Biography:
The minutes of the Bucks (County, PA) Quarterly Meeting of the Society of Friends (among others) record that Simon Moon was born to James and Mary (Wilsford) Moon on the 11th day of the 4th month of 1700. At that time (and until 1752) June was regarded as the fourth month. His family belonged to the Falls Monthly Meeting, so Simon was presumably born in Fallsington.
On September 27, 1721, Simon was married to Lauretha “Lowry” Humphrey at Christ Church, Philadelphia. It was quite unusual for Quakers to be married anywhere besides a Friends meetinghouse, but evidently their home meeting allowed them to do so.
The young couple might have initially lived with Simon’s parents, James and Joan (Burgess) Moon, in their house in Fallsington, but their house burned down in 1722. So Simon and Lowry Moon settled in Chester County, where they were blessed with eight children, the last one, Mary, being born around 1736.
In 1734, Quakers were granted permission to settle on land in the Shenandoah Valley of northwestern Virginia, in what is now the border of Frederick and Berkeley Counties. The received fairly large tracts, but it was a task to clear any of it for cultivation. The arrangement was that if they settled on the land and developed 6% of it for cultivation within three years, then they would be given ownership of the land. A group of Quakers moved there from Chester County, following an Indian trail that became the Great Wagon Road. Others came from Maryland. There they established themselves as the Hopewell community, establishing a meeting for worship in 1733, and established the Hopewell Monthly Meeting of Friends in 1734. This location provided new farming opportunities for expanding families, and Simon, his wife Lowry, and their family moved there. The date of their move has not been ascertained, but if their last child Mary was born in Chester County in 1736, and their daughter Anna was married in Hopewell in 1738, then they probably moved in 1737.
The Moon family acquired land near what is now Arden in Berkeley County, West Virginia, developed a farm, and participated in the Hopewell Friends meeting (which is still in Frederick County, Virginia). Their farm adjoined that of Thomas Brown, whose family moved there in 1741, and Walter Thornburgh. The families developed close ties, with three of the Moon children marrying three of the Brown children, and Rachel Moon marrying Henry Thornburgh. Hannah Moon and William Brown married on February 4, 1748, while Margaret Moon and Thomas Brown married on August 10, 1748. Richard Moon and Susannah Brown were disowned on April 4, 1748, probably for getting pregnant or marrying without the approval of the meeting.
Hannah Moon and William Brown moved to North Carolina soon after they married, no doubt taking the Great Wagon Road that passed through the Shenandoah Valley and then south into what is now Yadkin County, North Carolina, then over to the developing Cane Creek community in what is now Alamance County. Their first child was born there in December, 1749.
Simon died at his farm near Arden. His will is dated November 11, 1748, and it was probated on February 7, 1749, so he probably died in February. It does not mention his wife Lowry, so she must have preceded him in death. The Quakers kept careful records of such matters, but the Hopewell minute books for the years 1734-1759 were lost when a fire destroyed the home where they were kept. Simon and Lowry are presumably buried at the Hopewell burial ground, with plain fieldstones marking the graves, as was the custom there at the time.
Afterwards Thomas and Margaret (Moon) Brown moved to North Carolina. They would have taken the same road south through the Shenandoah Valley, but they stopped at the New Garden community in Guilford County. A few years later Richard and Susannah (Brown) Moon moved to Guilford County as well, where they were accepted into membership at New Garden. Their sister Rachel Moon came too, as did some of their Thornburgh neighbors. On July 12, 1758, Rachel Moon and Henry Thornburgh married at New Garden, and the witnesses included Richard Moon and Thomas and Margaret (Moon) Brown.
Simon’s children Anna and Jacob remained in the Hopewell community, but it is not known what became of his daughter Mary. Their brother James Moon stayed in Hopewell but was disowned in 1754 because of drunkenness. In August of 1759 he made a public statement of repentance to the meeting and was restored to membership. He requested and received a certificate of removal to North Carolina. Then he and his wife Catherine Ann (Mendenhall) Moon and their family all moved to Cane Creek, where his sister Hannah and her husband William Brown had lived since 1749.
Simon’s Will, from the Frederick County, Virginia Will Book, Vol. 1, page 238:
In the name of God Amen. I Simon Moon of the county of Frederick & Colony of Virginia yeoman being at present very sick & weak in body but of perfect mind & memory thanks be given unto God therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body & knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make & ordain this my last will & testament in manner & form following that is to say
First & principally I recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it & for my body I recommend it to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter named nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I leave & bequeath as followeth.
