History of Humphrey Moore, Part 1

One of the historical plaques on the Colonel John Shepard Bridge commemorates the life of Humphrey Moore, 1778-1871, Clergyman.

Reverend Moore was perhaps the most significant resident of Milford during the first part of the nineteenth century. He was the first minister in town, at a time when a minister played a central roll in the governance of a town.

He served for years, and presided over the construction and expansion of the Congregational Church.

This is his brief biography as found in Ramsdell's 1901 History of Milford, N.H.. This is found on page 856, Family Registers.

Rev. Humphrey Moore, son of Humphrey and Mary (Sweetser) Moore, born in Princeton, Mass., Oct. 19, 1778. Came to Milford in 1802, and was the first settled clergyman in the town. Resided on his farm, a short distance from the village on the road to Wilton, where he died Apr. 8, 1871. Married (1) Apr. 5, 1803, Hannah, daughter of William and Abigail (Wilkins) Peabody, born in Milford, March 11, 1779, and died March 2, 1830. Married (2) March 28, 1831, Mary J., daughter of Stephen and Hannah (Swett) French, born in Bedford, July 12, 1808, and died in Milford, Nov. 23, 1898.

CHILDREN, BORN IN MILFORD.

1. Maria Antoinette, b. Feb. 24, 1804; m. Nov. 6, 1826, William, Jr., son of William and Mary (Southward) Ramsdell; res. in Milford, and d. Feb. 4, 1878.
2. Josephine, b. Feb. 4, 1808; m. Rev. John M. Ellis of Jaffrey, and d. in Milford, July 28, 1872.
3. Taseah Theresa, b. Jan. 7, 1810; m. Dec. 29, 1829, John, son of William and Mary (Southward) Ramsdell; res. in Milford until 1853, when they rem. to Iowa; she d. in Richland, Apr. 14, 1864.
4. Euclid, b. Apr. 2, 1812.

George Ramsdell was the son of Maria (Moore) Ramsdell and the grandson of Humphrey Moore. Ramsdell obviously knew the Reverend quite well, and he was able to cover Moore's life in detail in his history of Milford.

One section that discusses Moore is on page 540, Chapter XXIV, Centennial Celebration. These are part of the comments that Ramsdell himself made during the 1894 celebration.

"...The year 1802 saw the settlement of Humphrey Moore, and the year 1809, brought to town the young lawyer, Solomon K. Livermore.

They were men of large minds and warm hearts, graduates of Harvard College and lifelong friends. I doubt not that these men, during the earlier days of their active manhood, had many good and true helpers, but to us who knew them well, they stand out with commanding prominence, when we think of the first half of the century. The town had the best they had to give. They were servants of the public, and every man their neighbor. None was too poor or ignorant to cross the threshold of their dwellings. The impress of their lives appears in many another life, and your streets and public places continue to tell of them. While in the early history of many towns social distinctions, founded on the unequal distribution of wealth, have existed, and some houses have been counted too good for common people to enter, there was not and never has been any of it here. The only aristocracy I have ever heard of in Milford has been and is the aristocracy to which we all aspire to belong--the aristocracy of noble souls."

I like that phrase a lot - "the aristocracy of noble souls." You don't hear language like that anymore.

Another section that discusses Moore is found on page 520, Chapter XXIV Centennial Celebration, comments of Charles Burns at the same 1894 event:

"...The town was more than fortunate in the selection of its first permanent pastor, the Rev. Humphrey Moore. He was a splendid man, --frugal, industrious, a farmer and minister, a patriot, a gentleman and a devout Christian. His master spirit was a vital force in this community for more than fifty years. The early New England pastors were, for the most part, strong and grand characters. They were leaders among men. Their sturdy advice and rugged examples were safe guides. They did a great work. Mr. Moore was at the head of other strong religious teachers in Milford. Abner Warner, a very noble and eloquent man, left a lasting mark on this community. He valiantly espoused the cause of freedom, while he held aloft the banner of the cross. Many other good ministers have wrought here manfully, doing a work which has had large influence in moulding the character of the people."

Ramsdell's history has a chapter of biographical sketches of the key town residents, and there is a long section devoted to Moore. I'll post that in part 2 of his life.