b. 22 October 1773, d. 26 August 1836
Birth | 22 Oct 1773 | Thomas Moffett was born on 22 Oct 1773 in Virginia.3,4 |
| | Thomas's parents sold their land in Augusta County, Virginia in July 1773 so it is likely the family moved down the Valley of Virginia prior to Thomas's birth in late October of that year. Thomas was most likely born in that part of southwest Virginia that later became Washington County. County survey records establish that the family resided in the area by 1773 but are not specific as to the date. |
Fath-Death | 10 Oct 1774 | On October 10th, 1774 Thomas's father William Moffett, along with many other members of the Washington County militia, engaged the Shawnee Indians at the junction of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers in present day West Virginia. William died in the early morning hours of the ensuing battle, leaving a widow in her early 20s and 3 children under the age of 4, including Thomas. |
| | Mary Moffett took her children, including a newborn daughter, and left Washington County for a few years until the Indian uprisings abated. It is likely she spent these years back in Augusta County with her husband's relatives. |
| | After a few years Mary and the children returned to Washington County, where in 1782 Thomas's older brother John was formally granted a tract of land containing 330 acres on the North fork of the Holston River in Rich Valley, based on his father's settlement in 1773. John, as the eldest son, had inherited his father's estate, including the right to his land. |
Marriage | 31 Dec 1795 | Thomas and Mary Brown, daughter of Robert Brown, were married by Rev. Charles Cummings on 31 Dec 1795 at Washington County, Virginia.5,6 |
Land-Buy | 19 Jan 1796 | On 19 Jan 1796, two weeks after his marriage, Thomas purchased the 330 acre settlement tract from his brother John for 110 pounds.7 |
| | A deed search confirms that this land is the same parcel in Washington County on which stands the building known as White's Mill. The foundation of the building may date to the period of Thomas's ownership.8 |
| | John and Mary lived here for about 12 years during which time Mary gave birth to 7 of their 9 children. |
Military | 1798 | During this time Thomas also served in the Washington County Militia where he appeared on the rolls of the 70th Regiment (second Battalion).9 |
Tax | | He also appears on county tax rolls from 1793 to 1810, being charged annually for himself and 3 or 4 horses.10 |
Land-Sell | 11 Sep 1810 | On 11 Sep 1810 Thomas and Mary sold their land in Rich Valley to Valentine Baugh.11 |
Migration | 1810 | They then headed west to Wayne (now Union) County in the Indiana territory.12 |
Residence | | An 1872 history of Wayne County states: "Thomas Moffitt settled 3/4 of a mile south of the town of Abington. By a change in county bounds his farm has been taken into Union County. On it was one of the forts built during the War of 1812, as a means of protection against the Indians."13 |
| | Thomas's first year in Indiana saw the death of 2 family members back home in Virginia. Thomas's uncle, George Moffett, passed away in the summer of 1811. |
Moth-Death | 4 Sep 1811 | And on 4 Sep 1811 Thomas's mother Mary passed away and was buried on the lands of Thomas's brother in Washington County. Mary had never remarried, but had been widowed for 36 years. |
| | Two months earlier Thomas and his wife had added another daughter to their own family and named her Mary. |
Devisee | 15 Aug 1811 | Thomas's mother left her property to be equally divided between her 3 children.14 |
Land-Sell | 5 Jan 1813 | Thomas, not having use for the land in Washington County, sold his 1/3 share of his mother's 80 acres to his brother John for $200.15 |
Religion | | In Wayne County Thomas and Mary joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, which was organized in the early days of the county settlement.16 |
Land | 1820 | And when acreage in neighorboring Rush County became available with the opening of the government land office at Brookville (abt 1820), Thomas, along with his sons William and Wesley, were among those who purchased tracts.17 |
Land | | Thomas bought and sold several parcels of land in Wayne and Rush counties. Several of these transactions also involved his adult children. |
Migration | | Following Mary's death in February 1828, Thomas moved to Rush County where he owned 240 acres on Big Flat Rock.18 |
Marriage | 7 Mar 1833 | He married second, following Mary's death, Eleanor Milligan on 7 Mar 1833 in Wayne County, Indiana.19 |
Death | 26 Aug 1836 | Thomas died on 26 Aug 1836 at age 62.20 |
| | Thomas's final resting place remains a mystery. |
Description | | The only known description of him comes from a letter written about 1895 by his great nephew, Dr. John Moffett of Rushville, which states that "Thomas was about one hundred and sixty" [pounds].21 |