Zachariah Johnson, Part 2

A previous post discussed Zachariah Johnson and the cemetery where he is buried. In the last paragraph I mentioned that Johnson appeared to be the ancestor of the Moore and Crump families in the area. It seems I was only partially correct. Upon closer research, the Moore part of the relationship is correct; the Crump family (while related to a Moore family) does not appear to descend from the Moores from Zachariah Johnson’s line.

As mentioned earlier, Zachariah Johnson married Matilda Keas (Keys) in 1841. Census research indicates that at least three children were born to this union: Sidney (a daughter, born about 1846), Zachariah (a son, born about 1849), and Decy Ann (a daughter, born about 1852). Nothing further can be discovered about Sidney or Zachariah, and they may have died, childless, before their father. Decy Ann (variously spelled Dicy Ann, Deciann, Decia Ann, and other creative spellings) married William Henry Moore on 25 April 1869 {Craven County Marriage Registers}.

William Henry Moore was born about September 1840 {1900 Census of Craven County} to Benjamin Spellman and Nancy Moore {Marriage Register}. The couple produced 10 children, 9 of whom lived to adulthood. The children are:

Sophia Moore, born about 1872. Nothing futher at this time.
Cassie Holland Moore, born 14 Sep 1874, died 12 July 1918, and married <–?–> Garris {Craven County Death Certificate for Cassie Holland Garris}
Alonzo Moore, born about 1878. Nothing futher at this time.
Polly A., born about 1880. Nothing futher at this time.
Emaline Moore, born about 1882 (though her death certificate lists a birth of 4 Mar 1889) and died 27 Jan 1955 in Pitt County, married <–?–> Clinton {Pitt County Death Certificate for Emiline Clinton}
Zachariah Moore, born about 1885. Nothing futher at this time.
Stephen Edward Moore, born 4 Sep 1886, died 19 Nov 1945, married Josephine Keys Cutler, 11 May 1917, daughter of Stephen Keys and Louisa Keys {Craven County Death Certificate for Stephen Edward Moore, Craven County Marriage License for Stephen E. Moore and Josephine Cutler}
Decy Della Moore, born about 1891. She apparently married Graham Ernul. Nothing futher at this time.
John Stanley Moore, born 28 Jan 1894, died 16 Apr 1951, married Elsie Becton on 10 May 1915, daughter of Andrew and Lula Becton. {Beaufort County Death Certificate for John Stanley Moore and Pamlico County Marriage License for John Stanley Moore and Alsie Becton.}

Decy Ann may not have been the only surviving child of Zachariah Johnson, though. Decy Ann Moore sold Johnson property to her children John, Holland, Ed, and Della in four separate deeds in 1916 and 1917 {Craven County Deeds Book 213, pages 238 and 250, and Book 217, pages 295 and 296}, but the total property sold amounts to about half of the purported 100 acres that Zachariah Johnson owned. Craven County Deed Book 216, pages 230-231 has a timber deed for “the tract of land known as the Zack Johnson land containing 100 acres more or less” listing Deacy Ann Moore and Ed Moore as the grantors, though the deed is signed by Deacy Ann Moore, E.D. Moore and Nora A. Keys.

Just like other families, the more you dig, the more questions that arise. As mentioned in the previous post on Johnson, the only property I could find that Zachariah Johnson purchased amounted to only 25 acres, yet here is 100 acres listed for Zack Johnson. Decy Ann sold almost 50 acres to her children (4.5 acres to Della Ernul, 20 acres to John Stanley Moore, 1 acre “where the old home now stands” to Holland Garris, and 20 acres to Ed Moore, totaling 45.5 acres). If the original Zack Johnson deed was for 25 acres, where did the other 75 acres of land come from? Who is Nora A. Keys who signed the timber deed? What became of Sidney and Zachariah Jr.? Or the other children of Decy Ann Johnson Moore? Only more time and research can tell…