Papers (1782-2001) including grants, deeds, promissory notes, plats, records of enslaved persons, estate inventory, receipts, newspaper clippings, correspondence, photographs and genealogical research relating to various members of the William Moore family.
William Moore (circa 1754-July 19, 1828) was living in Pitt County by 1797 when he was granted 200 acres on Grindall Creek. He married Annis Llewellyn (d. October 12, 1837), daughter of John Llewellyn of Martin County, before 1790. William and Annis had ten children named Rickey, John, Mary, Whitmill (April 5, 1798-circa 1832), Marina, Susannah, Lucinda and Alfred (November 29, 1809-circa 1838), William and Annis. Rickey Moore (December 11, 1790-circa 1834) married Mary Grimes on March 5, 1829. Mary Moore (b. June 7, 1796) married Henry Forrest around 1814. Marina Moore (October 19, 1800- July 20, 1858) married Allen Hardee around 1821. Susannah Moore (b. December 15, 1803) married Alexander Brinkley around 1823. Lucinda Moore (December 18, 1806-November 5, 1874) married Joseph W. Godley around 1833. William Moore (November 11, 1811-July 17, 1886) married Arcena Powell on January 6, 1833. Annis Moore (December 23, 1813-October 25, 1834) married James Nelson on December 17, 1832. John Moore (March 29, 1794-March 4, 1859) married Penelope Hardee on December 2, 1819. Prior to the Civil War, John and his cousin, Marcellus Moore, owned a store in Greenville, NC called the J. & M. Moore Store. John later owned a store on 5th and Cotanche Streets. John and Penelope had 16 children, one of whom was named Martha. Martha married Edwin Brooks, the great-grandson of James Brooks.
James Brooks' (1720-1806) son William Brooks (ca.1751-1816) married Sarah Hardee. They both lived in Pitt County, NC. William and Sarah had sons named Southey, Francis, and twins Wilkes and Joseph. Southey Brooks (ca. 1779-pre-1860) married Livinia Moye. He moved to Shelby County, TN and later to Arkansas. Francis Brooks (1786-1874) married Elizabeth Hardee. He later married Mary Mills. (See related Francis Brooks Papers #370.1-370.2.) Francis and Elizabeth had a son named Edwin (1820-1863) who married Martha Moore, daughter of John and Penelope Hardee Moore. Edwin and Martha's son, John Wilkes Brooks (1856-1921) married Susan Elizabeth Fields in 1884. They had six sons and four daughters. One of their sons, Francis Edwin (b. 1885) married Bessie Wootton in 1911. They had children named Francis Edwin Brooks, Glenn Wootton Brooks (donor of papers), William Gray Brooks, Paul Brooks, Blanche Brooks and Rachel Brooks (donor of papers).
Regarding Willam and Sarah's twins (b.1785), Wilkes moved to Memphis, TN and died in 1849. Joseph married Jemima Cannon and moved to Shelby County, TN. He died in 1835. Joseph and Jemima had sons named William, Belvidere, and Joseph Wilkes Brooks. Belvidere Brooks (1825-1862) moved from Pitt County, NC to Shelby County, TN and then to Wheelock, TX. Joseph Wilkes Brooks (1829-1916) married Josephine Smith (1835-1885). Born in Pitt County, NC, he moved to Shelby, TN, and then to Waco, TX. William Brooks (1818-1868) married Matilda Hughes. He moved from Pitt County, NC to Shelby County, TN and then to Jefferson, TX. William and Matilda had three children named Martha, Robert J. and William.
The papers consist of materials relating to the William Moore Family of Greene and Pitt Counties in North Carolina, as well as other families that are related to the Moores by marriage. Included in this collection are financial and legal documents (1782-1902, undated) associated with the Moore Family. These include bills of sale, receipts, land plats, promissory notes, indentures, deeds, surveys, and estate inventories. Of interest are Smith family deeds (1818) that exemplify the sale of land by a guardian of infant heirs, sale of multiple tracts, and sale of dower lands in the estate of a deceased husband. Also included is a record of a sale by a minor (1824). Much of the remainder is concerned with the estate of the enslaver William Moore (1830-1835) including an inventory, which lists the names of twenty-six enslaved persons. A marriage license (1832) for James Nelson and Annice Moore also has genealogical notes on the Llewellyn family on the back. Records of sale for enslaved persons (1797-1818), promissory notes and notes receivable (1818-1823), and legal papers concerning amounts of money owed William Moore and his estate are also included.
The papers also include financial documents relating to the J. & M. Moore Store (1859-1890). These receipts, transactions, and correspondence show the names of many Greenville citizens, as well as what people ordered, how much it cost, and where merchants purchased their merchandise.
The bulk of the papers consist of genealogical research material relating to the William Moore family and the James Brooks family. These materials include notes and correspondence between the donor and her contacts, newspaper clippings, photocopies of research documents and published material, photographic prints, and photocopies of photographic prints. In the folder of genealogical materials relating to William and Annis Lewellyn Moore (#596.1.a) is a handwritten document (undated) entitled "A few lines to the drunkard hopeing (sic) he will see his Error and turn from his bad habbit (sic) and be wise. Simptoms (sic) etc. of drunkard". Also included in the Moore family genealogical materials is a bound, typescript copy (2003) of "Some Moore Kin: Descendants of William and Annis Llewellyn Moore of Pitt and Greene Counties North Carolina," composed and compiled by Rachel Brooks Hord, the donor of the collection. The document contains Mrs. Hord's interpretations of the genealogical research material that she compiled about the Moore family.
The genealogical research material related to the Brooks family contains several items written by, to, or about the individual whose folder they are placed in. In the Francis Brooks Family folder (#596.3.e) are two letters (June 30, 1907, July 28, 1907) written by Francis ("Frank") Brooks. Included in the Ediwn Brooks family folder (#596.3.f) is a bill of sale transferring John, Vinney, Nancy, Nancy, Joesph, and Mahly, from their previous enslaver Francis Brooks to their new enslaver Edwin Brooks for $4,000 (1859). In this same folder are three letters (1896, undated) written by Edwin's daughter, Melissa, to Elder P. D. Gold, one of which is an obituary for her mother, Martha Moore Brooks. The John Wilkes Brooks Family folder (#596.3.g) contains three Pitt County deeds (1885, 1891, 1963), a letter (1886) from M. Fields to his sister, Elizabeth Fields Brooks (wife of John Wilkes Brooks), a County of Pitt-North Carolina Taxpayer's Notice for 1934 Taxes, a copy (1977) of "Zion's Landmark: Published Monthly by Primitive or Old School Baptist," and several other letters written to Mr. or Mrs. John Wilkes Brooks or family members.
Also included in the genealogical research materials of this collection are the Culpepper, Lewellyn, Mooring, Mayo, Grimes, Hardee and Moye families.
The oversized material in this collection consists of deeds and indentures acquired by the Moore family (1784-1879). There is also a Confederate States of America $100 bond (1863).
Gift of Mrs. Rachel Hord
Gift of Mr. Glenn Brooks
Processed by C. Crews, March 1991 Amanda Keeny November 2010
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Descriptions updated by Ashlyn Racine, May 2023
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.