Rockingham County, N.C. - MISC - MOORE Equity Suit -------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. --------------------------------------------------------- Contributed by MS LOUISE T OVERTON _________________________________________________________ MOORE Equity Suit In 1856, William CONNOR acting as executor for the estate of Charles MOORE, deceased, brought to the Rockingham County Court of Equity the case of "William CONNOR versus Pearson MOORE and Others." Charles MOORE had died in 1825, his widow lived for many more years to a time just prior to the filing of this suit. The terms of Charles MOORE's Will was that certain property would go after his death of his widow to the "METHODISTS CONFERENCE of LOCAL PREACHERS." At that time, each Methodist church in the region was autonomous and no broad general organization existed. Neither, apparently did the one which Charles had specified to benefit from his estate. Since his brothers named as his heirs, had many descendants by the time of the widow Tabitha's death, the entire matter was placed in the hands of the court for equitable distribution of the property. The suit came before the court on several different occasions, beginning in 1856 and continuing into 1857. The first hearing resulted in an order to William CONNOR as executor to have the land left by Charles surveyed and sold. It also recorded testimony that Nathan MOORE, John MOORE, the heirs of Henry MOORE, James MOORE and Levin MOORE, all children of John MOORE deceased were not residents of the state. Nor were Mitchell MOORE, heir at law of Thomas MOORE, deceased: the heirs of David MOORE, or the heirs of Rebecca LOWE. Another hearing recorded that William CONNOR had died and that Pleasant HOPKINS, as his executor, would carry on in his stead. Further Pearson MOORE had also died. Not all of the heirs of Charles MOORE had been ascertained, and so the case was continued. The final hearing noted that the Methodist Conference of Local Preachers had failed to appear to make any claims, and apparently did not exist. Therefore, the entire estate would be divided among the heirs of Charles MOORE, which were his brothers and their heirs. Named were the "descendents of John MOORE, Samuel MOORE and Thomas MOORE who were brothers of the testator." Heirs named in the Equity Suit of Rev. Charles MOORE of Rockingham County, NC. 1856-57 John MOORE left the following heirs: John MOORE, Nathan MOORE, Henry MOORE, James MOORE, Isaac MOORE, Levin MOORE, Peter MOORE, Thomas MOORE, Rebecca MOORE LOWE who married David LOWE, and Nancy MOORE WHITSETT who married James WHITSETT. Rebecca LOWE had died leaving son John LOWE: Mary MOORE had married Pinckney MOORE and was dead leaving children whose names were unknown. Nancy WHITSETT was also dead, leaving these heirs: Nancy McGIBBONY, wife of John McGIBBONY; James WHITSETT, Alfred WHITSETT, and Sarah WHITSETT representing their father Nathan WHITSETT; William McMICHAEL, Rhoda MCMICHAEL, Nancy McMICHAEL, Elizabeth McMICHAEL, and Margaret McMICHAEL representing their mother Eliza McMICHAEL, late wife of Obediah McMICHAEL; Pinckney WALL, Mary WALL SHAW, wife of Levi SHAW, and Permelia/Amelia WALL CARTER, wife of Yancey CARTER representing their mother Permelia/Emily WALL deceased. Samuel MOORE had left these heirs at law: Wilson D. MOORE, David MOORE, Julia MOORE, and Rosanna MOORE representing their deceased father Samuel MOORE. William WALKER, Ellason, WALKER, Emily WALKER, and Rachel WALKER representing Samuel's deceased daughter Sally WALKER: Green REED, Hannah REED, Zalin REED, and George REED representing their deceased mother Rachel REED: James W. MOORE, Enock MOORE, Pleasant MOORE, Ada MOORE, and Rachel MOORE representing their deceased father Enock MOORE: William G. MOORE, and John K. MOORE representing their deceased father John MOORE; Williamson M. LANDRETH and McKinly LANDRETH representing their deceased mother Elizabeth LANDRETH; and Pearson MOORE deceased whose estate was in probate. Thomas MOORE left the following heirs at law: Smith MOORE, Thomas MOORE, Betsy MOORE HENRY, wife of John HENRY; Dolly MOORE HENRY, wife of Richard HENRY, and Lily MOORE REEVES, wife of Elijah REEVES. Two of the sons of John MOORE, Nathan and John (2) had sold their interests in the estate as they did not live in North Carolina. Sources for this article: Equity Minute Docket, 1822-1828, 1843-1851, 1852-1868 Reel # Cr.084.30023 Rockingham County, NC