George Moody and Margaret Chenery

Plinius Moody's The Moody Family

MR. JOHN MOODIE whose descendants are traced in following pages, came from England to America as early as the Spring of 1633, and with his wife Sarah, settled in Roxbury in the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay. He took the oath of Fidelity to the government on the 5th of Nov. of the same year (Col. Rec., Vol. 1, p. 79, printed Ed. Vol. 1, p. 268.) at which time we find the honorable title of "Mr." prefixed to his name and the same distinction is given in most of the ancient manuscripts.

That some little fortune remained after a voyage across the Atlantic and especially at a time when the Puritan faith was often the occasion of entire loss of property we have evidence from the Journal of Winthrop.

The record bears date Aug 3, 1633. He had at this time two men servants, one of whom had bound himself for divers years but afterwards relented "thinking that were he at liberty, he might get greater wages yet in the language of Winthrop, his master used him very well. The event which released them both from the contact, as well as from the restraint of pious council, was providential. They went out to gather oysters and not making fast their boat when the flood came it floated away and they were both drowned. (Winthrop's Journal, Vol. 1, p. 106)

The map of Hartford as it was in 1640, prepared from the original records by vote of the town and drawn by William S. Porter, Surveyor and Antiquarian, which map was published a few years ago, clearly defines, among others, the residence of John Moodie. To which is sufficient to illustrate the first parcel of land above described with the residences of a few of the settlers who were neighbors to him.

By comparison of this with the map of Hartford as it is now, it will be seen that his house stood on the south corner of Main and Buckingham Streets nearly west from the Charter Oak (The venerable oak above referred to was prostrated by a storm on Thursday morning 21 Aug 1856. From sorrow at the event the bells of Hartford were tolled at sundown of the same day.) and that the South Congregation Church (The Church referred to is one of the largest in that city and second in regard to time of erection of the churches now there) occupies the identical the spot, as if to invite his widely scattered descendants to meet under it's spacious roof and think of generations past and of the brief space ere they too shall thus be numbered.

The following items have been taken from records at Hartford.
1 Aug 1639, John Moodie had an attachment granted uppon the goods of Thomas Gaines in the hands of Mr. Stoughton for a debt of 5 lbs. weight of tobacco.
5 Sep 1639, John Moodie contra Blackford for a fowling piece he bought and should have paid for it 40 s per bill of. The jury find for the Pl. 41 damages. Costs 6 s.
23 Dec 1639, At the first regular town meeting--voted John Moodie-- (4th name) to order the town affairs for one year.
In 1640, he was chosen Lieutenant. (Hinmans Catalogue)
27 Jan 1642, he made oath to the Will of Richard Lyman.

As Illustrating the habits of the Colony in whose affairs he was a prominent actor, the subjoined is inserted.

Ordered that the watch who are under the direction of the Constables shall ring the large cow bell every morning one hour before day break-to began at the bridge (over Little River) and so ring all the way forth and back from Master Moodie's to John Pratts, and see that one be up with a light in every house with fifteen minutes after the ringing of the bell on the penalty of one shilling and 6 pence

In the 'Catalogue of the Puritan Settlers of Conn.' (Hinman's) the title of Deacon has been prefixed to the name of John Moodie, but on what evidence I have not found.

Among papers filed in the Probate Office in Hartford are the Will and the Inventory of the Estate of John Moodie. Like most men he seems to have deferred the disposition of his property till his sickness, hence his signature is there traced feebly as is the apostrophe subjoined. The matter so far as it can now be well deciphered is arranged according to the original design, but his autograph is taken from a deed the `third day of Feb A Dom 1644. And is preserved in the State Papers of Connecticut (deposited in the State Library at Hartford) in the first Vol. of Private Controversies Doc. 4. A facsimile of the autograph is here added to the Will.

The last Will of John Moodie, I doe make my loving wife Sara Moodie sole exectris and I doe wil that half of all that I have booth land and stoke excepting the howshold stuff which I leave wholly to my wife I give it to my son Samuel Moodie for to have it at the age twenty fower yeares. I will allso that Elizabeth Peper shall have five & twenty pound payd ( Elizabeth Peper witnessed the Deed above referred to at which time she made her mark to the name Elizabeth Peppercorn. This however was evidently a humorous suffix. It is quite probable that she lived many years in the family, but who she was, I am not informed.) her within a yeare (XXX not quite illegible XXX--------) and this and all my dates for to be paid out of the whole
July 23, 1655
Witnesses to this Gregory Wolterton, John Barnard.

I give my sole to ye Lord Jesus Christ my and redeem in God ye father. (to be saved by my) God in Jesus Christ.

The date of the above inventory compared with the date of the Will fixes as nearly as can now be ascertained the time of his decease. He died in the Autumn of 1655 and from circumstantial evidence appears to have been aged somewhat above 50 years.

His funeral was undoubtedly attended by Revs. Messrs. Stone and Hooker with whom he had been associated from the planting of the Colony and whose names are embalmed in New England's History. He was buried in the grave yard back of what is now the First Congregational Church in Hartford, Conn., but no man knoweth of his sepulcher to this day. A monument, however, more lasting and far more befitting than the straightened circumstances of those times would have been likely to produce has since been erected to his memory. By liberality of the 'Ancient Burying Ground Association of Hartford' an obelisk of red sand stone erected in 1837--bears his name. After the modern orthography deeply engraved, with the names of others of the first settlers - one hundred in all - whose dust coming generations would fain respect

Sarah, the wife of John Moodie remained a widow in Hartford till 1659 when she removed with her son to Hadley, Mass. where she died 4 Nov 1671 as appears by the Hadley town records. Her grave is unknown; but she rests, not forgotten!

Source: Moody, Plinius, The Moody Family, or Records of the Descendants of Mr. John Moody of Hartford, Connecticut, 1856, organized and recorded By Theodore L. Moody And Maxine Bull Moody, Nov 1991.

Torrey's New England Marriages Prior to 1700

MOODY, John (1593-1655) & Sarah COX (-1671); St. James Bury, St. Edmunds, 8 Sep 1617, b 1633; Roxbury/Hartford
KILBOURNE, Thomas (1678[sic]-1640, bef 1639) & Frances MOODY (1585-1650); Moulton, Eng, 5 Sep 1604, b 1633; Wethersfield, CT/Windsor, CT/Hartford

Source: Torrey, Clarence A., New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004.