Re: John W Moutray - Moultrie 1729-1798
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In reply to:
Re: John W Moutray - Moultrie 1729-1798
3/23/00
Belinda,
I've just recently completed research on the details of your posting.It has to do with the marriage of America Middleton and "J Moutray".It's a most interesting tail of African-Americans and Moutray.I'm attaching the following research.
Let me know what you think and any more recent information which you may have.
The first record of Moutray immigration to the colonies can be found in the 1790 U.S. census, for a John Moultrie, M.D., born in Scotland 1702 and immigrating from England to Virginia in 1729.He passed in 1798 and the surname, at that census point, was Moutray.The genealogical, linguistic record notes that at the time of the initial Moutray immigrations in the 18th century, the surname was in transition to Moultrie, (son of Moutray). Thereafter, used interchangeably, Moultrie transitioned back to Moutray, late in the 18th and early 19th century. (Anecdotal family history records note a Thomas Mutray living in Virginia in 1704 and John Moutray voting in the Virginia House of Burgess in 1722).
John Moultrie was a successful physician in the colonies and had two sons. The elder son was John Moultrie, Esq., born 1739, who served as Lieutenant Governor of East Florida.John was a loyalist and returned to England in 1778 when the colonial revolution was turning the tide against the British.
William Moultrie, born 1730, unlike his brother, joined the colonists and rose to the rank of General Moultrie.He successfully defended an important fortification in a lengthy firefight against the British and was recognized by the Continental Congress for his bravery.His reward was to name the “fort” defended Fort Moultrie.
Moutray’s in the 19th Century-Pre Civil War.At the turn of the 18th century and on the heels of the colonial victory against the British; there were a few brief years before the War of 1812.This war was “closer” than the revolutionary war, (the White House was set ablaze for one), and more divisive. There was a continuing manipulation and betrayal of the indigenous peoples by both the “Americans” and the British.We know only to well what the outcome was for the indigenous Indians.
Many of the historical Moutray family records were lost during this period as well as many lives. What is known from the census data is that many Moultrie, Moutray families moved to what are now Midwestern states.These Moultrie, Moutray families relocated to Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. Other Moultrie, Moutray families remained in the south or relocated to the northern seaboard states.
The 1850 and 1860 census record reports a James Moutray, born 1834 in Missouri.James is also reflected and reports himself in the 1860 Slaveholder census record as owning twelve slaves.The manner in which slaves were reported, in the pre Civil War census is without names.Slaves were recorded only by their owner’s name and by gender and age.James Moutray recorded for the 1860 census, eight male slaves, ages 50, 26,22,5,5,4,2,2. James Moutray recorded for the 1860 census, four female slaves, ages 27,26,21,13.
Moutray’s in the 19th Century-Pending-Civil War Era. In 1821 Missouri became a state. The settlers from Missouri wanted it to be a slave state. The Congressmen from the North did not want another slave state. That same year Maine also asked to be admitted to the Union.
In 1820 an agreement called the Missouri Compromise was reached. The compromise allowed Missouri to come into the Union as a slave state and Maine would be a free state. Congress drew an imaginary line across the middle of the United States running from the east coast to the Pacific Ocean. This imaginary line separated the states into free and slave states. Any new state entering the Union that was south of the line would be a slave state. Any state north of the line would enter the Union as a free state.States on this imaginary line were also referred to as Border States which included Kentucky and Missouri.
Maine became a state in 1820. Missouri became a state in 1821. For the next 16 years no states entered the Union. From 1836 to 1850 six states were admitted: Arkansas, 1836- slave,Michigan, 1837- free, Florida, 1845- slave, Texas, 1845- slave, Iowa, 1846- free and Wisconsin, 1848- free.The Moutray's were in the thick of things during this period considering where the majority of the family lived.
Texas was the last slave state to enter the U.S., in 1845, following the Mexican-American War. (The Alamo is a false myth, without Heroes as the U.S. was the aggressor invading Mexican territory.)The outcomeof this conflict was that the U.S. stole a huge part of the southwest extending to California on the Pacific coast. This unstable and flawed period in U.S. history exists to this day regardless of the historical propaganda.
In 1850 California asked to be admitted to the Union. The Missouri Compromise had cut California in half. Congressmen argued over whether California should enter the war as a free or slave state.In 1850 California asked to be admitted to the Union. The Missouri Compromise had cut California in half. Congressmen argued over whether California should enter the war as a free or slave state. Henry Clay, the man who worked out the Missouri Compromise, came out of retirement to try to work out another compromise. The new agreement was called the Compromise of 1850. In this compromise Northern California entered the Union as a free state.
The Compromise of 1850 added some new laws. Buying and selling slaves in Washington, D.C. was outlawed. The people living in Washington, D.C. could still own slaves, but could not buy or sell new ones. In the South the land received from Mexico was broken up into two states, New Mexico and Utah. In these states the settlers could decide for themselves whether they wanted slavery or not.
The South got a new law called the Fugitive Slave Law which said that any slaves escaping from the south to freedom in the north should be returned to their masters. Bounty hunters received a bounty for each slave they returned. Some free black people were captured by bounty hunters and sold as slaves. Any person who did not help a bounty hunter could be executed under the law.
