Beeks line: Simon Moon 1700-1749

 I've written about Simon's father, James Moon, and I've written about Simon's grandson, Thomas Moon.  Both of those families were Quakers, so it's no surprise that Simon and his family were Quakers, also.  Except, maybe they weren't.  I'll get to the evidence for that in a bit.  

Simon was born to James and Mary Wilsford Moon at Fallsington, Bucks County, Pennsylvania on April 11, 1700.  Except, that date seems to come from Quaker records and they had a different dating system then the rest of the Western world, and he was actually born on the eleventh day of the fourth month, which would be June 11, not April, if I understand the Quaker system correctly.  Both dates are reported on line, so take your pick.

Simon was one of at least six children born to James and Mary.  Living in Bucks County, the family would have farmed and by definition, worked hard.  Simon must have been industrious because by the time he was 21 he was ready and able to marry.  His bride was Louretha (Lowry seems to be a nick name) Humphrey, daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth Lowry Humphrey.  The mystery to me is that the couple were married in Christ Church in Philadelphia.  Was she not a Quaker?  If so, did Simon face any repercussions for marrying outside the faith?  I haven't found church records yet that would help me understand this.  The couple settled in Fallsington, Bucks County, where they built a small home that is still standing (it's on the National Registry of Historic Places) for their growing family.  The family may have grown to include as many as eleven children.

Eventually, the Moons left their home in Pennsylvania and traveled to Frederick County, Virginia which is now Berkeley County, West Virginia.  There they were members of the Hopewell Meeting, which shows that if Simon had trouble regarding his marriage, he was not disowned but rather brought back into, or kept, in the fellowship.  Unfortunately, records that might show us more about this were lost in a fire.  The move seems to have taken place about 1738, when the settlement was in its early days.   

The Moons were living here, in the Shenandoah Valley, when native Americans were sometimes friendly but more often not.  By the time Simon died, most of the original tribes had gone further west, but they still considered the valley theirs and a few years later there were numerous raids.  There is a slight possibility that the Moons may have seen George Washington as a 16 year old surveying Berkeley County, as he was there in 1748.  It took courage and determination to live in this wilderness area at such an early time.  

We don't have an exact date of death for Simon because those records were among those that were burned.  However, Lowry was not mentioned in his will, which was probated in February of 1749.  Simon left bequests to three sons and two daughters, mentioning his "plantation" and various farm animals.  I haven't located an inventory yet.  The couple is probably buried at Hopewell Meeting House, but we don't know because at that time Quakers used only field stones to mark graves.  

Simon didn't live a long life but he saw much.  The trip from eastern Pennsylvania to Berkeley County, probably on the Great Wagon Road, would have been an adventure for not only the children, but for Simon and Lowry.  I honor both of them for their courage, and I hope to learn more about them.  

The line of descent is:

Simon Moon-Louretha Humphrey

Jacob Moon-Jane Rees

Thomas Moon-Jean Gray

Margaret Moon-Owen Reese

Eliza Matilda Reese-Samuel G Dunham

Margaret Catherine Dunham-Harvey Aldridge

Cleo Aldridge-Wilbur Beeks

Mary Beeks-Cleveland Harshbarger

Their descendants