Imprimis It is my will & I do order that in the first place all my just debts & funeral charges be paid and discharged
Item I leave my present dwelling plantation to be equally divided betwixt my 2 sons James & Jacob Moon.
Item I leave unto my son Richard Moon forty shillings current money.
Item I leave unto my daughter Mary Moon a bright bay young mare aged at present 2 years as also I leave her six pounds current money.
Item I leave unto my daughter Rachael Moon a young gray mare being this last springs colt
Moreover it is my will & I do order that all the creatures as horses mares & cattle be sold except so many as shall be necessary to work the plantation & the money equally to be divided amongst all the children and my will is that the creatures reserved to work the plantation one half shall be Jacob Moon's when of age. All the rest & remainder of my estate with all my household goods & moveables I leave to be equally divided Mary & Rachael & my will is that my son James take care of these three younger children while single
Lastly I constitute make & ordain my son James Moon & Henry Bowen my son in law as executor of this my last will & testament and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke & disannull all & every other former testaments wills legacies & executors by me in anyway before this time named willed & bequeathed ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last will & testament
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this 11th day November Anno Domino 1748
Simon Moon (seal)
The minutes of the Bucks (County, PA) Quarterly Meeting of the Society of Friends (among others) record that Simon Moon was born to James and Mary (Wilsford) Moon on the 11th day of the 4th month of 1700. At that time (and until 1752) June was regarded as the fourth month. His family belonged to the Falls Monthly Meeting, so Simon was presumably born in Fallsington.
On September 27, 1721, Simon was married to Lauretha “Lowry” Humphrey at Christ Church, Philadelphia. It was quite unusual for Quakers to be married anywhere besides a Friends meetinghouse, but evidently their home meeting allowed them to do so.
The young couple might have initially lived with Simon’s parents, James and Joan (Burgess) Moon, in their house in Fallsington, but their house burned down in 1722. So Simon and Lowry Moon settled in Chester County, where they were blessed with eight children, the last one, Mary, being born around 1736.
In 1734, Quakers were granted permission to settle on land in the Shenandoah Valley of northwestern Virginia, in what is now the border of Frederick and Berkeley Counties. The received fairly large tracts, but it was a task to clear any of it for cultivation. The arrangement was that if they settled on the land and developed 6% of it for cultivation within three years, then they would be given ownership of the land. A group of Quakers moved there from Chester County, following an Indian trail that became the Great Wagon Road. Others came from Maryland. There they established themselves as the Hopewell community, establishing a meeting for worship in 1733, and established the Hopewell Monthly Meeting of Friends in 1734. This location provided new farming opportunities for expanding families, and Simon, his wife Lowry, and their family moved there. The date of their move has not been ascertained, but if their last child Mary was born in Chester County in 1736, and their daughter Anna was married in Hopewell in 1738, then they probably moved in 1737.
The Moon family acquired land near what is now Arden in Berkeley County, West Virginia, developed a farm, and participated in the Hopewell Friends meeting (which is still in Frederick County, Virginia). Their farm adjoined that of Thomas Brown, whose family moved there in 1741, and Walter Thornburgh. The families developed close ties, with three of the Moon children marrying three of the Brown children, and Rachel Moon marrying Henry Thornburgh. Hannah Moon and William Brown married on February 4, 1748, while Margaret Moon and Thomas Brown married on August 10, 1748. Richard Moon and Susannah Brown were disowned on April 4, 1748, probably for getting pregnant or marrying without the approval of the meeting.
Hannah Moon and William Brown moved to North Carolina soon after they married, no doubt taking the Great Wagon Road that passed through the Shenandoah Valley and then south into what is now Yadkin County, North Carolina, then over to the developing Cane Creek community in what is now Alamance County. Their first child was born there in December, 1749.
Simon died at his farm near Arden. His will is dated November 11, 1748, and it was probated on February 7, 1749, so he probably died in February. It does not mention his wife Lowry, so she must have preceded him in death. The Quakers kept careful records of such matters, but the Hopewell minute books for the years 1734-1759 were lost when a fire destroyed the home where they were kept. Simon and Lowry are presumably buried at the Hopewell burial ground, with plain fieldstones marking the graves, as was the custom there at the time.
Afterwards Thomas and Margaret (Moon) Brown moved to North Carolina. They would have taken the same road south through the Shenandoah Valley, but they stopped at the New Garden community in Guilford County. A few years later Richard and Susannah (Brown) Moon moved to Guilford County as well, where they were accepted into membership at New Garden. Their sister Rachel Moon came too, as did some of their Thornburgh neighbors. On July 12, 1758, Rachel Moon and Henry Thornburgh married at New Garden, and the witnesses included Richard Moon and Thomas and Margaret (Moon) Brown.
