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Adams County and  The Manor of Maske

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Her name is spelled Moor in  Piney Creek Congregational entries, and Moore  in an 1834 newspaper entry detailing her daughter's marriage, and Moore in other places where she is mentioned at the Adams county Historical Society. Her daughter Nancy, given her mother's surname as her own middle, spelled the name Moore as passed down family notes involving interviews with Nancy Moore McCurdys Swope's son Samuel by his grandchildren consistently spell her name this way. This, however, does not negate the possibility the name morphed in some generation, or was subjected to the whim of those who entered into the Piney Creek records.

Census data indicates she named Md as her birthstate, and this may very well be the northern region of neighboring Frederick County, Md. (hunch) associated with Piney Creek [in which are found her marriage records] Piney Creek is a Presby church associated with many scotch Irish of the manor of Maske and falling on the Mason Dixon line^{5 .} In addition, there are Two Moores associated with the first "squatters" of the Manor of Maske. Particularly if these two pertained to the Manor's southernmost allotment, they may yield research worth pursuing regarding Martha's ascendancy. Further, based on the social alliance of the Piney Creek Church and  its Adams County Manor of Maske and Maryland participants, this research  may yield some detail on her allied family group, yet to be determined. See first "squatters" of the Manor of Maske.for discussion on the original Moore squatters in the Manor of Maske, which may yield some alliance to her direct or allied family group.

She is listed as apparant HOH in the 1820 Census, residing Cumberland Twp, Adams County, Penna despite her husbandís death year POST this death, and  she  was Living in Gettysburg at the home of her daughter Nancy and son in law John Adam 'John" SWOPE in the 1850 census Gettysburg Borough, Adams County, Penna,where her age, difficult to read, appears to be 62 , again, with a birthplace of Md. See Census Details.

Her death notices read
ìOn Sat last, in this Borough, Mrs McCurdy, Relict of James McCurdy, deceased" [Republican Centinel 2 oct 1854 edition]
The newspaper Star and Banner dated 6 Oct 1854 states ìMrs. Martha MíCurdy, widow of James McCurdy of Gettysburg, died 30 Sept 1854 aged 67 years.î

There was a confusing entry in the McCurdy File at the Adams Co Historical Society with a line from her to Rev James Harvey born 1807 died March 2 1858 who married Lydia A Stokes Died Oct 1 1900. I have no idea what the connection is. It seemed to imply a second marriage for Martha Moor[e]  but the entry doesnít make sense as Lydia A Stokes died 1900 and  after Martha,  then. In addition, Nancy McCurdy is clearly in the census for 1850 residing with her daughter and son in law, and this just prior to her death in 1854. It may be that this entry at the Gettysburg Historical Society is worth a second look for a possible ascendancy or allied connection, but the possibilities seem scant based on my notes from that entry as given above.

• Birth: 1785, York (Now Adams) County, Penna
• Death: 23 Nov 1822, Cumberland Township, Adams County, Penna .
• Father: Robert  McCURDY (1736-1810) [Patriot]
• Mother: Ann CREIGHTON (-<1805)

Children of James McCURDY and Martha MOOR[E]:

• Margaret (1810-1854)
• John [possible son under research] (1810-1893)
• Ann or Ami [very difficult to read first name] (1815->1850)
• Nancy Moore(<1820-1904)
• James [possible son under research]

The 1810 census for Cumberland tsp (Ancestry.com subscription) inexplicably yields no McCurdys. Is this compilation Incomplete? Her husband had inherited land in Cumberland twp, part of his father's estate in 1810, the year of the father's death. The father had resided in Cumberland since 1780. Robert or his sons  should be in that census.

The 1820 Census for Adams Co., Penna, Cumberland twp., shows a Martha MíCurday, in details of household,  numbers shown 3-1-1 (columns 7, 8, and 10...that is column 7 reads 3, column 8 reads 1 and column 10 reads 1)  corresponding. accordomg tp Ancestryís extraction data  to Number of Free White Females  under 10, (3) Number of Free White Females 11-16 (1) and Free White Females 26-45 including Heads of Family (1) .
This then would correspond to Martha (the one woman 36-45), three girls under 10 (Margaret, Ani [name extracted from 1850 census and hard to read there] and Nancy.  It also provides one female 11-16 who is not yet identified. It neglects HOH James and the two sons. No other details on the family are provided
Martha is not, in contrast to other women known as widows, named as such. (see multi media entries for copy of this census, page 3 of cumberland tsp, adams co., Penna 1820 in ancestry.com subscription)

