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MOSHER Family History, Part I

August 2024

December 2016The search for our Poole-Mosher family began with Susan Maria Poole4, her sister Caroline, and, according to family oral history, their half-brother Jacob, who all arrived in Coulterville, Mariposa County, California, from Massachusetts, on October 19, 1859. The following year she and her siblings were enumerated with "John and M. Russell," who traced back to Dartmouth County, Bristol County, Massachusetts, where, in 1850, Susan and her siblings were enumerated with Mariah Poole and some young men from the Reed and Russell families.

Upon review of various census records and Caroline's obituary, the children were likely born in 1843 (Susan), 1847 (Jacob), and 1848 (Caroline), which indicated that if family tradition held then Caroline was also a half-sister; however, as it turns out, the three were all full siblings.

DNA matches with Mosher descendants led to research that showed the Mariah Pool in the 1850 census correlated to Mariah (Mosher Poole) Reed5, the widow of Israel Reed (Sr.) and Jacob Poole (Sr.)3 who went on to marry John R. Russell and moved to California.

The main Poole family of Dartmouth was Sirbinus and Lurena Poole2, whom, with a lead from a DNA test match, I now believe to be Susan's grandparents. From there we looked at son Jacob Poole3 who was first married to Hannah Weaver until her death in 1840, after which Jacob remarried to the widow Mariah (Mosher) Reed5. Jacob and Mariah had a few children before Jacob's death in 1848. Mariah and her children from both marriages were found in the censuses of 1850 along with a Russell family. At this time they were enumerated next to Abiathar Poole, Mariah's elder stepson. John R. Russell of the Russell family was widowed in 1854 and the following year he and Mariah wed. They were enumerated in the Massachusetts state census of 1855 next to Abiathar Poole.

The main discrepancy between oral family history and what I have since learned from the records, is that Susan was a half-sister to Jacob and Caroline. In view of Susan's birth in 1843, after the death of Hannah Weaver and a year after Jacob's marriage to Mariah, it is mostly clear that Susan, Jacob, and Caroline were all children of Mariah and Jacob and perhaps that the half-siblings recalled were those of the Reed boys, who also migrated to California by 1860.

Daniel MOSHER (Sr.)1 (~1674->1726)

1.November 2015 Daniel Mosher (Sr.)1 was reportedly born about 1674 in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts. He married Mary and had as many as 11 children:

1A. Benjamin Mosher 19 Apr 1706 --  -- 
1B. Daniel Mosher (Jr.) 1 Jul 1709 --  -- 
1C. Micha Mosher 27 Sep 1711 --  -- 
1D. Constant Mosher (Sr.)2 11 Sep 1713 (> 1759) (> 45)
1E. Rachel Mosher 14 Jun 1715 --  -- 
1F. George Mosher 9 May 1717 --  -- 
1G. Ephraim Mosher 28 Dec 1718 (1813-1814) (95)
1H. Roger Mosher 30 Mar 1720 --  -- 
1I. Hugh Mosher 17 Mar 1722 --  -- 
1J. Patience H. Mosher 29 Jun 1724 --  -- 
1K. Mercy Mosher 12 Oct 1726 --  -- 
Sources
  • Dartmouth Records, 1667-1884, Births, Intentions of Marriage, Forbidden Bans, Marriages, and Deaths

Benjamin MOSHER (1706-)

1A.November 2015 Benjamin Mosher was born on April 19, 1706, in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts. He married Abigail Maxfield and had as many as seven children. After Abigail's death Benjamin remarried to Dorcas Sherman around 1753 and had one more daughter:[Dartmouth]

1A1. Priscilla Mosher 22 Sep 1729 --  -- 
1A2. Edith Mosher 27 Dec 1731 --  -- 
1A3. Job Mosher 30 Apr 1734 --  -- 
1A4. George Mosher (Sr.) 11 Oct 1740 8 Aug 1825 (84)
1A5. Abigail Mosher 13 Oct 1743 --  -- 
1A6. David Mosher 31 May 1749 --  -- 
1A7. Lydia Mosher 10 Dec 1751 --  -- 

1A8. Patience Mosher 17 Sep 1768 --  -- 

Abigail (Maxfield) Mosher probably died soon after the birth of Lydia.

