MICHAEL  MOORE

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Michael Moore was born in County Antrim, Ireland, about 1740, and came to America with his father, Abraham Moore, in 1750, settling in Sussex County, New Jersey. In 1768 Michael Moore married Esther Rea, daughter of Alexander and Anna Rea at the Rea homested in Sussex County, New Jersey. In April 1790 Michael Moore with his entire family and his son, Alexander, and Alexander’s wife, leaving behind two married daughters, started for the wilds of Pennsylvania to look for a future home.  After a tedious journey, they came to Shamokin Township and settled at the old Moore homestead, where his son, Samuel, lived to the time of his death.  At that time Shamokin and Rush Townships (Northumberland County, PA) were almost unbroken wildreness.  They at once built a cabin and commenced to clear off the ground.

Michael Moore was a Revolutionary soldier in New Jersey and came to Northumberland County with the tide of immigrants after that war.  He was listed as an inhabitant to Northumberland County in the census of 1790.  In 1791, he purchased part of the Solomon Brumfield tract on both sides of Shamokin Creek and adjoining his property, and here he made his home.

In 1795 Michael Moore was one of the trustees to buy the property for the church and to errect the first church building.

Michael Moore died April 27, 1803 at the age of 64.  He was laid to rest in the plot of ground he had so lately assisted to purchase, and in the shadow of the church he had been so zealous to have created eight years before.  After his death, Esther, his wife lived with her eldest son, Alexander Moore, in Rush Township.  Esther died in 1830 at almost 90 years of age and was buried next to her husband.  Markers could not be found at either of these graves.

Source:  “Genealogies” Self published by Wayne Hetzel in 1982.