Not found in searches 1830 and 1840 censuses under Cumberland (NO cumberland in ancestry.com census subscription for 1830, so Cumberland could be included with another twp, and requires research) 1840 census last page is not readable and includes about 5 names, she may be there, but in small print, doesnít look it. (Try again, this 1840 census inability to enlarge likely do to tired computor syndrome)
 

in 1850 Census she is residing with her son in law Swope and her daughter Nancy and their family in Gettysburg Borough. In this group is another McCurdy female with a hard to read name, looks like Ani, 34, born Penn
1850 census Gettysburg boro, Adams Co., Penna shows
HOF: John A Swope,  34 yo, saddle tree maker, real estate valued at 450$, wife Nancy 29 (and heavy with Samuel McCurdy, soon to be born) , Lydia Swope 25, James (son) 2, Martha MíCurdy 62 (Nancyís mother), and Ann or maybe Ami MíCurdy, 34  (first name very hard to decipher-this entry may  represent a daughter of Martha McCurdy living with her mother and sister, and sisterís husband-it could, i suppose, also be a widowed wife to a McCurdy son )
I canít figure out who Lydia Swope 25 is, but John Adam Swope and Nancy Moore McCurdyís  daughter Lydia Swope should be 5 for this census and is not mentioned. There were no wives to John Adam Swopeís brothers, minus the female Gilbert wife to David, as the others died unmarried, limiting the possibility this is a widow to a deceased brother Swope.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Footnote 1: Joseph MOOR[E] currently under research as possible father to Martha

See The Manor Of Maske, Original Squatters for discussion of the Manor, the impact of the Mason Dixon Survey, and the Moores of that region present. [Manor of Maske was in sourthernmost Adams County bordering Maryland] Joseph Moore is included in this list, and his precense as per Bates in the Manor extended back to March 1740

"In 1752 the records show there were forty persons living on tracts sold under Maryland rights, in York County, the majority of whom were in what is now Adams County, as follows:.....Joseph Moor"
From Bates History of Adams County[Samuel  P Bates. History of Adams County, pennsylvania. Warner, Beers and Co., 1886 Chicago. 2nd Reprint 1980 by The Bookmark Knightstwon, Indiana. Originally published as History of Cumberland and Adams Counties-1992 reprint of 1886 edition-page 24]

There is a Joseph Moor from Md on the Muster Rolls-
Genealogical Records: Maryland Settlers & Soldiers, 1700s-1800s
 Muster Rolls & Other Records of Service, Flying Camp Papers, Page 51
....Joseph Moor
Enlisted by Ensign Nathan Williams. Passed by Joseph Smith
 

There was also a Samuel Moore residing in Cumberland Twp....No Samuel Moore appears on Bates original Squatters list.
Cumberland Twp., York Co., PA [Cumberland tsp is now Adams]  Is this he?
MOORE, Samuel.  Cumberland Township.
August 5, 1756    October 13, 1756
Executors:  Quinton Armstrong and Charles McMullen.
Wife:  Jean Moore.
Children:  Thomas, David and Samuel.
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/york/wills/willabstrl-o.txt
 
 

2. Newspaper "The Republican Compiler" 2 oct 1854 edition

3.  Newspaper "Star and Banner " dated 6 Oct 1854

4. Newspaper entry (the Compiler) states: "James Pierce married Margaret McCurdy, daughter of James and Martha Moore McCurdy, Married on 11 Aug 1835". Margaret's  father lies buried with her on her married family plot in Evergreen.
6. Frederick County Backgrounds-Marriage Records of United Churches of Tomís Creek and Piney Creek Presbyterian Churches, marriages by Rev Davidson, B F M   McPherson under pseudonym of Samuel Carrick, her Ancestor, Articles published in the Chronicle Newspaper, Emmitsburg Md, in the 1930s and 1940s, Caveat Emptor proviso in relation to the family history quality of the data by source transcriber Steve Gilland, Accesable via GenForum Library  In larger file called Family History: Colonial Families of Maryland, 1600s-1900s, Page 27-Marriage Records of the Rev Davidson, ìNov 24 1808. James McCurdy to Martha MOOREî.
7. Historical Sketch of the Presbyterian Churches of Emmitsburg and Piney Creek, William Simonton, Paster, The Congregation; Printer J. E. Wible, Corner Wash/ North Streets Gettysburg 1876, Delivered to the Piney Creek Church July 27 1876, Cited at Adams County Historical Society in McCurdy and allied lines, with publication present in ACHS library. Her name here is Spelled MOOR
8. ìLetters in the McCurdy File from fellow researchers,î Adams County Historical Society, gettysburg, McCurdy file.