Benjamin and Dorcas filed their intention of marriage on April 14, 1753, in Dartmouth.[Dartmouth]

Sources
  • Dartmouth Records, 1667-1884, Births, Intentions of Marriage, Forbidden Bans, Marriages, and Deaths

Constant MOSHER (Sr.)2 (1713->1759)

1D.November 2015 Constant Mosher (Sr.)2 was born on September 17, 1713, in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts. He married Sarah Sherman1 and had ten children:

1DA. Zilpha Mosher 28 Jul 1738 --  -- 
1DB. Ebenezer Mosher3 Blue Star 25 Oct 1739 (> 1781) (> 42)
1DC. Susannah Mosher 17 Nov 1741 --  -- 
1DD. John Mosher (Sr.)Δ 31 May 1744 --  -- 
1DE. Constant Mosher, Jr. 17 Nov 1746 (> 1773) (> 27)
1DF. Michael Mosher (Sr.) 6 Jan 1749 (< 1807) (< 57)
1DG. Lemuel MosherΔ 13 Mar 1753 (1820-1830) -- 
1DH. Seth Mosher 26 Mar 1754 --  -- 
1DI. Timothy Mosher (Sr.) 28 May 1757 (> 1786) (> 28)
1DJ. Deborah MosherΔ 16 Aug 1759 1828 (68)
Mosher-Reed Connections
Great-granddaughter Mariah Mosher5, granddaughter of Ebenezer3, married her apparent second cousin Israel Reed (Sr.), grandson of John (Sr.).

Sources
  • Dartmouth Records, 1667-1884, Births, Intentions of Marriage, Forbidden Bans, Marriages, and Deaths

George MOSHER (1717-)

1F.November 2015 George Mosher was born on May 9, 1717, in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts. He married Hannah Wing and had six children:[Dartmouth]

1F1. Samuel Mosher 9 Mar 1742 --  -- 
1F2. Joanna Mosher 9 Apr 1744 --  -- 
1F3. Mary Mosher 14 Mar 1748 --  -- 
1F4. Edward Mosher 23 Jan 1751 --  -- 
1F5. Abraham Mosher 14 Dec 1752 --  -- 
1F6. Hannah Mosher 19 Sep 1755 --  -- 
Sources
  • Dartmouth Records, 1667-1884, Births, Intentions of Marriage, Forbidden Bans, Marriages, and Deaths

Ephraim MOSHER (1718-~1814)

1G.November 2015 Ephraim Mosher was born on December 28, 1718, in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts.[Dartmouth] He, or another Ephraim, son of Nicholas, reportedly married Eunice and had four children. The other reportedly died around 1747 in Dartmouth and this Ephraim reportedly moved to Belgrade, Kennebec County, Maine, and died around 1813 or 1814.

Sources
  • Dartmouth Records, 1667-1884, Births, Intentions of Marriage, Forbidden Bans, Marriages, and Deaths

Roger MOSHER (1720-)

1H.November 2015 Roger Mosher was born on March 30, 1720, in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts. He married Phebe Sherman in 1746 and soon after had one son. Roger later married Lydia Bedon and had one more son:[Dartmouth]

1H1. Jesse Mosher 11 Sep 1746 28 Apr 1824 (77)

1H2. Abner Mosher 5 Aug 1770 --  -- 

Roger and Phebe filed their intention of marriage on May 20, 1746, in Dartmouth. Their son Jesse was born 16 weeks later.[Dartmouth]

Roger and Lydia filed their intention of marriage on November 4, 1763, in Dartmouth.[Dartmouth]

Sources
  • Dartmouth Records, 1667-1884, Births, Intentions of Marriage, Forbidden Bans, Marriages, and Deaths

Hugh MOSHER (1722-)

1I.November 2015 Hugh Mosher was born on March 17, 1722, in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts. He married Elizabeth and had at least one daughter:[Dartmouth]

1I1. Mercy Mosher 24 Apr 1743 --  -- 
Sources
  • Dartmouth Records, 1667-1884, Births, Intentions of Marriage, Forbidden Bans, Marriages, and Deaths

Mercy (MOSHER) TRAFFORD (1726-)

1K.November 2015 Mercy Mosher was born on October 12, 1726, in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Massachusetts. She and Phillip Trafford filed an intention of marriage in Dartmouth on July 20, 1749.