Simon’s children Anna and Jacob remained in the Hopewell community, but it is not known what became of his daughter Mary. Their brother James Moon stayed in Hopewell but was disowned in 1754 because of drunkenness. In August of 1759 he made a public statement of repentance to the meeting and was restored to membership. He requested and received a certificate of removal to North Carolina. Then he and his wife Catherine Ann (Mendenhall) Moon and their family all moved to Cane Creek, where his sister Hannah and her husband William Brown had lived since 1749.
Simon’s Will, from the Frederick County, Virginia Will Book, Vol. 1, page 238:
In the name of God Amen. I Simon Moon of the county of Frederick & Colony of Virginia yeoman being at present very sick & weak in body but of perfect mind & memory thanks be given unto God therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body & knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make & ordain this my last will & testament in manner & form following that is to say
First & principally I recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it & for my body I recommend it to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter named nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I leave & bequeath as followeth.
Imprimis It is my will & I do order that in the first place all my just debts & funeral charges be paid and discharged
Item I leave my present dwelling plantation to be equally divided betwixt my 2 sons James & Jacob Moon.
Item I leave unto my son Richard Moon forty shillings current money.
Item I leave unto my daughter Mary Moon a bright bay young mare aged at present 2 years as also I leave her six pounds current money.
Item I leave unto my daughter Rachael Moon a young gray mare being this last springs colt
Moreover it is my will & I do order that all the creatures as horses mares & cattle be sold except so many as shall be necessary to work the plantation & the money equally to be divided amongst all the children and my will is that the creatures reserved to work the plantation one half shall be Jacob Moon's when of age. All the rest & remainder of my estate with all my household goods & moveables I leave to be equally divided Mary & Rachael & my will is that my son James take care of these three younger children while single
Lastly I constitute make & ordain my son James Moon & Henry Bowen my son in law as executor of this my last will & testament and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke & disannull all & every other former testaments wills legacies & executors by me in anyway before this time named willed & bequeathed ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last will & testament
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this 11th day November Anno Domino 1748
Simon Moon (seal)
Biography:
The minutes of the Bucks (County, PA) Quarterly Meeting of the Society of Friends (among others) record that Simon Moon was born to James and Mary (Wilsford) Moon on the 11th day of the 4th month of 1700. At that time (and until 1752) June was regarded as the fourth month. His family belonged to the Falls Monthly Meeting, so Simon was presumably born in Fallsington.
On September 27, 1721, Simon was married to Lauretha “Lowry” Humphrey at Christ Church, Philadelphia. It was quite unusual for Quakers to be married anywhere besides a Friends meetinghouse, but evidently their home meeting allowed them to do so.
The young couple might have initially lived with Simon’s parents, James and Joan (Burgess) Moon, in their house in Fallsington, but their house burned down in 1722. So Simon and Lowry Moon settled in Chester County, where they were blessed with eight children, the last one, Mary, being born around 1736.
In 1734, Quakers were granted permission to settle on land in the Shenandoah Valley of northwestern Virginia, in what is now the border of Frederick and Berkeley Counties. The received fairly large tracts, but it was a task to clear any of it for cultivation. The arrangement was that if they settled on the land and developed 6% of it for cultivation within three years, then they would be given ownership of the land. A group of Quakers moved there from Chester County, following an Indian trail that became the Great Wagon Road. Others came from Maryland. There they established themselves as the Hopewell community, establishing a meeting for worship in 1733, and established the Hopewell Monthly Meeting of Friends in 1734. This location provided new farming opportunities for expanding families, and Simon, his wife Lowry, and their family moved there. The date of their move has not been ascertained, but if their last child Mary was born in Chester County in 1736, and their daughter Anna was married in Hopewell in 1738, then they probably moved in 1737.
The Moon family acquired land near what is now Arden in Berkeley County, West Virginia, developed a farm, and participated in the Hopewell Friends meeting (which is still in Frederick County, Virginia). Their farm adjoined that of Thomas Brown, whose family moved there in 1741, and Walter Thornburgh. The families developed close ties, with three of the Moon children marrying three of the Brown children, and Rachel Moon marrying Henry Thornburgh. Hannah Moon and William Brown married on February 4, 1748, while Margaret Moon and Thomas Brown married on August 10, 1748. Richard Moon and Susannah Brown were disowned on April 4, 1748, probably for getting pregnant or marrying without the approval of the meeting.
