1. Objective: Find the birth, marriage and death dates for William Johnson Moore.
2. Known Facts: Look in home, family sources and family history site.
a. Found a family narrative that names Ella Bolton his wife. Not all of Ella's children had the last name of Moore.
b. Ancestral village is listed as Smith county Tennessee.
c. Clues: Both William and Ella died before 1935. The last Slave holder may have been Gordon. Some ancestors were sold
to the Moore family, and after they were freed they chose to take the name of Moore to facility reunification.
d. Surnames and variations to search: Bolton/Boulton
e. First names and variations to search Elenor/Eleanor/Ella.
3. Working Hypothesis: William and Ella were both born/married/died in Smith County Tennessee.
They had thirteen children:
1. Albert Allen Moore born 14 Feb 1905, Smith County Tennessee; died 19 Jul 1954, Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana;
was buried Crown Hill Cemetery.
2. Gilbert Gordon Moore - died Bef 1954.
3. Julia Moore - died Bef 1954.
4. Willie Mai Moore - died Bef 1954.
5. Unknown Skillon - died Bef 1954.
6. Hurt Bolton Moore - died Bef 1954.
7. Ethel Moore - died Bef 1962. in Indianapolis, IN
8. John Lula Moore - died Bef 1954.
9. Meleni Moore - died Bef 1952, East Moline, IL.
10. Hettie Moore
11. Mary Wyatt Moore - died Bef 1962, in Indianapolis, IN
12. Fanny Moore
13. Carrie Moore
4. Identified Sources
<>Family narrative
Moore family history
Introduction:
I remember pictures of my father’s parents being on the top shelf of a bookcase in our upstairs hall my entire life.
One of my greatest regrets is not taking those pictures with me when my Mom came to live with me in 1977. Those pictures
are lost forever. Our house at 1045 W. 29th Street burned down in 1978. Those mementos probably escaped the fire, but I
didn’t take the time to go through the rubble to retrieve those precious items. They were black and white photos, taken
in a studio. Through the filter of the 1950's, their hair was long and not straightened or processed, their complexion
the same as I remembered my Dads. My Dad died of TB when I was six, so I have few memories of him. A few years ago,
out of the blue, I asked my sister Sophie; "what did Daddy's voice sound like"? She had to think about it, as she was
eighteen when he died; then she replied Albert William, Jr was the closest to his voice (his nickname is Squeaky).
Moore relatives I've (John Gilbert Moore, Sr.) met:
1) Aunts Ethel and Mary. Aunt Mary lived with us briefly at the time Daddy died, but she died a few years later
(I don't recall going to the funeral). Aunt Ethel lived on Camp Street, and I recall helping her place tiles on her
bathroom wall. Aunt Ethel died before 1960, but I don't recall going to the funeral. Aunt Ethel did not have any
children, and was not married. Aunt Mary had a daughter Julia Mae, who died of Brest cancer prior to 1954.
2) Lillard and Charles Chumlee. I recall seeing them when I was over Aunt Ethel's house. I recall Lillard being a
chubby guy in blue coveralls. I also recall my brother being upset that Lillard took some tools from our garage
after my dad died, and that my Mom gave him our Dad's gun.
3) Uncle Willie Albert. In the late 70's Willie Albert came from Detroit to visit my Mom, who lived with us at the time.
I don't have a picture of him, but my wife remarked that finally she met someone in my family I resembled!
4) Albert Jones Jr. I don't recall seeing Jr. In person, but I have talked to him (we talked about the US Open in NYC).
I have pictures of Albert Jones and Sophie in California.
5) Wallace Webb. I have a video taken in 1955 in Terre Haute with me and Wallace. In 2015 when I asked Sophie how we
were related, she didn't know but gave the contact information for Wallace's daughter Mary Hellen Worrell. When I
contacted Mary Hellen, all she knew was that her Mom, and my dad were cousins, probably through the Bolton family.
She reminded me that her cousin Ernestine was an Art Teacher at Attucks H.S. in the 60's while I was there.
(I recalled meeting her, but not being aware we were related; she knew my Dad from Terre Haute.....). Mary Hellen
gave me the contact information for her daughters.
In the late 70's when I first began recording my history, I asked my Mom about Daddy's side of the family. She said-
1) He was born in Smith County Tennessee, his Dad was William Johnson Moore, and his Mother was Ella Bolton Moore.
Ella had been married before and Daddy had three half siblings.
2) His Mom and Dad were born and died in Smith County, Tennessee. They were both deceased before they were married.
3) Daddy did not serve in WWII. He was a County Agent during the war, but could not continue after the war,
because white men needed that type of job. Prior to the war he was a teacher at the Lebanon High School
(I have a picture of him as coach of the basketball team)
4) During the war some of his siblings migrated to Detroit to work in the war plants
(one sibling was 6'8", Willie Albert). After the war our family moved to Detroit for about six months.
The story I got was Daddy got a job offer in either Terre Haute (Pfizer) or Indianapolis (Lilly) the went away
when he showed up BLACK. Instead he worked at Camp Atterbury until he found employment with Flanner House in
Indianapolis. He worked at Flanner House as director of Agriculture until 1952. At the time of his death he worked
for the US Post Office as a temporary employee. Apparently our family did not qualify for social security benefits.
5) A relative died in Moline IL and left some property to Daddy/me in the early 60's, but it didn't happen. About the
same time a relative (Aunt Jenny) died in Detroit, and left items to me, but this didn't happen. I think these
two things are the rationale for my Mom not telling me much about my Dad's side of the family.
