Individual Details
Moses Greer
(Bet 1712 and 1716 - Bef 1777)
"Moses (Greer). Married Baltimore in January 1737 Mary Bayley. He remained in Baltimore County after his brothers left, but did not own lands, and his youngest son, another Aquilla, was born there 9 September 1760. Older sons likely included John, Joseph and James, of Baltimore County in the later 1760's. Moses and sons apparently moved to Franklin County, Virginia in the 1770's joining their relatives. James was probably the James Greer who married Eleanor Hughes and lived on the Pigg River (present Franklin County, Virginia near Carroll County line) near William Greer (c 1727 - 1802). Moses died in 1777 and is buried in Pittsylvania County, Virginia." (OUR GREER FAMILY HISTORY, 1983, by Thomas H. Greer, 335 Miramontes Avenue, Half Moon Bay, California 94019, page 67.)
"Moses Greer was born in 1716, and undoubtedly, since his parents lived there, in Baltimore County, Maryland. Evidence that he was a son of John Greer of Baltimore County is made in a deposition that he, Moses Greer, when living in Virginia in his later life, which was recorded in Baltimore County, Maryland, that he, in his early life, was a resident of Baltimore County; that his father resided there; and that his brother, Aquila Greer was there. It will be shown that, in Virginia, where, in the same localities, lived, contemporaneously, this Moses Greer, together with John, Aquila, Joseph and Benjamin Greer, the said John, Aquila, and Joseph very frequently were associated in various land transactions. This hardly could have been the case, unless they were brothers, which relationship also seems established beyond question, by the fact that the said Aquila, as already mentioned, in the said deposition of his proved brother Moses Greer, lived as did Moses in Baltimore County, Maryland, before they settled in Virginia. At the known periods of the births of Moses, Aquila, and Joseph Greer, no other person of this surname is found residing in Baltimore County of age to have been their father, except the John Greer, already described in the present study, and which John was the son of James and Ann (Taylor), and husband of Sarah. Therefore, it is impossible to question that Moses, John, Aquila and Joseph Greer (all formerly residents of Baltimore County, Maryland, and later all of Virginia) all were the sons of John Greer and the aforesaid Sarah.
"The date of his birth is proven to have been 1716 by statements which he made in a deposition, when he was sixty-one years old, and then living in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. In the deposition, which is recorded in land records of Baltimore County, Maryland, because it concerns boundaries of land in that county, but which lands, it is thought, had not belonged to Moses Greer's family, he stated the following items, in the course of his description of the said land, as he then recalled them and the circumstances of his connection with the survey of the land: That Moses Greer, the deponet, was then sixty-one years of age, that he then was of Pittsylvania County, Virginia (the date of the deposition being September 13, 1777) but that, formerly he was a resident of Baltimore County, Maryland; that about forty five years prior to the date of deposition (which would indicate the year 1732, at which time Moses Greer, -- as born in 1716, being aged sixty-one in 1777, -- would have been sixteen years of age), his father (unnamed in the deposition), said to him the said Moses Greer, "to go to a large oak tree and stay until Mr. Snowden the surveyor came," that he Moses Greer and his brother "Aquila carried the chain," and that the said Snowden, the surveyor gave him, Moses Greer and his said brother Aquilla Greer "10s for carrying the chain."
"The date when Moses left Baltimore County, Maryland and settled in Virginia, is not known at present. He was living in Baltimore County in 1760, when one of his children was baptized in the Parish of Saint John, Joppa, Baltimore County. As shown by the deposition, noted above, which he made in 1777, by that time he was a resident of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. This above deposition was recorded in Deed Book WGA, page 277, Baltimore County, Maryland. Pittsylvania County was erected in 1767 from a part of Halifax County, Virginia. As will be shown subsequently herein, John, Aquila and Joseph Greer, brothers of Moses Greer, obtained patents for land in Halifax County, in 1757, and it seems very probable that Moses Greer followed to Virginia not many years afterwards.
