Elisha Moody, my third great grandfather, was born on November 6, 1801, in Chatham County, NC., to Benjamin Moody and his first wife (name unknown). (Benjamin married Margaret Burns in August, 1802, so I wonder if Elisha’s mother died during or shortly after his birth.)
A male of Elisha’s age is recorded as a member of Benjamin’s household in the 1820 census, suggesting he was working on his father’s farm in his late teens. Not much else is known about his childhood.
He married my third great grandmother Amelia “Millie”” Thomason on February 11, 1827. They had 12 children in 19 years: Henry (1828), Mary (1832), Nancy (1833), John (1836), Sally (1839), Elizabeth “Betsy” (1840), Eliza (1841), Apphia “Mittie” (1843), Martha (1844), James (1846), Joseph (1847), and Robert “Sidney” (1848). Eliza and Elizabeth are suspiciously close in name and birth, but census records show an “Eliza” and “Betsy” as separate people.
Millie was probably the sister or niece of Balaam Thomason, a neighbor of Elisha’s per the 1830 census. It was common for a close family member of the bride to serve in this role, but usually not a parent. Thomas Ragland, a witness to Elisha and Millie’s marriage, was also a neighbor.
Elisha’s occupation is listed as “farmer” or “in agriculture” on each census 1840-1880, even when he was in his seventies. (Occupation was not part of the 1830 census). Millie is listed as “keeping house,” a common census entry for a wife. Elisha was a “yeoman farmer,” someone who owned a small farm worked by family members rather than enslaved labor. In Chatham County, yeoman farmers were the largest segment of the population. It’s reasonable to assume all of their children worked to support the farm in some capacity.
During Elisha’s and Millie’s lives, Chatham County was predominately agricultural and much of the land was of low production quality. In 1860, the total population was 19,101 and number of households totaling 2,521. Roads were dirt except for a couple of toll plank roads built during the 1850s.
There are no records indicating Mary, Betsy, Eliza, Mittie, and Martha ever married. In the 1880 census, the five adult sisters were living with their parents. By 1910, the four sisters still living were listed as members of youngest brother Sidney’s household.
Millie died in October of 1880. Elisha died on February 25, 1885, having lived a long life of 83 years. They are buried in the Meroney United Methodist Church Cemetery in Bear Creek.
Forebears and Kinfolks 