Life History

Notes

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  Now as to the Moors.  Richard Gregory devises to Betty Moor, a negro man named Sam; to Thomas, Richard, Mary and Sarah [Moor, children of Thomas Moor], 340 acres of 1 nd to be equally divided between them;2 and to Thomas Moor, sundry articles of per­sonalty.  In Richard Gregory's will (see ante page 246) there occurs this peculiarly worded clause:
  
  "To Thos. Bene, 2 dishes, 3 plates, a couch, one pott the biggest.  To Thos Moor, a chest.  To Will Bone a case of drawers.  The fodder to be divided amongst 3 Broth. [brothers]."
  
  This clause would seem to signify that Thos. Bone, Thos. Moor and Wm. Bone were the "3 Broth." amongst whom the fodder was to be divided. There seems here a suggestion that Thomas Moor may have married a sister of Richard Gregory's and thus a half-sister to Thomas and William Bourne and in that way have been "brother" to all three of these men.
  
  By his will Richard Gregory makes a bequest: "to my sister."  The clause is most curiously worded (see ante page 246) and we will not atempt to unravel it; but though the name of "my sister" is not given, that lady was probably the wife of Thomas Moor.
  
  --  "Gregory Family of Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia," in Winston of Virginia and Allied Families, by Clayton Torrence (Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, 1927), p 249
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  All these facts and references, especailly with the name of Betty Moore, would indicate that Richard's sister Elizabeth (Betty) married Thomas Moor,  As the above researcher notes, the given names of the Moor children supports this relationship to names repeated in the Gregory generations.
  
  "Essex Court, March 1739, Thos. Emerson being sworn concerning the last will & testament of Richard Gregory, deceased, declared that by Tho. Rich. Mary, Sarah to whom 340 acres of land is given by the said will equally to be divided he verily believes was by the testator meant Thomas Moor, Richard Moor, Mary Moor and Sarah Moor children of Thomas Moor (Essex County Records, Order Book. 1738-1740, page 308)."
  --  "Gregory Family of Rappahannock and Essex Counties, Virginia," in Winston of Virginia and Allied Families, by Clayton Torrence (Richmond, Virginia: Whittet & Shepperson, 1927), p 249

Sources

• 1. Virginia Will Records
• 2. Virginia Marriage Records