: Susan is Jacob's mother]
[Note 2: Henry is probably Susan's nephew and therefore Jacob's first cousin]

+	47	vi.		Mary Magdalena Moses, born January 06, 1813 in Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania; died March 11, 1894.
+	48	vii.		Martin Moses, born December 14, 1818 in Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania; died September 21, 1879 in West Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.

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