Hannah Moon and William Brown moved to North Carolina soon after they married, no doubt taking the Great Wagon Road that passed through the Shenandoah Valley and then south into what is now Yadkin County, North Carolina, then over to the developing Cane Creek community in what is now Alamance County. Their first child was born there in December, 1749.
Simon died at his farm near Arden. His will is dated November 11, 1748, and it was probated on February 7, 1749, so he probably died in February. It does not mention his wife Lowry, so she must have preceded him in death. The Quakers kept careful records of such matters, but the Hopewell minute books for the years 1734-1759 were lost when a fire destroyed the home where they were kept. Simon and Lowry are presumably buried at the Hopewell burial ground, with plain fieldstones marking the graves, as was the custom there at the time.
Afterwards Thomas and Margaret (Moon) Brown moved to North Carolina. They would have taken the same road south through the Shenandoah Valley, but they stopped at the New Garden community in Guilford County. A few years later Richard and Susannah (Brown) Moon moved to Guilford County as well, where they were accepted into membership at New Garden. Their sister Rachel Moon came too, as did some of their Thornburgh neighbors. On July 12, 1758, Rachel Moon and Henry Thornburgh married at New Garden, and the witnesses included Richard Moon and Thomas and Margaret (Moon) Brown.
Simon’s children Anna and Jacob remained in the Hopewell community, but it is not known what became of his daughter Mary. Their brother James Moon stayed in Hopewell but was disowned in 1754 because of drunkenness. In August of 1759 he made a public statement of repentance to the meeting and was restored to membership. He requested and received a certificate of removal to North Carolina. Then he and his wife Catherine Ann (Mendenhall) Moon and their family all moved to Cane Creek, where his sister Hannah and her husband William Brown had lived since 1749.
Simon’s Will, from the Frederick County, Virginia Will Book, Vol. 1, page 238:
In the name of God Amen. I Simon Moon of the county of Frederick & Colony of Virginia yeoman being at present very sick & weak in body but of perfect mind & memory thanks be given unto God therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body & knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make & ordain this my last will & testament in manner & form following that is to say
First & principally I recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it & for my body I recommend it to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter named nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I leave & bequeath as followeth.
Imprimis It is my will & I do order that in the first place all my just debts & funeral charges be paid and discharged
Item I leave my present dwelling plantation to be equally divided betwixt my 2 sons James & Jacob Moon.
Item I leave unto my son Richard Moon forty shillings current money.
Item I leave unto my daughter Mary Moon a bright bay young mare aged at present 2 years as also I leave her six pounds current money.
Item I leave unto my daughter Rachael Moon a young gray mare being this last springs colt
Moreover it is my will & I do order that all the creatures as horses mares & cattle be sold except so many as shall be necessary to work the plantation & the money equally to be divided amongst all the children and my will is that the creatures reserved to work the plantation one half shall be Jacob Moon's when of age. All the rest & remainder of my estate with all my household goods & moveables I leave to be equally divided Mary & Rachael & my will is that my son James take care of these three younger children while single
Lastly I constitute make & ordain my son James Moon & Henry Bowen my son in law as executor of this my last will & testament and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke & disannull all & every other former testaments wills legacies & executors by me in anyway before this time named willed & bequeathed ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last will & testament
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this 11th day November Anno Domino 1748
Simon Moon (seal)
The minutes of the Bucks (County, PA) Quarterly Meeting of the Society of Friends (among others) record that Simon Moon was born to James and Mary (Wilsford) Moon on the 11th day of the 4th month of 1700. At that time (and until 1752) June was regarded as the fourth month. His family belonged to the Falls Monthly Meeting, so Simon was presumably born in Fallsington.
On September 27, 1721, Simon was married to Lauretha “Lowry” Humphrey at Christ Church, Philadelphia. It was quite unusual for Quakers to be married anywhere besides a Friends meetinghouse, but evidently their home meeting allowed them to do so.
The young couple might have initially lived with Simon’s parents, James and Joan (Burgess) Moon, in their house in Fallsington, but their house burned down in 1722. So Simon and Lowry Moon settled in Chester County, where they were blessed with eight children, the last one, Mary, being born around 1736.
In 1734, Quakers were granted permission to settle on land in the Shenandoah Valley of northwestern Virginia, in what is now the border of Frederick and Berkeley Counties. The received fairly large tracts, but it was a task to clear any of it for cultivation. The arrangement was that if they settled on the land and developed 6% of it for cultivation within three years, then they would be given ownership of the land. A group of Quakers moved there from Chester County, following an Indian trail that became the Great Wagon Road. Others came from Maryland. There they established themselves as the Hopewell community, establishing a meeting for worship in 1733, and established the Hopewell Monthly Meeting of Friends in 1734. This location provided new farming opportunities for expanding families, and Simon, his wife Lowry, and their family moved there. The date of their move has not been ascertained, but if their last child Mary was born in Chester County in 1736, and their daughter Anna was married in Hopewell in 1738, then they probably moved in 1737.