"Moses Greer married in Saint John's Parish, Baltimore County, Maryland, in January 1737 (which in modern dating, would have been in January 1738). His wife was Mary Bayley. It is probable that Moses and Mary (Bayley) Greer had children born earlier than those mentioned, but this may not be the case, since the records eroneously mentioned as their births evidently should have been given as their baptism. So far as is know the children of Moses and Mary (Bayley) Greer were: Moses, Lowander (Leander), and Aquila." (GREER ANCESTRY, 1943, compiled and rearranged by Mable Thachery Rosemary Washburn, from material furnished by Mrs. W. B. Dooley, 3214 Jackson Street, Houston, Texas; Mr. Sylvester Greer, Dixiana, Alabama; Dr. C. A. Breast, Dixia Hotel, Shelbyville, Tennessee; and G. Moore Greer, Sr., 205 N. Ranney Avenue, Sikeston, Missouri.)
"Moses Greer's marriage to Mary Bailey (which has also been found spelled as "Bayley," was recorded in January 1737." (St. John's Parrish Records, Joppa, Baltimore County, Maryland, page 180 (or 208).) The Bailey family of Gunpowder River were neighbors of the Greers.
"Moses Greer moved to the part of Pittsylvania County, Virginia which became Henry County and bordered Franklin County. A number of Greers, thought to have been his children, are found in Pittsylvania County records even though there is no proof just when Moses moved there. He is often confused with his nephew, Moses Greer of Franklin County, who fought in the Revolutionary War and who became prominent in that area under the name of Moses Sr." (ACROSS THE BLUE RIDGE, by Billie Redding Lewis, 1984, page 207.)
In ROYAL HERITAGE OF THE GREERS, Carolyn Beal shows Moses death year as 1788.
(NOTE FROM RALPH TERRY: Older Greer research shows only two children for Moses, Lewrander (various spellings) and Aquilla, as they two are the only children who have baptisms recorded at St. John's Parrish, Joppa, Maryland. More recent work, however has added James and Moses. James is shown in one deed as "James, son of Moses, and he was even married at St. John's.)
"Moses Greer was born in 1716, and undoubtedly, since his parents lived there, in Baltimore County, Maryland. Evidence that he was a son of John Greer of Baltimore County is made in a deposition that he, Moses Greer, when living in Virginia in his later life, which was recorded in Baltimore County, Maryland, that he, in his early life, was a resident of Baltimore County; that his father resided there; and that his brother, Aquila Greer was there. It will be shown that, in Virginia, where, in the same localities, lived, contemporaneously, this Moses Greer, together with John, Aquila, Joseph and Benjamin Greer, the said John, Aquila, and Joseph very frequently were associated in various land transactions. This hardly could have been the case, unless they were brothers, which relationship also seems established beyond question, by the fact that the said Aquila, as already mentioned, in the said deposition of his proved brother Moses Greer, lived as did Moses in Baltimore County, Maryland, before they settled in Virginia. At the known periods of the births of Moses, Aquila, and Joseph Greer, no other person of this surname is found residing in Baltimore County of age to have been their father, except the John Greer, already described in the present study, and which John was the son of James and Ann (Taylor), and husband of Sarah. Therefore, it is impossible to question that Moses, John, Aquila and Joseph Greer (all formerly residents of Baltimore County, Maryland, and later all of Virginia) all were the sons of John Greer and the aforesaid Sarah.
"The date of his birth is proven to have been 1716 by statements which he made in a deposition, when he was sixty-one years old, and then living in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. In the deposition, which is recorded in land records of Baltimore County, Maryland, because it concerns boundaries of land in that county, but which lands, it is thought, had not belonged to Moses Greer's family, he stated the following items, in the course of his description of the said land, as he then recalled them and the circumstances of his connection with the survey of the land: That Moses Greer, the deponet, was then sixty-one years of age, that he then was of Pittsylvania County, Virginia (the date of the deposition being September 13, 1777) but that, formerly he was a resident of Baltimore County, Maryland; that about forty five years prior to the date of deposition (which would indicate the year 1732, at which time Moses Greer, -- as born in 1716, being aged sixty-one in 1777, -- would have been sixteen years of age), his father (unnamed in the deposition), said to him the said Moses Greer, "to go to a large oak tree and stay until Mr. Snowden the surveyor came," that he Moses Greer and his brother "Aquila carried the chain," and that the said Snowden, the surveyor gave him, Moses Greer and his said brother Aquilla Greer "10s for carrying the chain."