In 1854 Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois initiated an effort to repeal the Compromise of 1850.His intentions and efforts were fradulent since his personal investments were languishing without further expansion of the frontier west of the Missouri.He could have cared less about the uneasy status of the Compromise of 1850.Greed was his motive and he was ultimately successful in executing The Repeal of the Missouri Compromise.In the election of 1860 Douglas was defeated by Abraham Lincoln as war loomed on the horizen.
Prior to the inevitable, “economically driven" outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Kansas entered the Union as a free state. Douglas had wanted to carve up the Nebraska Territory into a slave state since he owned much of the territory and had huge investments in railway stock.Given the imbalance of free states to slave states and the heightened tensions between the Abolisionists and southern Slaveholders, the south seceded from the Union forming the Confederacy.The western part of Missouri and the eastern part of Kansas was a savage place to be during the Civil War.Many of the Moutray family were right there.The Civil War military records report that nine Moutray's served in the Union Army and two Moutray’s served for the Confederacy. (This extended historical record will soon be apparent.)
African-American-Interracial Moutray’s in the 19th Century-Post Civil War. The 1870 census record reports at least one interracial marriage between Moutray and African American partners.The 1870 census record reports a widow, Em Moutray, born 1826, white, with three black children, Anne, born 1851, Catherine, born 1855 and Em, born 1857. Em Moutray and her children lived in South Carolina. (The U.S.census record format was revised following the Civil War.African-American families were identified as colored and recorded literacy skills, ongoing education for their children and any property ownership.)Em and her children were all literates in reading and writing and the record reflects that the two youngest children were attending school at the time of the census. Em Moutray was recorded as owning real property.
The 1870 census record reflects an African-American family whose household included, Saroph Moutray, born 1805 in Kentucky, the father, Dianna Moutray, born 1815 in Virginia, the mother, and six children.The children were all born in Kentucky, (a border state before the war). The children of this union are, Robert Moutray age 24, Angelina Moutray age 21, Louisa Moutray age 19, William Moutray age 16, Julia Moutray age 14 and John W. Moutray age 13*.
African-American-Caucasian Moutray’s of the 19th Century -Post Civil War. There are no reliable census records before 1820 for the Moutray family other than the migratory history noted above.This vacuum in the research however, is getting closer to who I am in the history of this “colorful” family.
The 1860 census record reports a Thiran Moutray, born 1809 and his wife Rebecca Moutray, born 1799, residing in Illinois at the time of the 1860 census.One of the children from this union was a son, John Wyatt Moutray, born 4/22/1837 in Missouri, passing 6/6/1917.He married Anna Mary Cox, born 4/2/1833, passing 7/5/1895. The 1870 census data records that John and Anna had several children. One of the children from this union was daughter, Alice Moutray who married a John Middleton II.
The sister of John Middleton II, America Middleton, born 1857 in Missouri, married J. Moutray*, born 1857 in Kentucky. They were married in Missouri. The Moutray genealogical website reports an absence of any recorded information for J. Moutray*, but does report all of the children from this union between J. Moutray* and America Moutray. (I’ll come back to the children later in the cultural narrative.)
As the drama thickens and with the benefit of the 1870 census record, J. Moutray*is John W. Moutray*, born 1857 in Kentucky to an African-American family. His father Saroph, born 1805 and mother Dianna born 1815, had six children, lived in Kentucky, survived the Civil War, were literates, were recorded as “Colored” and landowners.John W. Moutray-African-American*, from Kentucky, made his way to Missouri. This journey culminated with the eventual marriage and union between the Caucasian, named, America, sister of John Middleton II.J. Moutray/John W. Moutray* is my grandfather.(I have only heard grandfather referred to as John by my mother on the one or two occasions when I have asked. Given the census history, my paternal great grandfather is Saroph Moutray, born 1805.
Colorful Moutray’s of the 20th Century.The 1900 census record reflects Oklahoma as the state of residence for John and America Moutray. When the Oklahoma border was opened in 1900 the family moved from Kansas and became part of the Oklahoma land rush relocating in what is now Renfrow Oklahoma.This 1900 census identifies that all six children of this union were born in Kansas. The children are, Luther, Nellie, Grover, born 1888, Clifton, Hazel and Gertrude/”Berdie”.
Their son Grover Moutray, born 1888, is my biological father.Grover was married three times before marrying my mother Mavis Naomi Steele, born 1926 in Sherburn, Minnesota.Grover and Mavis were married in Raton, New Mexico, 1950.I was born 2/9/1951 and have two younger brothers, Loland, born 7/18/1952 and Perry, born 1/20/1954.My father was killed in an auto accident 8/27/1958 when I was seven.
Unraveling this extended history of the Moutray family is a discovery of knowledge found only this week with the benefit of the web sites Ancestry.com and Genealogy.com. This missing piece from my father‘s family completes a chapter that only today has been opened.It leaves me with a sense of accomplishment in having done this extended research and a little sad. There were no great grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins. No one was living until today.
The shame-based experience is that Moutray’s were slave owners in Missouri.I experience pride in the ethnic cultural history, the tenacity of the Moutray’s in the south,the apparent, successful navigation of the their interracial heritage, their education and literacy.
Robin L. Moutray 2/9/51
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Re: John W Moutray - Moultrie 1729-1798
Robin Moutray 8/20/05