The Moon family acquired land near what is now Arden in Berkeley County, West Virginia, developed a farm, and participated in the Hopewell Friends meeting (which is still in Frederick County, Virginia). Their farm adjoined that of Thomas Brown, whose family moved there in 1741, and Walter Thornburgh. The families developed close ties, with three of the Moon children marrying three of the Brown children, and Rachel Moon marrying Henry Thornburgh. Hannah Moon and William Brown married on February 4, 1748, while Margaret Moon and Thomas Brown married on August 10, 1748. Richard Moon and Susannah Brown were disowned on April 4, 1748, probably for getting pregnant or marrying without the approval of the meeting.
Hannah Moon and William Brown moved to North Carolina soon after they married, no doubt taking the Great Wagon Road that passed through the Shenandoah Valley and then south into what is now Yadkin County, North Carolina, then over to the developing Cane Creek community in what is now Alamance County. Their first child was born there in December, 1749.
Simon died at his farm near Arden. His will is dated November 11, 1748, and it was probated on February 7, 1749, so he probably died in February. It does not mention his wife Lowry, so she must have preceded him in death. The Quakers kept careful records of such matters, but the Hopewell minute books for the years 1734-1759 were lost when a fire destroyed the home where they were kept. Simon and Lowry are presumably buried at the Hopewell burial ground, with plain fieldstones marking the graves, as was the custom there at the time.
Afterwards Thomas and Margaret (Moon) Brown moved to North Carolina. They would have taken the same road south through the Shenandoah Valley, but they stopped at the New Garden community in Guilford County. A few years later Richard and Susannah (Brown) Moon moved to Guilford County as well, where they were accepted into membership at New Garden. Their sister Rachel Moon came too, as did some of their Thornburgh neighbors. On July 12, 1758, Rachel Moon and Henry Thornburgh married at New Garden, and the witnesses included Richard Moon and Thomas and Margaret (Moon) Brown.
Simon’s children Anna and Jacob remained in the Hopewell community, but it is not known what became of his daughter Mary. Their brother James Moon stayed in Hopewell but was disowned in 1754 because of drunkenness. In August of 1759 he made a public statement of repentance to the meeting and was restored to membership. He requested and received a certificate of removal to North Carolina. Then he and his wife Catherine Ann (Mendenhall) Moon and their family all moved to Cane Creek, where his sister Hannah and her husband William Brown had lived since 1749.
Simon’s Will, from the Frederick County, Virginia Will Book, Vol. 1, page 238:
In the name of God Amen. I Simon Moon of the county of Frederick & Colony of Virginia yeoman being at present very sick & weak in body but of perfect mind & memory thanks be given unto God therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my body & knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make & ordain this my last will & testament in manner & form following that is to say
First & principally I recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave it & for my body I recommend it to the earth to be decently buried at the discretion of my executors hereafter named nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life I leave & bequeath as followeth.
Imprimis It is my will & I do order that in the first place all my just debts & funeral charges be paid and discharged
Item I leave my present dwelling plantation to be equally divided betwixt my 2 sons James & Jacob Moon.
Item I leave unto my son Richard Moon forty shillings current money.
Item I leave unto my daughter Mary Moon a bright bay young mare aged at present 2 years as also I leave her six pounds current money.
Item I leave unto my daughter Rachael Moon a young gray mare being this last springs colt
Moreover it is my will & I do order that all the creatures as horses mares & cattle be sold except so many as shall be necessary to work the plantation & the money equally to be divided amongst all the children and my will is that the creatures reserved to work the plantation one half shall be Jacob Moon's when of age. All the rest & remainder of my estate with all my household goods & moveables I leave to be equally divided Mary & Rachael & my will is that my son James take care of these three younger children while single
Lastly I constitute make & ordain my son James Moon & Henry Bowen my son in law as executor of this my last will & testament and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke & disannull all & every other former testaments wills legacies & executors by me in anyway before this time named willed & bequeathed ratifying & confirming this & no other to be my last will & testament
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal this 11th day November Anno Domino 1748
Simon Moon (seal)
Gravesite Details
There is no identifiable headstone. Quaker markers at this time were often just field stones with no inscription or just an initial.