"The date when Moses left Baltimore County, Maryland and settled in Virginia, is not known at present. He was living in Baltimore County in 1760, when one of his children was baptized in the Parish of Saint John, Joppa, Baltimore County. As shown by the deposition, noted above, which he made in 1777, by that time he was a resident of Pittsylvania County, Virginia. This above deposition was recorded in Deed Book WGA, page 277, Baltimore County, Maryland. Pittsylvania County was erected in 1767 from a part of Halifax County, Virginia. As will be shown subsequently herein, John, Aquila and Joseph Greer, brothers of Moses Greer, obtained patents for land in Halifax County, in 1757, and it seems very probable that Moses Greer followed to Virginia not many years afterwards.
"Moses Greer married in Saint John's Parish, Baltimore County, Maryland, in January 1737 (which in modern dating, would have been in January 1738). His wife was Mary Bayley. It is probable that Moses and Mary (Bayley) Greer had children born earlier than those mentioned, but this may not be the case, since the records eroneously mentioned as their births evidently should have been given as their baptism. So far as is know the children of Moses and Mary (Bayley) Greer were: Moses, Lowander (Leander), and Aquila." (GREER ANCESTRY, 1943, compiled and rearranged by Mable Thachery Rosemary Washburn, from material furnished by Mrs. W. B. Dooley, 3214 Jackson Street, Houston, Texas; Mr. Sylvester Greer, Dixiana, Alabama; Dr. C. A. Breast, Dixia Hotel, Shelbyville, Tennessee; and G. Moore Greer, Sr., 205 N. Ranney Avenue, Sikeston, Missouri.)
"Moses Greer's marriage to Mary Bailey (which has also been found spelled as "Bayley," was recorded in January 1737." (St. John's Parrish Records, Joppa, Baltimore County, Maryland, page 180 (or 208).) The Bailey family of Gunpowder River were neighbors of the Greers.
"Moses Greer moved to the part of Pittsylvania County, Virginia which became Henry County and bordered Franklin County. A number of Greers, thought to have been his children, are found in Pittsylvania County records even though there is no proof just when Moses moved there. He is often confused with his nephew, Moses Greer of Franklin County, who fought in the Revolutionary War and who became prominent in that area under the name of Moses Sr." (ACROSS THE BLUE RIDGE, by Billie Redding Lewis, 1984, page 207.)
In ROYAL HERITAGE OF THE GREERS, Carolyn Beal shows Moses death year as 1788.
(NOTE FROM RALPH TERRY: Older Greer research shows only two children for Moses, Lewrander (various spellings) and Aquilla, as they two are the only children who have baptisms recorded at St. John's Parrish, Joppa, Maryland. More recent work, however has added James and Moses. James is shown in one deed as "James, son of Moses, and he was even married at St. John's.)
Events
| Birth | Bet 1712 and 1716 | Gunpowder River, Baltimore County, Maryland | |||
| Marriage | January, 1737 | Baltimore County, Maryland - Mary Bailey | |||
| Death | Bef 1777 | Pittsylvania County, Virginia |
Families
| Spouse | Mary Bailey ( - 1760) |
| Child | James Greer (1740 - 1806) |
| Child | Moses Greer ( - ) |
| Child | Lowranter Greer ( - 1759) |
| Child | Aquilla Greer ( - ) |
| Father | John Greer (1682 - 1750) |
| Mother | Sarah Day (1686 - 1758) |
| Sibling | James Greer (1709 - 1742) |
| Sibling | William Greer Sr. (1710 - 1785) |
| Sibling | John Greer Jr. (1714 - 1782) |
| Sibling | Aquilla Greer (1716 - 1790) |
| Sibling | Sarah Greer (1720 - 1721) |
| Sibling | Ann Greer (1720 - ) |
| Sibling | Joseph Greer (1723 - 1781) |
| Sibling | Benjamin Greer (1725 - 1788) |