Moors, I

I Moors

Gawp5 reports I Moors on New England planes which date to approximately 1810 - 1840. It also appears as an owner's stamp on a W Raymond molder dating to ca 1800 / 1810.

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Since Moors is recorded as Moore in most period records, the names abbreviated I or J Moore would form the list from whom candidates would be found. (Although 1810 to 1820 is rather late for an "I" to have been used instead of a "J", none-the-less, J Moore's were considered in the search.) The problem with I or J Moore is that the name is so common that the list of names would be too expansive .... there would be just too many potential candidates.  However, the period Raymond plane offers a reasonable regional constraint, limiting the search to an area surrounding Beverly, Middlesex Co., MA. In addition, a plow plane marked I Moors has arm details that would place it in or around coastal MA, ca 1800 / 1820. These two elements combine to help narrow the potential I Moors geography to the areas surrounding and including Essex / Middlesex Co's MA. 

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1780-1820 MA deeds (Middlesex, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Plymouth Co's), 1800-1850 MA census records and town histories were the main source materials used in the search. Six individuals were found who could be considered reasonable candidates:

• Joseph Moore, house carpenter, Cambridge MA, b 1784

• John R Moore, carpenter, Charlestown MA, b 1789

• Jonathan More, joiner, Hatfield MA, b 1773

• James Moore, carpenter, Salem MA, b 1787 in England

• Josiah Moore, housewright, Cambridge MA, b 1730, a fellow tradesman of John Walton III (probably too early)

• John Moore, carpenter, Wilmington MA, 1821 deed

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However, an expanded geographical search of the name Moors yielded another candidate, one who appears to be much stronger candidate: Isaac A Moors, b 1788 in Hillsborough Co., NH. He lived and worked in Petersborough and then in Hancock, NH, which are about 60 miles from Beverly, MA. The family was from Andover, Essex Co. MA and his family consistently had their name recorded as Moors. He was a joiner in two deeds from 1818 and one deed from 1839. His wife was Mary. Based on his birth date, he would have begun his trade ca 1808.

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One additional piece of information points to Isaac. The I Moors plow plane has Antrim neatly written on each of its' arms, with Antrim being the town just to the north of Hancock.

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Within the regional search for I Moors / I and J Moore, Isaac Moors is considered a first-tier candidate and the six "J" Moore's from MA are considered second-tier candidates.

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1818 deed and 1839 deed.