Moorman of Hampshire, England and Nansemond, New Kent, and Louisa, Virginia
Zachariah Moorman [a] b abt 1620, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England, d 1671, Nansemond, VA. He md Mary Ann Candler abt 1656, daughter of Lt. Col. William Candler. She was b abt 1632, of Ixworth, Suffolk, England.
Children of Zachariah Moorman and Mary Ann Candler were:
  • Thomas Moorman b abt 1658.
  • Charles Moorman b abt 1661, Ireland.
  • Sallie Ann Moorman b bef 1663, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, England. She md Micajah Clark 1680, Nansemond, VA.
Thomas Moorman [b] b abt 1658, Ireland, d New Kent, VA. He md Elizabeth (poss. Simpson) abt 1680. She was b abt 1662.
Children of Thomas Moorman and Elizabeth were:
  • Mary Moorman b abt 1685, New Kent, VA.
  • Andrew Moorman b abt 1688, New Kent, VA.
  • Charles Moorman b abt 1689, New Kent, VA.
Charles Moorman [c] b abt 1689, New Kent, VA, d bef 24 May 1757, Green Springs, Louisa, VA. He md Elizabeth Reynolds abt 1708, daughter of Christopher Reynolds and Elizabeth Matthews.
Children of Charles Moorman and Elizabeth Reynolds were:
  • Thomas Moorman b abt 1710.
  • Charles Moorman b abt 1711, Green Springs, Louisa, VA, d 1778, Louisa, VA; md Mary Adams.
  • Anne Moorman b abt 1714, Green Springs, Louisa, VA; md Thomas Martin.
  • Judith Moorman b abt 1717, Green Springs, Louisa, VA, d 1753; md John Douglas.
  • Achilles Moorman b abt 1719, Green Springs, Louisa, VA.
Thomas Moorman [d] b abt 1710, Green Springs, Louisa, VA, d 10 Nov 1766, Bedford, VA. He md Rachel Clark 12 Jan 1729/30, Hanover, VA, daughter of Christopher Clark and Penelope Johnson.
Known children of Thomas Moorman and Rachel Clark were:
  • Mary Bolling Moorman b 19 Feb 1730/31, Hanover, VA, d 9 Sep 1814; md [1] Benjamin Johnson 19 Aug 1748, Louisa, VA, and (2) John Miller Jun 1771, Bedford, VA.
  • Zachariah Moorman b 2 Feb 1732, d 15 Jan 1789, Campbell, VA; md [1] Elizabeth Terrell 12 Jan 1755, Hanover, VA, and [2] Elizabeth Johnson abt 31 Dec 1773, Louisa, VA.
  • Clark Terrell Moorman b 1733, d abt 1814; md Rachel Harris 12 Jan 1771, Hanover, VA.
  • Charles Clark Moorman b 23 May 1734, d 23 Oct 1803, Bedford, VA; md [1] Rebecca Leftwich 30 Nov 1769, and [2] Nancy Hancock 7 Feb 1782.
  • Micajah b 28 Jun 1735, d 26 Nov 1806, Clinton, OH; md Susannah Chiles 13 Oct 1754, Caroline, VA.
  • Elizabeth Moorman b 2 Feb 1738, d 1740.
  • Thomas Moorman b 6 Jun 1740, d 1787; md Elizabeth Adams.
  • Mildred Moorman b 25 Nov 1742; md James Johnson 9 Dec 1758, Louisa, VA.
  • Achilles Moorman b 2 Dec 1744, d 25 May 1809, Campbell, VA; md Frances Herndon 11 Apr 1778.
  • Andrew Moorman b 2 Dec 1744; md [1] Mary Gill bef 1780, and [2] Prudence Goode 24 Nov 1780, Amelia, VA.
  • Pleasant Moorman b 19 Mar 1745, d May 1774.
  • Rachel Clark Moorman b 1747.
  • Agnes Moorman b 29 Sep 1749, d 1825; md William Johnson 14 Jan 1764.
Rachel Clark Moorman b 1747, Green Springs, Louisa, VA, d 22 Nov 1835, Bedford, VA. She md Lieut. Stephen Goggin 21 Dec 1773, Bedford, VA, son of Stephen Goggin and Letice Boyd.

NOTES:
This surname is seen in England as early as the fourteenth century and means literally "man of the moor". It should be noted that even to this day, there are still lingering questions about the traditional early descent of this family, specifically regarding the first two generations. Some researchers state that there is no proof that Zachariah Moorman was from the Isle of Wight (there are Moormans found in Isle of Wight, but no record of a Zachariah has been found), that there is no record of him ever being in Barbados, some that Charles Moorman was not the son of Thomas Moorman but rather his brother, some that the dates of birth of Zachariah's children are some ten years later than traditionally shown. What is shown here is basically the "traditional" version, with some attempt to merge more contemporary thought, specifically regarding dates, but it is by no means meant to suggest that this is totally proven.


a. Before becoming a Quaker, Zachariah served as a Capt. in Cromwell's campaign in Ireland under Lt. Col. William Candler, no doubt this acquaintance leading to the marriage of Candler's daughter Mary Ann to Zachariah. In 1669, they departed Southampton aboard the Glasgow, bound for Barbados enroute to Virginia. Upon their arrival in Virginia in 1670, they found refuge in the Quaker-tolerant settlement near Somerton in Nansemond County. It has been reported that Zachariah and Mary Ann initially lived in Callan Ireland, on land granted her father for his service in Ireland, but as Lt. Col Candler was not granted this land until 1670, the year following the arrival of his daughter and son-in-law in Virginia, this is obviously incorrect.

b. Thomas Moorman first appears in the records of New Kent County in 1686, when he was living with his wife Elizabeth in the Quaker settlement there, located about thirty miles above Jamestown. Elizabeth's identity is not known for certain; some state her to have been a Simpson, some state she was a Clark, while others state her surname is not known. Contrary to what tradition has stated, Thomas was not the first Moorman to have removed to Louisa County, but rather to have lived his entire adult life in, and died in, New Kent County. Interestingly, the article on this family states that his first two children, Mary and Andrew, were baptized in the Episcopalian church of St. Peter's in New Kent.

c. In the early eighteenth century, a considerable number of Quakers purchased land in what is now Louisa and Caroline County, and established meetings at Cedar Creek (not far from the border of Louisa) in Hanover County, and at Golansville in Caroline County. Charles Moorman was one of the more influential of these Quaker settlers, and with his wife Elizabeth Reynolds, purchased considerable property in Albemarle County. At some point they removed to Hanover County (near present day Ashland), before finally settling at Green Springs in Louisa County. They had five children, who are shown per tradition as being born in Green Springs, but most of their children were likely born in either New Kent or Hanover County.

d. Thomas and his family lived most of their lives in Green Springs, Louisa County, where he and wife Rachel Clark raised thirteen children. In 1765, about a year before his death, he and Rachel moved to Bedford County.
SOURCES:
GL: Genealogies of Virginia Families, Volume III, The Moorman Family of Virginia, by Charles O. Paullin, from an article appearing in the William and Mary Quarterly, pp 801-804.
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