My Moore Family in America - Part 5

Gershom Moore and Family

Now that we’ve completed our three-part detour, we’ll focus again on my direct ancestors. As is common during this period, we know more about some than others. I will try to paint the clearest picture possible for each generation.

Gershom Moore (Before 1645-1691)

Gershom Moore is probably the second son of Rev. John Moore and Margaret Howell, born sometime before 1845. He is my 10th great-grandfather. ¹ His name, appropriate for the son of a minister, comes from the Bible. Gershom was the first son of Moses and Zipporah. The name in Hebrew means “a stranger here.”²

Gershom married the widow of Jonathan Fish sometime after 1663 and presumedly prior to the birth of their son, John Gershom Moore, in 1672.³

Like his father, Gershom was very active in the affairs of Newtown, Long Island.

His name first appears in a list of the residents of Newtown, 1655-56. It is also found in the list of freeholders, December 4, 1666. It appears so often in connection with that of his brother, Capt. Samuel Moore, that the history of one is that of the other. He was among the inhabitants of Newtown made freemen of Connecticut, May 12, 1664. April 21, 1665, he was elected by the Company and commissioned Ensign of the Newtown Militia by Gov. Nicoll. The inhabitants were organized into a single company, and the officers were required to be “persons of best quality, such as are most complaisant to them, men of great courage to all virtuous actions and only fearful of infamy.” He was afterwards promoted to be Lieutenant. April 23, 1669, ten acres were apportioned to Gershom Moore on the new highway which ran from “about northwest and southeast” through Hempstead Swamp. He was overseer, March 1665 to April 1666; April 1668-1670; April 1679-1673; April 1675-1677; April 1682-1684, and, when the change was made to Commissioners of the Town Court, he filled that office 1684-1685.

August 24, 1673, upon the reoccupation by the Dutch, he was one of six candidates presented for office, from whom three were confirmed by the Court. He was not confirmed. His name is on the Dongan Charter of date November 25, 1686. In the troublous Leislerian times, he was commissioned Captain. October 2, 1689, his brother, Samuel, receiving the Lieutenancy at the same time.⁴

Image of Newtown Militia circa 1665, created by ChatGPT, 2 May 2025.

When not busy with his civic duties, Gershom operated a small farm in Newtown. One of the crops from his farm was a chance variety of apple that became known as the “Newtown Pippin.”

The Newtown Pippin was the apple which defined the palate of new world ciders. Colonists found this apple so remarkable that Thomas Jefferson himself wrote from France during his travels “they have no apples here to compare with our Newtown Pippin”. It was brought across the United States with pioneers and homesteaders during their westward expansion, eventually making it to Oregon & Washington in the late 1800’s, thriving in the climate or this Northwest region, especially in the Hood River area.⁵

Gershom Moore died in 1791. He is presumed to have been buried near family members in the old graveyard at Newtown, Long Island (now Elmhurst, Queens, New York City). That graveyard no longer exists.

1. Moore, James W., Rev. John Moore of Newtown, Long Island, and some of his Descendants (n.d.; image reprint, Delhi: Alpha Editions, 2019), 37.

2. Hitchcock, Roswell D. "Entry for 'Gershom'". An Interpreting Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names, (New York, N.Y., 1869, quoted on “Bible Study Tools, (https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/gershom/).

3. Torry, Clarence A., New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Baltimore, MD, USA: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2004. imaged, U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/3824/images/gpc_newenglandmarriages-0531?pId=60104).

4. For more information about the Dongan Charter and Leisler’s Rebellion, see “Jacob Leisler’s Rebellion” in Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 (https://erenow.org/modern/gotham-history-of-new-york-city-to-1898/8.php, accessed 2 May 2025).

Moore, James W., Rev. John Moore of Newtown, Long Island, and some of his Descendants, 37.

5. “History,” 2 Towns Ciderhouse, (https://2townsciderhouse.com/ingredient/newtown-pippin-apples, accessed 2 May 2025).