6) My Mom said that Daddy told her that his name could have been Gordon, because his grandfather was owned by the Gordon
family when they were freed, but he choose the last name of Moore, because he was born into the Moore family, but
sold to the Gordons as a youngster, and hoped to be reunited with the rest of his family who would have the last
name of Moore.
Things I've learned from Sophie:
1) Sophie provided a reunion invitation from the Bolton Family in 1972.
2) Aunt Mary did Domestic work for a family that lived on Delaware Street and they had an Electric Car.
3) Information on Moline and Detroit relatives.
4) Aunt Jenny worked as a maid in the Detroit/Windsor area. She lived in the Detroit area most of her life. Her address
may have been 1667 Kendall, Detroit, MI
Told to John Moore by Sophie Covington on 22apr2015. Moore, John Lula (I75)
[I think John Lula was referred to as Jenny- John Moore 27apr2015]
5) She went to visit Aunt Melanie in Lebanon Tennessee in 1962 (check this name again with Sophie).
6) She recalls living in Detroit.
7) She recalls watching "Meet the Press" with Daddy.
8) In April 2015, Sophie provided information to make updates to the following individuals:
1 Moore, William Johnson - 23 Apr 2015
2 Moore, Albert Allen [Smith County Tennessee] - 22 Apr 2015
3 Bolton, Robert - 22 Apr 2015
4 Bolton, Unknown - 22 Apr 2015
5 Chummbly, Charles - 22 Apr 2015
Notes: Nickname Rooster provided by Mary Helen Worrell (daughter of Wallace Webb), It is believed that Wallace and
Albert Allen were cousins via the Bolton family. Mary Helen also provided that Charles Chummbly lived in
Pontiac MI in 1958.
The above information was provided in April 2015 to John Moore
6 Resenover, Millard - 22 Apr 2015
7 Moore, John Lula - 22 Apr 2015
8 Seasy, Unknown - 22 Apr 2015
Notes: Known to have be incarcerated in Joliet in the late 1940's or the early 1950's.
9 Moore, Meleni - 22 Apr 2015
Notes: Meleni lived in East Moline, IL. She owned a house on the Mississippi river. Her husband was serving time in
jail in Joliet the last few years of her life. She died of Asthma. It was believed that her riverfront
property was willed to Albert Allen Moore, but he never got the property. When her house was cleaned after
her death, her use of garlic was apparent as it was everywhere. At the time garlic was thought to be a
remedy for asthma.
The above was told to John Moore on 22apr2015 by Sophie Covington
10 Cruchfield, Unknown - 22 Apr 2015
11 Moore, Julia - 22 Apr 2015
12 Jones, Albert - 22 Apr 2015
13 Jones, Albert Sr. - 22 Apr 2015
14 Chummbly, Virgie - 22 Apr 2015
15 Bolton, Eleanor - 22 Apr 2015
<> 1870 -- 1930 US Census records for William Johnson Moore and Ella Bolton Moore
<> Death certificates for William Johnson Moore and Ella Bolton Moore, Julia Moore, Willie Mai Moore, Unknown Skillon,
Hurt Bolton Moore, Ethel Moore, John Lula Moore, Meleni Moore, Hettie Moore, Mary Wyatt Moore, Fanny Moore,
and Carrie Moore.
5. Research Strategy
a. Check online US Census records (1870 -- 1940) for children of William and Ella Moore.
b. Confirm place of birth (1890 -- 1930 census); locate certificates
in Tennessee or at the federal level using Freedom of Information Act request form.
c. Search the US Colored Troops Military Service Records.
d. Search Social Security Death Index for all children:Search Social Security Death Index for all children: Julia Moore,
Willie Mai Moore, Unknown Skillon, Hurt Bolton Moore, Ethel Moore, John Lula Moore, Meleni Moore, Hettie Moore,
Mary Wyatt Moore, Fanny Moore, and Carrie Moore.
If so, request SS-5 Applications from the Social Security Administration.
e. Check cemeteries in Smith County, TN., for tombstones and write for death records as needed.
f. Contact or visit appropriate courthouses in Smith County, TN., for marriage records.
g. Find birth records for William Johnson Moore and Ella Bolton Moore, Julia Moore, Willie Mai Moore, Unknown Skillon,
Hurt Bolton Moore, Ethel Moore, John Lula Moore, Meleni Moore, Hettie Moore, Mary Wyatt Moore, Fanny Moore,
and Carrie Moore.
h. Search the FHL catalog for microfilms available for Smith County, TN. Order film number xxxxxxxx; Search
films for all listings of the name "Moore" or "Bolton" or "Boulton" or "Gordon".
I. Should Do Items:
1) Check 1940 Census, even though I've been told he died before my Dad met my Mom (1935).
2) Check 1930 Census through 1870 Census for William Johnson Moore and Eleanor Bolton.
3) Check 1930 and 1940 Census for descendants of William Johnson Moore. Confirm/Update data currently available.
4) Check relevant Land Records for William Johnson Moore and Ella Bolton. Confirm location of Smith County TN.
5) Join Smith County Historical Society Mailing List.
6) Identify parents of William Johnson Moore and Ella Bolton.
7) Identify slave owners of parents identified in step 6.
8) Search Census Records and pension records prior to 1870.
9) Update TNG and Ancestry as appropriate.
10) Plan a trip Smith County TN.
J. Transpose list of activities to create a checklist to track progress.
